5 ways vegetarians can receive their daily dose of Vitamin B12 

What if someone told you constantly require a certain nutrient for the formation of red blood cells, your DNA, and also to strengthen the brain and nervous system, but your body doesn’t produce it? As hard as that may be for you to believe, Vitamin B12 is one of the most important nutrients for the human body and all of it has to be outsourced either from natural sources of B12, foods rich in B12 or through B-12 supplementation. 

B-12 is usually found in dairy-based or animal-based foods. If you are vegan, you will have to rely on B-12 supplements to ensure your daily dose. So chances of falling short on your B-12 intake and a B-12 deficiency is higher when your dietary preferences consist of plant-based foods. However, there are ample vegetarian sources of B12 that can fulfil your daily requirements.

Before we go any further and shed light on the vegetarian Vitamin B12 sources and Vitamin B12 fortified foods, let us first introduce you to this unique and essential nutrient:

What is Vitamin B12?

B12, also known as cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin that helps the body absorb it easily. Unlike fat-soluble vitamins, it doesn’t get stored in fat tissue. Instead, the liver takes up the responsibility of maintaining storage of B12.

Along with keeping the brain and nervous system functioning efficiently, it also helps release the energy from foods we consume. They are crucial to the body’s energy production unit. 

An adult requires approximately 2.4 micrograms (Recommended Dietary Allowance/RDA) of B12 every day and vegetarians are at a higher risk of not receiving the recommended amount of Vitamin B12. This makes it essential that you take a second look at your daily diet and ensure you are receiving adequate amounts of B12 from Vitamin B12 rich foods.

Here is a list of vitamin b12 rich foods for vegetarians to keep an eye on for your daily dose of Vitamin B12:

Tempeh: The perfect food to munch on anytime

Tempeh is another great option for vegans and vegetarians, to not only replenish their Vitamin B12 requirements but also their daily dose of protein. Made out of fermented soybeans, Tempeh is rich in several nutrients including Vitamin B12 and fibre.

Read about 7 fibre rich vegetarian foods you must know.

At HelloTempayy, we have  B12 fortified food - Tempeh. So, while you munch down your favourite Tempayy recipes, you will be providing your body with 49% of the Vitamin B12 RDA (100g). Even when you buy Tempeh from other brands, you are sure to receive 0.1 mcg (3% of RDA) of Vitamin B12.

Check out this blog on Tempeh to know more about this versatile bean protein.

Dairy products: An ideal way to start the day

There is a whole lot of nutrients in dairy products and one of the reasons to consume dairy products is the amount of Vitamin B12 they consist of. A cup of low-fat milk has about 1.2 micrograms (mcg) of B12 (50% of your RDA), making it one of the, if not the best source of B12. 

226g of low-fat yoghurt comprises 1.1 mcg of B12 (46% of your RDA) whereas Swiss Cheese boasts 0.9 mcg in a 28g offering (38% of your RDA). 

And so, you might want to take this as a reminder to drink your glass of milk and get your daily dose of the Vitamin.

Fortified cereals: A serial Vitamin B12 provider

Fortified cereals are also a great source of Vitamin B12 for vegetarians and vegans. Fortified cereals refer to cereals that have added vitamins and minerals that aren't naturally present. Bran and whole wheat oats are some of the fortified cereals that are high in vitamin B12 and are also rich in iron and folate. Fortified cereals consist of 0.6 mcg of B12 (25% of RDA). 

Also read about 7 iron rich vegetarian foods that are healthy, yummy & packed with iron.

So whether you decide to have it for breakfast or during the evening, you have a nutritional snack as one of the vegetarian sources of B12.

Are you always hungry? Learn about some lip-smacking tempeh munching recipes.

Nutritional Yeast: A blend of nutrition and flavour in one

Adding to the list of fortified vitamin B rich foods for vegetarian, nutritional yeast is also filled with various other nutrients. It is rich in minerals and amino acids and can also be used to add a nutty flavour to your dishes.

Nutritional yeast fortified with the vitamin has 8.3 to 24 mcg (346-1000% of RDA) of Vitamin B12. And while the values differ as per different brands, there is no denying that nutritional yeast is bound to yield all the Vitamin B12 benefits upon consumption.

Nori: Vitamin straight outta the ocean 

While your appetite may or may not agree with eating seaweed, some of the countries actually consume and find their share of nutrition from this food. Nori is dried edible seaweed that consists of Vitamin B12. Also known as purple laver, people from Japan eat the seaweed in their diet.

A study actually revealed that 4g of Nori alone holds 2.4 mcg (100% of the RDA) of Vitamin B12. It can be consumed either in sushi or simply as a snack.

Benefits of Vitamin B12

If after reading this, you are not hastily searching for ‘vegetarian food rich in vitamin B12’, we ask you to consider taking a look at the Vitamin B12 benefits. Here’s how B12 plays a crucial role in keeping your body healthy:

• Responsible for better bone health
• Major contribution in the formation of RBC
• Lowers risk of macular degeneration
• Attributed to improving mood
• Prevents loss of neurons
• Helps pave the way for a healthier heart

With so many benefits aligning, this is your wake-up call to take a notepad or open a word doc and start listing down foods that make up for your Vitamin B12 sources. In case, you find your diet is unable to make up the RDA, fret not!

Meanwhile also read how to get the needed nutrients in a vegan diet.

The versatile bean protein, Tempeh, can take care of all your nutritional needs right from protein to fibre to Vitamin B12. If it is Tempeh from Hello Tempayy, the only problem you will have is a problem of plenty with deciding what recipe to include it in because the possibilities are endless. And its nutritional values are only surpassed by the flavour-absorbing qualities that allow it to become a prime candidate for a tasty addition to every dish you make. 

Learn some interesting facts about tempeh - the super bean protein.

So whether you are looking to experiment with your own recipe of Tempayy or just want ready-to-go flavour-enriched Tempeh, we have it all in our store!

Also, read how to cook tempeh like a masterchef, tips & tricks to make delicious tempeh recipes.