Vegan Sources of Essential Nutrients

I put together this handy list of vegan sources of essential nutrients for my niece who is trying to go vegan, and I thought I would share it in case others can benefit from it. You can download a printer-friendly version to hang on your fridge here if you like.

Adapted from Raising Vegan Children in a Non-Vegan World by Erin Pavlina

Vitamin B₁₂

• Nutritional yeast
• Fortified cereals
• Fortified soymilk
• Fortified juices

Calcium

• Spinach
• Chickpeas
• Baked beans
• Broccoli
• Almonds
• Dried apricots
• Sesame seeds and tahini
• Green leafy vegetables

Protein

• Whole grains (oats, brown rice, pasta)
• Nuts and seeds (tahini, almond butter, peanut butter)
• Meat analogues
• Legumes (tofu, lentils, split peas, beans)

Iron

• Tofu
• Garbanzo beans
• Aduki beans
• Blackstrap molasses
• Black beans
• Lentils
• Pinto beans
• Tofu dogs
• Veggie burgers
• Baked potatoes

To boost absorption of iron, serve the foods listed above with a good source of Vitamin C.

Zinc

• Garbanzo beans
• Lentils
• Pinto beans
• Firm tofu
• Meat analogue deli slices
• Almonds
• Pine nuts
• Sunflower seeds

Trail mix (nuts, seeds, and dried fruit) is great for zinc.

Omega-3 Fatty acids

• Flaxseed, walnut, canola, soybean, & hempseed oils
• Flaxseed (whole & ground)
• Walnuts
• Green leafy vegetables

Add ground flaxseeds to baked goods or as an egg replacer (1 T ground flaxseeds + 3 T water); use walnuts in baked goods and for snacks.

Omega-6 Fatty Acids

• Corn, safflower, & sunflower oils
• Walnuts
• Tofu and other soy products