What vegans and vegetarians actually need to track

A well-planned plant-based diet is one of the healthier ways to eat. A poorly-planned one is a slow-motion micronutrient disaster.

The difference is in five or six specific nutrients. Track those, and the rest takes care of itself.

1. Protein (and amino acid quality)

Yes, you can hit protein targets on plants. No, "incomplete proteins" don't need to be combined at every meal — your liver handles amino acid pooling over a 24-hour window. Aim for 1.2–1.6 g/kg with these workhorses:

• Lentils, chickpeas, black beans
• Tofu and tempeh
• Seitan (pure gluten, very protein-dense)
• Quinoa
• Pea or rice protein powder

A meat-eater hits protein on autopilot. A plant-eater needs to be deliberate. Build one protein-dense meal anchor per day (a big tofu stir-fry, a lentil curry, a chickpea bowl) and the daily total falls into place.

2. B12 (the only true deficiency you'll see)

B12 is the one nutrient that does not exist in plant foods in usable amounts. None. The "vegans get B12 from spirulina" claim is wrong; the form in spirulina is biologically inactive (or worse, a B12 antagonist).

Vegans must supplement. Vegetarians who eat dairy and eggs usually get enough. Recommended dose: 50–100 mcg daily of cyanocobalamin or methylcobalamin, or a 1000 mcg dose 2–3 times a week.

This is non-negotiable. Long-term B12 deficiency causes nerve damage that can be irreversible. Take the pill.

3. Iron (the absorption story)

Plant iron is non-heme iron, which is absorbed less efficiently than animal heme iron. Roughly 5–15% absorption versus 20–30%.

Two practical implications:

• Plant-based eaters need ~1.8x the iron RDA (so ~14 mg/day for men, ~32 mg/day for menstruating women)
• Pair iron-rich foods with vitamin C (lemon juice, peppers, citrus) — this triples absorption
• Avoid coffee and tea within an hour of iron-rich meals — tannins block absorption

Iron-rich plant foods: lentils, tofu, spinach, pumpkin seeds, fortified oats.

4. Omega-3s (the EPA/DHA gap)

Plant omega-3 (ALA, found in flax, chia, walnuts) converts to the biologically active forms (EPA and DHA) at about 5–10% efficiency. That's not nothing, but it's a meaningfully lower yield than eating fish.

Two options:

• Eat 1–2 tablespoons of ground flax or chia daily
• Take an algae-based DHA/EPA supplement (the same source the fish get it from). 250–500 mg/day is enough.

5. Calcium

Dairy is the easiest source. If you don't eat it, you need:

• Fortified plant milks (most have 300+ mg per cup)
• Tofu set with calcium (read the label — a quarter block can have 350 mg)
• Dark leafy greens (kale, collards — spinach has calcium but it's mostly bound and not absorbed)
• Almonds and tahini

Aim for 1000 mg/day. Two glasses of fortified soy milk gets you 60% of the way there.

6. Iodine (the forgotten one)

Iodine is in iodized salt, dairy, and seafood. If you don't eat any of those, you can become iodine deficient quietly.

Easy fix: use iodized salt (not Himalayan pink, not sea salt — they don't have it), or take a small kelp-based supplement, or eat seaweed snacks 2–3 times a week.

7. Zinc

Plant zinc is less bioavailable due to phytates. Eat plenty of:

• Pumpkin seeds (massive zinc)
• Cashews
• Lentils, chickpeas
• Whole grains

Soaking, sprouting and fermenting reduce phytates and improve absorption. This is a real reason traditional cuisines do those things.

What we track

In the app, switching your diet preference to "vegan" or "vegetarian" enables a different micronutrient panel. The weekly review specifically flags B12 (if no supplement is logged), iron, calcium, omega-3 and iodine — the five most likely shortfalls.

The summary

Plant-based eating is great. It just has a small list of nutrients that need attention because the dietary defaults assume omnivory. Hit those, and you're set.

The healthiest vegan diet and the healthiest omnivore diet look more like each other than either looks like the typical Western diet.