Vitamin list, functions and food sources for plant-based, vegan nutrition.
We all know vitamins are good for us but what exactly do they do for us nutritionally? Here are vitamins we need for optimal health and foods that we can eat to achieve the daily recommended amounts -particularly fruits and veggies! Why choose to get vitamins from plant foods instead of animal-derived foods? Our bodies typically absorb vitamins and minerals better from plant foods and have more difficulty retaining vitamins from meat, dairy and eggs!
List of vitamins
List of vitamins discussed in this post include:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin C
- Calcium
- Chromium
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Folic Acid (Folate)
- Vitamin K
- Iodine
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Selenium
- Zinc
Vitamins, Functions, Food Sources
Vitamin A
Vitamin A functions include:
- helping you see at night
- producing red blood cells
- fighting infections
- preventing eye problems like age-related macular degeneration
Plant-based, vegan food sources for Vitamin A:
- orange vegetables and fruits
- sweet potatoes
- carrots
- cantaloupe
- spinach
Animal-derived, non-vegan food sources for Vitamin A include:
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) functions include:
- turning food into energy
- brain cell health
- pregnancy and breastfeeding health
- diabetes management
Plant-based vegan food sources for Vitamin B1 (Thiamin):
- black beans
- lentils
- seeds
- whole grains
Animal-derived, non-vegan food sources for Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) include:
- pork…but here’s what’s wrong with pork
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) functions include:
- cell health
- preventing migraines
Plant-based, vegan food sources for Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin):
- fortified bread
- fortified grain products
- asparagus
- green vegetables
Animal-derived, non-vegan food sources for Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) include:
- eggs…but here’s what’s wrong with eggs
- milk…but here’s what’s wrong with milk
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) functions include:
- turning food into energy
- protecting skin and tissues
- improving cholesterol levels
Plant-based, vegan food sources for Vitamin B3 (Niacin):
- crimini mushrooms
- peanuts
- peanut butter
Animal-derived, non-vegan food sources for Vitamin B3 (Niacin) include:
- canned tuna
- chicken
- turkey…but here’s what’s wrong with turkey!
- salmon
- other lean meats
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 functions include:
- preventing memory loss
- colorectal cancer prevention
- PMS management
Plant-based, vegan food sources for Vitamin B6:
- leafy and root vegetables
- non-citrus fruits
- bananas…but be sure to buy fair trade bananas!
- avocados
- watermelon
- legumes
Animal-derived, non-vegan food sources for Vitamin B6 include:
- fish
- poultry
- lean meat
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 functions include:
- helping the body use food for energy
Plant-based, vegan food sources for Vitamin B12:
- fortified cereal
- nutritional yeast…but is nutritional yeast sustainable?!
Animal-derived, non-vegan food sources for Vitamin B12 include:
- eggs…but here’s what’s wrong with eggs
Vitamin C
Vitamin C functions include:
- helping your bones, skin, and muscles grow
Plant-based, vegan food sources for Vitamin C:
- orange juice…but is orange juice vegan?
- grapefruit juice
- bell peppers
- papaya
- strawberries
- broccoli
- cantaloupe
- leafy greens
- other fruits and vegetables
Animal-derived, non-vegan food sources for Vitamin C include:
- liver…but here’s what’s wrong with offals
Calcium
Calcium functions include:
- strengthening bones and teeth
- make muscles move
Plant-based, vegan food sources for Calcium:
Animal-derived, non-vegan food sources for Calcium include:
Chromium
Chromium functions include:
- keeping blood sugar levels steady
Plant-based, vegan food sources for Chromium:
Animal-derived, non-vegan food sources for Chromium include:
- shellfish
- mussels…but here’s what’s wrong with mussels
Vitamin D
Vitamin D functions include:
- strengthening bones
- helping nerves carry messages
- fighting off germs
Plant-based, vegan food sources for Vitamin D:
- orange juice with added vitamin D
Animal-derived, non-vegan food sources for Vitamin D include:
- salmon
- tuna
- mackerel…but here’s what’s wrong with mackerel
Vitamin E
Vitamin E functions include:
- protecting cells from damage caused by smoke, pollution, sunlight and more
- blood flow
- cell communication
Plant-based, vegan food sources for Vitamin E:
- sunflower seeds
- hazelnuts
- peanuts
- other nuts
- vegetable oils (like safflower oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil)
- spinach
- broccoli
- wheat germ oil
- collard greens
- pumpkin
- red bell peppers
- swiss chard
- beet greens
- butternut squash
- almonds…however, almonds are not very sustainable and pollinator intensive!
