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Nutrient Library for Health Professionals
Plant-based diets have several key nutrients to pay closer attention to. Many of these nutrients can also be of concern in diets that contain animal-sourced foods. Thus, balancing all diets is essential.
Although only a small amount of omega-3 fats are needed in the diet, bioconversion of omega-3 fats to DHA and EPA is limited in the body. Diets low in fatty fish and fortified foods may need supplementation.
Omega-3 Fats
Zinc bioavailability can be lower in some plant foods but may be improved with culinary techniques.
Zinc
Low vitamin A intake may occur in food insecure situations and with plant-exclusive diets that lack ample carotenoid-rich foods (e.g., betacarotene-rich fruits and vegetables).
Vitamin A
Protein is typically not a nutrient of concern in plant-based diets unless it lacks adequate calories or greatly lacks food variety (e.g., food insecurity, extreme food rules). [20] In fact, most Americans meet or exceed protein requirements. [1]
A common misconception is that protein is difficult to obtain from plant-based diets. Nearly all plant foods contain protein. This myth often comes from oversimplifying protein digestibility studies (e.g., PDCAAS scores). These compare single foods to each other and do not take into account that we eat numerous foods throughout the day that contain protein. [20]
That said, in plant-based diets, there are two things to keep in mind. First, lysine is often the most limiting amino acid and is low in grains and high in legumes (lentils, beans, soy), nuts, and seeds. Thus, a diet that relies heavily on grains and lacks legumes may have insufficient amounts of lysine. [20] Second, early satiety can occur with high fiber intake preventing adequate calorie and protein intake in some patients (e.g., toddlers), and reducing fiber may be needed.
See our guides for more information.
Protein
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