Vegans don't eat foods that come from animals, including dairy products.
Healthy eating
You should be able to get most of the nutrients you need from eating a varied and balanced vegan diet.
A healthy vegan diet contains:
- plenty of fruit and vegetables
- plenty of starchy foods
- some non-dairy sources of protein such as beans and pulses
- some dairy alternatives such as fortified soya drink
- just a small amount of fatty and sugary foods
See the eatwell plate for more information about a healthy diet.
Getting the nutrients you need
With good planning and an understanding of what makes up a healthy, balanced vegan diet, you can get all the nutrients your body needs.
During pregnancy and when breastfeeding, women who follow a vegan diet need to make sure they get enough vitamins and minerals for their child to develop healthily.
See vegetarian and vegan mums-to-be for more information.
If you're bringing up your baby or child on a vegan diet, you need to make sure they get a wide variety of foods to provide the energy and vitamins they need for growth.
See vegetarian and vegan babies and children for more information.
If you don't plan your diet properly, you could miss out on essential nutrients. For example, vegans need to be careful to get enough calcium, iron and vitamin B12.
Getting enough calcium and vitamin D
Calcium is needed for strong and healthy bones and teeth. Non-vegans get most of their calcium from dairy foods (milk, cheese and yogurt), but vegans can get it from other foods.
Good sources of calcium for vegans include:
- fortified soya, rice and oat drink
- calcium-set tofu
- sesame seeds and tahini
- pulses
- brown and white bread (in the UK calcium is added to white and brown flour by law)
- dried fruit such as raisins, prunes and dried apricots
The body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium. Vegan sources of vitamin D are:
- exposure to summer sunshine – remember to cover up or protect your skin before it starts to turn red or burn (see sunlight and vitamin D)
- fortified fat spreads and breakfast cereals (with vitamin D added)
- vitamin D supplements
Read the label to ensure that the vitamin D used in a product is not of animal origin.
Getting enough iron
Iron is essential for the production of red blood cells. A vegan diet can be high in iron, although iron from plant-based food is absorbed by the body less well than iron from meat.
Good sources of iron for vegans are:
- pulses
- wholemeal bread and flour
- breakfast cereals fortified with iron
- dark-green leafy vegetables such as watercress, broccoli, spring greens and okra
- nuts
- dried fruits such as apricots, prunes and figs
Getting enough Vitamin B12
The body needs vitamin B12 to maintain healthy blood and a healthy nervous system. Vitamin B12 is only found naturally in foods from animal sources. Sources for vegans are therefore limited and a vitamin B12 supplement may be needed.
Sources of vitamin B12 for vegans include:
- breakfast cereals fortified with B12
- soya drink fortified with vitamin B12
- yeast extract such as Marmite
Vegan sources of omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids, primarily those found in oily fish, can help maintain a healthy heart and reduce the risk of heart disease when eaten as part of a healthy diet.
Plant sources of omega-3 (per 100g) include:
- linseed (flaxseed) oil: 53.3g
- walnut oil: 11.5g
- rapeseed oil: 9.6g
- soya bean oil: 7.3g
Sources of omega-3 fatty acids suitable for vegans also include soya-based foods such as tofu and walnuts.
Evidence suggests that vegetarian sources of omega-3 fatty acids may not have the same benefits in reducing the risk of heart disease as those in oily fish.
However, if you follow a vegan diet you can still look after your heart by eating at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day, by cutting down on food that is high in saturated fat and by watching how much salt you eat.
