Embracing the vegan lifestyle is not for everyone.  It restricts a good portion of food that many of us take for granted and have few issues with eating them.   If you currently are following a vegan diet or are considering it, veganism means you do not eat any animal products which include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, cheese or other dairy foods.  A vegan essential avoids foods with ingredients coming from animals and for some vegans that may even mean excluding honey.

There are several forms of vegetarianism but vegans are the quintessential form of this way of eating that most of us think of when we hear about someone who is a vegetarian. 

Regardless of which form of vegetarian you may be the important thing is to choose a variety of foods, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, lentils, nuts and seeds. 

However, because of the restriction of certain food groups, it does make it more challenging of obtaining all the necessary and essential nutrients the human body needs on a daily basis.  That means, being a vegan can pose problems in possible nutrient deficiencies if they are not mindful of their food choices. 

Here are 5 nutrients a vegan will need to make sure their food choices contain in order to meet their daily requirements:

1.      Calcium

 The primary source of calcium in our diet is dairy foods.  Vegan diets do not include dairy products therefore calcium will need to come from plant-based foods that contain calcium.  Here is a list of foods for someone who is vegan to choose from in order to obtain sufficient calcium:

  ·         Fortified plant-based milks such as soy or almond

·         Fortified ready-to-eat cereals

·         Calcium-fortified orange juice

·         Calcium-set tofu

·         Some leafy vegetables such as collard greens, turnip greens, and kale

·         Broccoli

·         Beans including soybeans, chickpeas, and black beans

·         Almonds and almond butter

Spinach is not a good source of calcium as the calcium in spinach is bound to oxalates making it poorly absorbed. 

  2.      Iron

Iron is an essential nutrient our body needs to make red blood cells and to prevent anemia.  Vegans will need to make careful food choices containing iron in order to meet their daily requirements.  To increase iron absorption, consume a good source of vitamin C (citrus fruits, orange juice) at each meal.  Here is some iron containing foods:

·         Fortified breakfast cereals

·         Soybeans

·         Some dark leafy greens including spinach and chard

·         Beans

·         Dried fruit

·         Nuts

·         Whole grains

  3.      Protein

Fortunately, protein is found in both plant and animal sources of food.  It is important for vegans to eat a variety of plant-based sources of protein in order for your body to make its own complete protein.  Good plant-based sources of protein to choose from include:

·         Beans, peas, and lentils

·         Whole grains

·         Soy products

·         Nuts and nut butters

·         Seeds such as pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame

·         Fortified breakfast cereals

  4.      Vitamin B12

This vitamin is found only in foods of animal origin, including eggs and dairy products.  Because vegans do not include or allow any food coming from an animal source, they will need to supplement their diet by choosing foods fortified with vitamin B12 or by taking a vitamin B12 (cobalamin) supplement.  Vegetarian sources of B12 include:

·         Vitamin B12 fortified foods including nutritional yeast, soy milk, meat analogs, and breakfast cereals but be sure to check the label.

  5.      Vitamin D

The best source of vitamin D is ultraviolet rays from the sun.  There are few natural food sources of vitamin D and of the ones that are, they are animal-based foods.  Vegans will need to be mindful of either getting adequate sunlight year round in addition to discussing with their health care provider about the need of whether to take a vitamin D supplement.  Otherwise, here are just a few vegan foods containing vitamin D that has been added to them:

·         Vitamin D-fortified soy milk, orange juice and ready-to-eat cereals