vitamin b-12 can be a bit more challenging for vegans to find, but fortified foods and supplements can help.
Let us introduce to you Nutritional Yeast, also known as "nooch" (pictured above). If you're a cheese lover like I was before going vegan, well, nooch is your new best friend. Not only does it have a cheesy taste, but it's also rich in vitamin B-12 when fortified!
When you know where to look, it isn't all that difficult to receive adequate nutrition. A well balanced plant based diet helps ensure you aren't missing anything.
Please Note
We are not medical professionals and are not suggesting that if you are taking a Vitamin B-12 supplement that you replace that with Fortified Nutritional Yeast. Vitamin B-12 deficiencies can cause many symptoms and lead to serious health issues. Talk to your medical professionals about your needs and make sure to go in for yearly check-ups.
What is B-12 and Why Do We Need It?
Vitamin B-12 is a crucial nutrient for many aspects of health, particularly for the formation of red blood cells, DNA synthesis, and nervous system function. Adequate intake through diet or supplements is important to prevent deficiency and maintain overall health.
Deficiency in vitamin B12 can lead to serious health issues, including:
- Anemia
- Irreversible nerve damage
- Cognitive impairments
Where is B-12 Found Naturally?
This doctor does a good job of explaining where vitamin B-12 comes from. Essentially, it's found in dirt.
Plant-Based Foods that are Fortified with Vitamin B-12
- Fortified Plant Milks: Such as almond, soy, and oat milk.
- Fortified Breakfast Cereals: Check the nutrition label to ensure they are fortified with B12.
- Fortified Meat Substitutes: Some vegan burgers, sausages, and other meat alternatives are fortified with B12.
- Nutritional Yeast (AKA Nooch): Often fortified with B12, and a wonderful ingredient to get a "cheesy" flavor. Nutritional yeast is one of our favorites and a pantry staple for vegans.
Note: Please confirm that your fortified food item include vitamin B-12
NOOCH NOOCH NOOCH!
In the six plus years that we've been vegan, we have never had a B-12 deficiency appear on our yearly blood work. and we consumed about a pound of nooch a month. We assumed that this is the reason we have not had a deficiency, along with whatever other food items we might consume that are fortified with vitamin B-12, such as plant based milks, cereal, and the occasional meat substitutes. However, this is not a recommendation against a supplement. We are definitely not against taking supplements, but as long as our yearly check-ups come out fine, we have no need for them at the moment.
B12-Fortified Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional yeast is a popular food product among vegans due to its savory, cheesy flavor and its nutritional benefits. Most brands of nutritional yeast are fortified with vitamin B12, making it an excellent source of this nutrient for vegans.
How Much Do We Need Daily?
Let us begin with, as long you are not consuming amounts used to treat deficiencies, you can generally have a lot of vitamin B-12 because your body will absorb what it needs. Since it is water soluble, any excess vitamin B-12 is eliminated through urine. That being said, the recommended daily amount is 2.4 micrograms.
Note: These statements were informed from the Mayo Clinic.
Where to Buy Nutritional Yeast?
We are very lucky to live near grocery stores that carry nutritional yeast in bulk. Our go-to stores are Chamberlain's and Sprouts, but you can also find nutritional yeast online. Like most other things, you will save money buying this in bulk. You will likely eat a lot of this, so we encourage buying at least a pound, Amazon sells Anthony's Nutritional Yeast by the pound. We have also found this in smaller shaker bottles at Walmart.
Recipes Using Nutritional Yeast:
There are so many amazing ways to enjoy nutritional yeast. You can use it as a replacement for cheese on top of your favorite pasta dishes like we use it on our Lemon Sun-dried Tomato Pasta recipe, or on top of a Kale Salad. Its also so delicious in Tofu Scramble.
To Conclude
Although B12 isn't commonly found in many vegan food sources, knowing what does contain B12 will help you make more informed decisions. Our advice is to start incorporating more fortified foods like nooch into recipes, it's delicious and good for you!
