omega 3:)

Make sure you eat plenty of spinach. You need iron, and most vegetarians seem to be anemic.

http://www.vegsoc.org/health/ check out the vegetarian society it has everything you need to know. :)

I would say that it seems like vitamin B12 might be the vitamin that vegetarians (vegans) might have the most difficulty coming across in their diet. Human and animal bodies produce B12 in the intestines. However, some sources state that we can't use the B12 that our bodies produce because the vitamin is absorbed at an area farther up the intestinal tract than where it is produced. Human and animal fecal matter contains B12. Animal products are more likely to have traces of fecal matter on them. Sometimes I wonder if their can be trace amounts of B12 in plant-products (without fortification) because the daily requirement is measured in micrograms. Obviously, one would have to look long and hard to discover if there are any micrograms of B12 on a bean of soy. In sum, I think that B12 might be where the vegan diet is on the most shaky ground. But, then again, before that the concern was with protein and iron (which there is now overwhelming proof that a vegan diet can easily provide more than enough of both). If you are very concerned about B12, you can simply take a vitamin supplement or sprinkle very tiny amounts of your poop on your food (just kidding, but animal products get B12 from contact with animal intestine particles). ... I do sprinkle ground flax seed on some meals for a source of omega 3 fatty acids. However, the main benefit of omega 3 fatty acids is reducing cholesterol and plaque buildup in the arteries. Since cholesterol can only be acquired from animal-based foods, a vegetarian will probably not have to be overly concerned about this.

Looshk, I thought I would give you a quick run-down of a few things that just two cups a day of soy milk provide (this one happens to be vegan Very Vanilla). 70 % RDA of calcium 40% of vitamin A 60% of vitamin B6 100% of vitamin B12 70% of vitamin C 60 % of vitamin D 12 grams of protein 540 mg Omega 3 (milk has 40 mg) 0 mg of cholesterol (milk has 40mg) 1 gram of saturate fat (milk has 6 grams) Thanks for going veg!!!

You Need: Spinach TOFU!! Lots Of Sun! and Eggplant

Flax seed meal sprinkled in other foods is a way to increase your omega 3. I would also suggest taking a plant based b vitamin supplement.

These vitamins and minerals can be difficult to get from non-animal sources so you should probably track your intake of them: Iron, Calcium, Zinc, Vitamin B-12, and Vitamin D. You must also learn to "combine" proteins, since protein from plant sources contains only some of the amino acids required by the body.