How to Get Enough B12 on a Vegan Diet

Lifestyles are indeed changing and so are healthy food habits. Very popular examples are the growing appeal of vegetarianism and veganism. While meat, dairy or poultry products are indeed, good sources of vitamins and minerals, fortified foods or vitamin B12 supplements, added to a vegan diet, can also provide all the essential nutrients you’ll need. Adding this vitamin to your vegan diet, helps the formation of healthy red blood cells, promotes efficient functioning of the brain and supports a healthy nervous system. Here’s how to get enough B12 on a vegan diet and live a happy, healthy life.

Things You'll Need

• Nutritional yeast
• Fortified soy milk
• Fortified cereal
• Dairy products
• Vitamin B12 supplement capsules (optional)
• Vitamin B complex capsules (optional)

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Instructions

• 1

  Consult a qualified dietitian, nutritionist or your doctor. Review your current diet. These professionals are capable of determining the level of your vitamin B12 intake and will recommend a suitable diet that will include adequate daily amounts of this highly essential vitamin.

• 2

  Add nutritional yeast to your diet. This is a reliable source of this vitamin and comes as powder or yellow flakes. Nutritional yeast has a cheesy taste and is therefore, palatable. A little less than one tablespoon consumed daily will supply the 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12, the RDA for adults.

• 3

  Include fortified cereal in your diet. There are several reliable brands of fortified cereal that can provide you with the amount of vitamin B12 needed daily. Approximately half a cup of fortified cereal can provide the 2.4 microgram RDA of this vitamin.

• 4

  Consume fortified soy milk or meat analogues. Vitamin B12-fortified, soy milk is a rich source of this vitamin. On the other hand, you can also get your daily supply of this vitamin from fortified meat analogues. This is a food produced from soybeans or wheat gluten to resemble fish, poultry or meat.

• 5

  Boost your vitamin B12 intake. If your current diet is still not giving you enough of this much needed vitamin, try and include vitamin B complex, a multivitamin or vitamin B12 supplement capsules along with your vegan diet. These can provide you with the ideal level of vitamin that is needed daily.