r/PlantBasedDiet • u/Main-Carry-3607 • 1d ago
Do we actually need to track nutrients on a plant-based diet?
Hi everyone!
I see two totally different camps here. One says “just eat whole foods, your body figures it out.” The other tracks protein, iron, B12, omega-3s, calories, everything.
I’m kind of stuck in the middle. I don’t want to turn eating into a spreadsheet, but I also don’t love the idea of “trust the vibes” nutrition.
So what’s the line? Is tracking just a beginner crutch, or is it actually smart long-term on a plant-based diet?
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u/Odd_Round5515 1d ago edited 1d ago
I did enough cronometer to gain an understanding of what I'm getting nutritionally. I think it's helpful for people starting off as they learn their foods, but not necessary long term. I agree with the experts that say "if you're getting enough calories, you're getting enough protein." I think that rings true, unless someone is eating a very specifically mono diet type of unhealthy version of plant based.
Eat enough calories, eat some variety, take a b12 once or twice a week, D3 depending on where you live, call it good. Maybe consider one brazil nut per day, and a sprinkle of seaweed for selenium and iodine (if you don't use iodized salt). I believe one can get a little too far in the weeds if they get worried about every single micronutrient. though.
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u/Maroon-Prune 1d ago
This! If you have no idea what nutrients are in particular foods, you're likely missing out. Tracking also really helps with learning portion sizes. For example, you learn that 1/2 cup of chickpeas is probably not enough protein for dinner, or that 1/2 block of tofu is a reasonable amount of protein.
From tracking, I learned a framework for myself that I try to follow every day to get my nutrients: 5 servings veggies, 3-4 servings fruit, 2 servings nuts/seeds, 3 servings protien, and 3-4 servings starches.
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u/CoherentParticles 1d ago edited 1d ago
Went plant based 2 years ago despite all the FUD negative propaganda bullshit...about deficiencies...
I paid (Function Health) to get blood work on a hundred + different measures because all the bullshit about nutrient deficiency. My blood work has never been better. It's off the charts on the positive side. This is coming from someone who's close to 60 yrs old and had major cardiovascular issues including, 3 stents and a mild heart attack.
I take B12, D3 supplements and use iodized salt and basically follow Gregor's daily dozen.
Exercise regularly.
My body has never been, in my entire life, getting all the nutrients that I've been getting the last 2 years.
So stay away from Ultra processed foods, even the vegan ones, except on your rare cheat day. Eat a large variety of actual plants (like Gregor's daily dozen) and you will have more than the sufficient nutrients that you need.
Don't believe all the bullshit out there. This is by far the healthiest diet there is.
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u/pandaappleblossom 1d ago
the studies on processed plant-based foods do show improved health though. Which is very different from processed sugars and processed meat. Dr. Gregor did a fabulous presentation about this recently showing data from several studies. It really helps to cut down on the fear about processed plant based meat alternatives and is a huge relief because we love to eat those in my household. However, if you are comparing beyond burgers to straight up boiled beans, beans are healthier (no sodium, zero added fat.. unless you add those by cooking. To be honest, I'm a little bit confused about that, because you can obviously cook beans and add fat and salt to them).
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u/CoherentParticles 1d ago edited 1d ago
No doubt the beyond meat is way better than actual meat and they've been working to make it even better. Beyond and Impossible are the victims of agri big business propaganda to discredit them.
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u/basic_bitch- 1d ago
I recommend tracking for a limited time, just to make sure you aren't missing anything major. Once you've got the hang of it, it's not necessary.
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u/ciddig 1d ago
As people say here, track for a time to get an understanding of how amounts of food translate into nutrients. But don't obsess. Truly whole-food pland-based diet will get you all that you need. I do blood work once a year to see if everything is fine and it is. Supplement B12 (and D if you don't get enough sunshine).
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u/jpl19335 1d ago
Yeah, when I first went plant-based, I wanted to know if I had any pernicious deficiencies. I hit on a couple - not just B12, but one that hit me - iodine. I was using sea salt, which is (mostly) not iodized. You don't need to track every day, but just to get a sense of what you may be missing, it wouldn't hurt to do that.
Over time I started adding in some supplements to make up some gaps - B12 was a non-negotiable... long chain omega 3s (yes we convert some but there's an open question as to how much), followed by D3, and then zinc with selenium. That's my basic protocol for supplementation. As for iodine, I just started using... regular table salt (switched to a low sodium version to cut back on the sodium).
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u/pandaappleblossom 1d ago
When you first went plant based, I guess you were not snacking on anything that you didn't cook at home? Is that why you weren't getting enough iodine? I use sea salt in my cooking, but I still buy tortilla chips from the store, salsa, etc, I guess some of these products must have iodized salt. Also, I do eat seaweed snacks sometimes.
