Plant-Based Food: Nutrition Table

The British Dietetic Association (BDA)¹ confirms that plant-based diets rich in beans, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables, whole grains (such as oats, barley and quinoa) and minimally processed foods can provide all the nutrients needed for good health. The exception is vitamin B12.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is made by micro-organisms and is not produced by plants so fortified foods and supplements are the only reliable sources of vitamin B12 for vegans. (The Vegan Society² ).

In an article written for Forks and Knives, Dr. Sofia Pineda Ochoa³ says that ‘In the past, vitamin B12 from bacteria was naturally and more reliably present in plant foods. Today, however, with modern hygienic practices more effectively cleaning and sanitising produce, along with soil being exposed to more antibiotics and pesticides, most plant foods are no longer reliable sources of this bacterial product’.

Nutrients in Plant Foods and their Health Benefits

The following table has been curated using information from the NHS UK⁴ website and the book Vegan Savvy written by Azmina Govindji RD⁵ .

For specific dietary concerns, speak to a health professional or qualified nutritionist. In the UK, the Vegan Society works with nutritionists registered with The British Dietetic Association.¹.

Nutrients + Plant Foods	Health Benefits
Water	Essential for human life. Helps every system in the body work properly.
Protein Nuts, tofu, seeds, beans, chickpeas, sweetcorn, lentils, nut butters.	Helps muscles grow and repair. Needed for healthy bones.
Fibre Starch foods, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts.	Gut health, lowers blood cholesterol, steady blood glucose levels.
Carbohydrates High fibre options include wholegrain breads and breakfast cereals, brown rice, brown pasta, potatoes in their skin.	Fuel for the body.
Good Fats Rapeseed and olive oil, avocados, nuts and nut butters.	Heart, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, vision and brain.
Omega-3 ALA Green leafy vegetables, edamame beans, walnuts, chia, flax and hemp seeds, rapeseed oil. Soya and linseed bread, fortified vegan spreads.	Supports blood cholesterol levels.
Iron Spinach, spring greens, peas. Tofu (naturally present in soybeans). Dried fruit. Nuts and seeds. Beans and pulses. Grains and pasta, especially Quinoa and wholewheat pasta. Fortified breakfast cereals and oats. Tempeh, sesame seeds and wholemeal bread. Dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids).	Mental health, fatigue, immune system.
Calcium Kale, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, okra, pak choi, watercress. Edamame beans, figs, almonds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, oranges. Tempeh, tofu, and products made from tofu. Plant-based drinks and yoghurts. Fortified oat cereal, breads.	Bones and teeth, energy, nerves, digestion, normal blood clotting.
Vitamin B 12 Nutritional yeast, fortified breakfast cereals, fortified plant milks.	Mood, nervous system, immune system, fatigue. Vegan sources are only found in fortified foods and supplements.
Other B Vitamins B 1, B 2, B 3, B 6, B 7. (Also Pantothenic acid, folate and folic acid). Fresh fruit and vegetables, Pulses, beans, nuts, seeds, fortified breakfast cereals, wholegrain breads. Includes peas, mushrooms, wheat flour, avocado, peanuts, soya beans, oats, bananas, chickpeas, kidney beans.	Various including: Convert food to fuel, mood, energy, nervous system, skin, eyes, haemoglobin, fatty acids, red blood cells.
Iodine Nori seaweed, fortified plant drinks, yoghurt and bread.	Brain, energy levels, nervous system, metabolism, skin health.
Zinc Spinach, beans and pulses, tempeh, tofu, brazil nuts, cashew nuts, peanuts, walnuts, seeds, wholemeal bread, porridge oats. Nutritional yeast, wholewheat pasta, pumpkin seeds, quinoa (cooked), brown rice (cooked), sunflower seeds, white and shiitake mushrooms.	Hair and nails, DNA, fertility, brain, carbohydrate metabolism.
Choline Edamame beans and soya products, quinoa. Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, baked potato in skin, firm tofu, peas.	Liver, fat metabolism.
Selenium Brazil nuts, Chickpeas, white pasta, sunflower seeds, mushrooms,	Hair and nails, immune system, thyroid.
Vitamin A: Yellow, red and green (leafy) vegetables, yellow fruits.	Immune system, vision, skin.
Vitamin C: Citrus fruits, strawberries, peppers, broccoli, potato.	Boosts iron absorption. Cells, skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage.
Vitamin D 2, D 3 Sunshine (D 3), fortified foods (D 2). Vitamin D 3 supplement.	Calcium absorption, muscles, healthy bones and teeth, immunity, reduced risk of falls at 60+.
Vitamin E: Rapeseed (vegetable oil), sunflower, soya, corn, olive oil, nuts, seeds, cereal grains.	Skin, eyes, immune system.
Vitamin K: Broccoli, spinach, vegetable oils, cereal grains.	Blood-clotting, wound-healing and bone health.
Source: NHS UK⁴ Vegan Savvy⁵

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