Sources of Some Essential Nutrients in a Vegetarian Diet
A vegetarian diet is healthy if it is carefully planned. If a vegetarian diet is too restricted, it may be unhealthy. Certain essential nutrients are harder for vegetarians to find in plant foods. Vegetarians may need to make a special effort to get enough calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin D, and vitamin B-12. It also can be difficult to get an adequate amount of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids. This is especially true if NO animal products (not even dairy products or eggs) are included in the diet.
Amounts of Some Essential Nutrients Needed Each Day
Calcium
MG CALCIUM/DAY
Adults 19 to 50 1000
Adults over 50 1200
Iron
MG IRON/DAY
Men over 18 years old 8
Premenopausal females over 13 years old 15
Pregnant women 27
Breast-feeding women 9 to 10
Postmenopausal women 8
Zinc
MG ZINC/DAY
Men 19 and over 11
Women 19 and over 8
Vitamin B-12
MCG VITAMIN B-12/DAY
Pregnant and breast-feeding women 2.6 to 2.8
All other adults 2.4
Vitamin D
MCG OR IU VITAMIN D/DAY
Adults up to 50 years old 5 mcg or 200 IU
Adults 51 to 70 10 mcg or 400 IU
Adults 71 and over 15 mcg or 600 IU
Sources of Some Nutrients for Vegetarians
CALCIUM mg per serving ------------------------------------------------------ Legumes (1/2 cup cooked) Navy beans 60 Black beans 46 Vegetarian baked beans 64 Soy foods (1/2 cup) Cultured soy yogurt, fortified 367 Tofu 120 to 430 Soy milk, calcium fortified 100 to 159 Soy nuts 120 Nuts and seeds Almonds, 1/4 cup 88 Almond butter, 2 tablespoons 86 Vegetables (1 cup cooked) Broccoli 79 Collard greens 239 Turnip greens 208 Fruits Dried figs, 5 137 Calcium-fortified orange juice, 1 cup 300 Dairy Cow's milk, 1/2 cup 137 to 158 Cheddar cheese, 1/4 oz 153 Yogurt, plain 1/2 cup 137 to 230 IRON mg per serving ------------------------------------------------------ Breads, cereals, and grains Whole wheat bread, 1 slice 0.9 Cereal, fortified, 1 cup 2.1 to 18 Oatmeal, instant, 1/2 cup 1.6 Vegetables (1/2 cup) Broccoli 0.9 Bok choy 0.7 Tomato juice, 1 cup 0.7 Turnip greens 0.6 Legumes (1/2 cup cooked) Baked beans, vegetarian 1.7 Black beans 1.8 Navy beans 2.3 Soy foods (1/2 cup) Soybeans, cooked 4.4 Tofu 6.6 Soy milk 0.4 to 1.0 Nuts/seeds (1/4 cup) Cashews 1.5 Pumpkin seeds 5.2 Sunflower seeds 2.3 Other foods Blackstrap molasses, 1 tablespoon 3.5 ZINC mg per serving ------------------------------------------------------ Breads, grains, and cereals Cereal, fortified 1 oz 0.7 to 15 Wheat germ, 2 tablespoons 1.8 Legumes (1/2 cup cooked) Adzuki beans 2.0 Baked beans, canned 1.8 Lima beans 0.9 Lentils 1.2 Soy foods (1/2 cup cooked) Soybeans 1.0 Tofu 1.0 Veggie meats, 1 oz 1.2 to 2.3 Vegetables (1/2 cup cooked) Peas 1.0 Mushrooms 0.7 VITAMIN D mcg per serving -------------------------------------------------------- Cereals, fortified, 1 oz 0.5 to 1 Egg yolk, large, 1 0.6 Cow's milk, fortified 1.2 to 1.3 Soy milk, fortified, 1/2 cup 0.5 to 1.5 RIBOFLAVIN mg per serving -------------------------------------------------------- Almonds, 1/4 cup 0.3 Cereal, fortified, 1 oz 0.2 to 1.7 Cow's milk, 1/2 cup 0.2 Yogurt, 1/2 cup 0.3 Egg, large, 1 0.6 Mushrooms, cooked, 1/2 cup 0.2 Nutritional yeast miniflakes, 1 tablespoon 1.9 Soy milk, fortified, 1/2 cup 0.2 VITAMIN B-12 mcg per serving --------------------------------------------------------- Cereals, fortified, 1 oz 0.6 to 6.0 Cow's milk, 1/2 cup 0.4 to 0.5 Egg, large, 1 0.5 Nutritional yeast miniflakes, 1 tablespoon 1.5 Soy milk, fortified, 1/2 cup 0.4 to 1.6 Veggie "meats," fortified, 1 oz 0.5 to 1.2 LINOLENIC ACID (OMEGA-3 FATTY-ACIDS) grams per serving ----------------------------------------------------------- Canola oil, 1 tablespoon 1.3 to 1.6 Flaxseed, ground, 1 tablespoon 1.9 to 2.2 Flaxseed oil, 1 teaspoon 2.7 Soybean oil, 1 tablespoon 0.9 Soybeans, cooked, 1/2 cup 1.0 Tofu, 1/2 cup 0.7 Walnuts, 1/4 cup 2.7 Walnut oil, 1 tablespoon 1.4 to 1.7
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