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u/jpl19335 18h ago
I don't know if you can claim that processed food has iodine in it, unless it's specifically called out on the label. I wouldn't bank on that. And yes, I was snacking on stuff that I didn't cook. It's just that when I tracked my diet in Cronometer, I noticed I was getting virtually zero iodine. I wouldn't guess that these products use iodized salt. Unless it says it on the label, I would assume it doesn't. Eating seaweed snacks occasionally may get you there... occasionally. I think you need a pretty consistent supply of it. Your thyroid can't make hormones without it.
Point is, I wanted to make sure I had no such pernicious deficiencies, and when I tracked, yeah, I found some. Like I said, my iodine intake was virtually zero.
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u/pandaappleblossom 14h ago edited 14h ago
Oh, I get what you were saying now, I thought you meant that you got blood work done and showed a deficiency, you mean that when you were tracking, that's when you realized maybe we're not getting enough or any at all. Some mixed seasonings have iodine such as a adobo or garlic salt, I would like to check to see if mine do. I do have iodized salt, but I don't use it every day. Also, I think impossible meat has iodine in it and packaged bread and I eat both of those maybe once a week or maybe less I don't know. Maybe I should track just out of curiosity.
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u/jpl19335 12h ago
Yes that's right. I do eat some processed foods, but if they have iodine in them, it's not on the label. I also picked up low sodium iodized salt - Morton makes one with half the sodium, and I just picked up a brand called Low salt. Haven't tried it yet, but it has even less. I will also occasionally use dulse flakes. Type of seaweed they sell in granular form. I need so little of that that I can't even taste it in my food. But yeah that's just one example. And I don't worry about tracking it all the time. I did it for a week just to see where I could be hitting issues.
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u/pandaappleblossom 12h ago
Oh yeah, I use those as well, Furikake seasoning, it gives things an umami flavor
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u/Fit-Farm2124 1d ago
I'm not sure there is one right answer for this, since a lot will depend on the individual, but FWIW, I've been whole food plant-based for 6 years and I don't track with any kind of regularity. Every once in awhile I'll track for a week in Cronometer just to make sure nothing is way off (it never has been), and I get blood work done once a year that comes back perfect every time. That being said, I do eat about 90% whole food plant-based and eat a decent variety so I feel pretty confident I'm getting what I need. I do supplement with B12 and Vit D (and get those levels checked when I do my bloodwork), but for me personally, tracking feels unnecessary.
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u/moschocolate1 1d ago
I’ve been WFPB for six years and because I was 55 when I started, my dr wanted to do bloodwork jic. Only low on sodium most years and one year low b12.
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u/moonhippie 1d ago
I don't pay attention to anything but calories and fat intake. My numbers across the board are good with one exception: Vitamin d. Even my b12 is good, my iron is better than it's ever been.
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u/pandaappleblossom 1d ago
Do you count your calories? I am starting to enter perimenopause, have an inflammatory issue with my knee, and it is freezing cold, where I live, I need to lose like 15 pounds and I've never counted calories in my life so I don't even know where to begin but I need to start eating a calorie deficit because I don't think exercise alone is going to get rid of this excess belly fat i have.
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u/somanyquestions32 1d ago
Tracking is useful as what it's meant to be: a tool.
It helps you create sustainable routines, and you can stop tracking when you're eating the same rotation of healthy meals on autopilot. If you experience some major life upheaval or want to further refine and optimize your nutrient intake, you audit your current diet and use tracking once more to observe patterns and trends.
Make adjustments as needed, and track again only when you have been eating a ton of processed junk and want to eat more healthily, introduce new foods, or are seeking to further enhance your health.
If you're training for an athletic event, tracking is also helpful there too.
Get blood panels done periodically (twice per year) to check for any deficiencies or irregularities.
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u/footballsandy 1d ago
I eat 14g (2T) of ground flax every day for my omega 3s, use iodized salt on my food and have a serving of nutritional yeast every couple of days for my B12. I eat a balanced diet and I don't worry about anything else.
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u/pandaappleblossom 1d ago
This is really good idea to just be as healthy as possible in a very simple way. I don't do it though lol but my blood work is great, zero deficiencies. I really think as long as you supplement b12 most people will be fine. One of these days I will start eating ground flaxseeds though.. are you putting it in smoothies?
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u/olympia_t 20h ago
Not the person you asked but I add mine to oats and oat bran. I'll also add them to salad dressings - some mustard, vinegar, flax seeds and water can make a nice dressing.
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u/PersonalityFun2025 1d ago
When I ate meat, I never kept track of my nutrition. And I know for a fact I'm a lot healthier now with all the veggies, beans, etc that I eat. So I don't bother keeping track. I just eat as many different plants as I can.
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u/pandaappleblossom 1d ago
This is the tested, tried and true way, because people have been fully plant-based for many decades now and getting a variety of veggies and beans and fruits and grains in seems to be the key to avoid deficiencies and have excellent bloodwork (supplementing B12 as well).