Animal-derived, non-vegan food sources for Vitamin E include:
- trout…but here’s what’s wrong with trout!
Folic Acid (Folate)
Folic Acid functions include:
- pregnancy health
- helping make DNA
- preventing spina bifida and other brain birth defects
Plant-based, vegan food sources for Folic Acid:
- asparagus
- Brussels sprouts
- dark leafy greens
- oranges
- orange juice
- legumes (beans, peas, and lentils)
- whole grains
- romaine lettuce
- turnip greens
- sunflower seeds
Animal-derived, non-vegan food sources for Folic Acid include:
- liver…but here’s what’s wrong with liver!
- eggs
- seafood
Vitamin K
Vitamin K functions include:
- blood clotting
- healthy bones
Plant-based, vegan food sources for Vitamin K:
- spinach
- mustard greens
- kale
- swiss chard
- collard greens
- broccoli
- natto
- green beans
- prunes
- kiwi
- soybean oil
- avocados
- green peas
- beet greens
- parsley
- cabbage
Animal-derived, non-vegan food sources for Vitamin K include:
- beef liver
- pork chops…but here’s what’s wrong with pork chops!
- chicken
- goose liver paste
- hard cheeses
Iodine
Iodine functions include:
- making hormones that control metabolism
- metabolism health
Plant-based, vegan food sources for Iodine:
- table salt
- seaweed
Animal-derived, non-vegan food sources for Iodine include:
- fish…but does all fish contain mercury?
Iron
Iron functions include:
- making red blood cells
- anemia prevention
Plant-based, vegan food sources for Iron:
- beans
- lentils
- spinach
- fortified cereals
- dark chocolate with at least 45% cacao…but be sure to buy fair trade chocolate!
- cacao
Animal-derived, non-vegan food sources for Iron include:
- liver
- oysters..but here’s what’s wrong with oysters!
Magnesium
Magnesium functions include:
- keeping the heart beating
- muscle health
- controlling blood sugar
- regulating blood pressure
- making proteins and DNA
- turning food into energy
Plant-based, vegan food sources for Magnesium:
- almonds
- tofu
- spinach
- soybeans
- avocados
- seeds
- whole grains
- dark chocolate…but be sure to buy chocolate fair trade!
- cashews…but be sure to buy cashews fair trade!
Animal-derived, non-vegan food sources for Magnesium include:
- salmon
- mackerel
- halibut…but here’s what’s wrong with halibut!
Potassium
Potassium functions include:
- keeping blood pressure in a normal range
- helping kidney health
- heart health
- nervous system health
Plant-based, vegan food sources for Potassium:
Animal-derived, non-vegan food sources for Potassium include:
- tuna
- halibut
- cod
- trout
- rockfish…but here’s what’s wrong with seafood!
Selenium
Selenium functions include:
- helping thyroid glands work
- fighting off infections
Plant-based, vegan food sources for Selenium:
- bread
- Brazil nuts
Animal-derived, non-vegan food sources for Selenium include:
- meat
- eggs
Zinc
Zinc functions include:
- ability to taste
- ability to smell
- boosting immunity
- illness prevention
- vision health, especially when aging
Plant-based, vegan food sources for Zinc:
- sesame seeds
- pumpkin seeds
- chickpeas
- lentils
- cashews
Animal-derived, non-vegan food sources for Zinc include:
But what about fiber and protein? Check out this ‘Nutrients List, Functions, Food Sources (Plant-Based + Vegan)’
This post included a vitamin list, functions, food sources (plant-based + vegan)
Sources:
Vitamins and Minerals – Nutrition.gov
Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Fact Sheets
Micronutrients | National Agricultural Library – USDA
