You can get most of the vitamins your body needs from vegetarian sources, but you may need to make a special effort to increase your consumption of certain foods. Animal meats are high in B vitamins and certain fat-soluble vitamins and avoiding these foods may cause a deficiency of these vitamins. Talk with your doctor before you make the decision to take a dietary supplement.
Vitamin B-6
Vitamin B-6 helps your body metabolize protein, by breaking it down into energy for basic bodily functions. Both your immune and nervous systems need B-6 to function at their best. Your red blood cells have a component known as hemoglobin, which is made by vitamin B-6. Hemoglobin helps carry oxygen to all the tissues in your body. You need 1.3 mg of B-6 each day, which is found in meat sources such as chicken, pork and roast beef. Eating certain vegetarian-friendly foods will ensure you get the vitamin B-6 your body needs. Some breakfast cereals are fortified with as much as 2 mg vitamin B-6 per 3/4-cup serving. A medium-sized potato with skin provides .7 mg, 1/2 cup garbanzo beans has .57 mg and instant oatmeal contains .42 mg.
Vitamin B-12
You need vitamin B-12 to make new red blood cells, maintain healthy nerves and keep your brain healthy. Consume around 2.4 micrograms B-12 each day, increase this amount to 2.6 micrograms if you are pregnant and 2.8 micrograms if you are breastfeeding. Eggs and meat are high in vitamin B-12, but there are a handful of vegetarian sources too. Some breakfast cereals are fortified with B-12 and you can get up to 6 micrograms per 3/4-cup serving. Lacto-vegetarians can get B-12 from dairy foods. A 1-cup serving of plain yogurt provides 1.4 micrograms, 8 oz. milk has .9 micrograms and 1 oz. Swiss cheese also has .9 micrograms.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is essential for good vision and overall eye health. You also need vitamin A for bone growth and reproduction. Women need 2,310 International Units of vitamin A daily, but men need up to 3,000 IU, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Dark green and orange foods are your best options for adequate vitamin A consumption, while following a vegetarian diet. A 4-oz. serving of carrot juice provides 22,567 IU, 1/2 cup cooked spinach contains 11,458 IU, 1 cup of cubed cantaloupe has 5,411 IU and one apricot provides 2,063 IU.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential to get calcium into your bones. Your body can make some vitamin D by exposure to sunlight, but you need to consume vitamin D from your diet as well. Each day, you need 600 IU vitamin D, which increases to 800 IU after the age of 70. Few foods naturally contain vitamin D, but several foods are fortified with the vitamin. Fortified orange juice can provide up to 100 IU per 8-oz. serving. If you are lacto-vegetarian, you can get vitamin D from fortified milk or yogurt, which each provide 80 to 100 IU vitamin D.
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