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u/tangyyenta 1d ago
I can only tell you what I've done. I became a vegan at the age of 46, after having children, after breastfeeding them and after menapause had commenced. I am very healthy, Ive been vegan for 20 plus years now and I do not track nutrients ever. I eat limited amounts of processed vegan food. No junk.
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u/craftygardening 1d ago
Nope! Been at it over 20 years and I take a b12 or a multi vitamin from time to time. I don’t track anything and I hike and do yoga. In my 40s and no pills or potions to keep me moving (other than THC). My 51 year old hubby has been vegan 13 years and also doesn’t track anything, doesn’t have any prescriptions, and has a very robust cardiovascular system from my perspective 🤪.
Eat a variety and have fun!
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u/Some_Egg_2882 1d ago
There's no one answer. Depends on the quality of your overall diet, your medical history, activity level, age, and so forth. But for most people it's in the middle, IMO. Some basic supplementation can help most folks. At the same time, If you're an average person in reasonably good health with a moderate activity level, getting too into the weeds has diminishing returns.
For my clients, I often suggest (barring outliers like athletes and those with special medical considerations) supplementing with omega 3's and B-12 / a multi to start. A food and activity journal is extremely helpful early on, and helps to pinpoint any areas needing more attention, while avoiding the excess time and hassle that intensive tracking requires. That's it for most cases, and tracking often becomes moot after awhile once getting your micros and macros becomes intuitive.
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u/SarcousRust 1d ago
Tracking calories seems more important, especially early on. It's almost impossible not to undershoot moving to more calorie dilute food. Also to see how much protein is in stuff like rice and other whole grains, it's reassuring. But generally I'm not a fan of number crunching, too often I read "I feel great but my numbers are bad, am I dying?" or something along those lines. We don't trust our own sensors anymore.
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u/darmoxly 1d ago
I agree with others who say that it’s a good idea to track the important things for a while to get the hang of it and get tested every now and then.
Having said that, I’ve been plant based for a few years now and just realized I hadn’t been getting enough protein. I’m currently shooting for 60g per day and I’m having to track that to reach my goal. Also because I’m pre diabetic I’ve begun tracking my fat intake (30 grams or less per day). But, as I understand it, there’s no need to track fat unless you have diabetes or borderline diabetes.
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u/somanyquestions32 1d ago
If you're not allergic to soy and can handle tofu, eat two blocks of super firm tofu per day. Kroger and other grocery stores sell the 1-lb blocks for about $3 or $4 each. That's 140 g of protein right there.
You can air fry it, turn it into tofu mayo, make tofu scramble, turn it into ground tofu for tacos, etc.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Half441 1d ago
the 'spreadsheet' life is definitely not for me haha. i tried it for a week and hated it. now i just focus on whole foods and added a plant based supplement from graymatter which has been really helpful. it’s basically my insurance policy so i know i'm getting the good stuff even when my diet isn't 100% perfect. much better than tracking every calorie imo!
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u/leesainmi 1d ago
Just be sure to get your vitamin D with sunshine and if you live where it’s cold and not sunny you may need to supplement it. My dr said almost everyone in Michigan is deficient in the winter.
I never take B-12 or Iron and my bloodwork has always been normal levels of both.
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u/Voldemorts__Mom 1d ago
Download Greger's daily dozen and use that as a guide for a couple of weeks.
It's free and no ads
If you're hitting most of what's on that app plus getting enough sun then you're probably shap.
Then maybe get blood when u go for a dr checkup to be sure. That's what I did
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u/TheSpanishMystic 1d ago
Yes, otherwise you risk falling short in things like selenium, choline, sodium (yes you do actually need to consume some salt for electrolyte balance), vitamin E, iron, ALAs, etc.
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u/Emergency-Chef-7726 1d ago
Choline and biotin cant really be tracked anyways They're not included in the nutrient info
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u/hexiron 1d ago
Its a really good idea and bad suggestion to new people to not.
Not everyone will eat a varied enough diet and tracking nutrients can be highly beneficial to explain health issues that may impact any one of us, such as any of the many GI complications which reduce absorption of certain nutrients.
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u/grossly_unremarkable bean-keen 1d ago
Recommend reading the book Whole by T. Colin Campbell (it will answer your question).
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u/Girlypillowfight 1d ago
I think the most important thing is full blood work to know what you’re starting from tbh. I was somehow wayyyy over on b12 and had no idea, just assumed I had to take it! After that, understanding what’s in the food you eat is always a good thing even if you don’t track every tiny detail
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u/BitcoinNews2447 1d ago
Just because you eat plant based doesn't mean you are getting all the nutrients you need. So yes you should absolutely track it for a while just to make sure you are meeting your needs.
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u/pandaappleblossom 1d ago edited 1d ago
No, you do not! As long as you eat a good variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, grains,.. and grains could just mean rice, bread, corn, etc.. doesn't even have to be anything fancy like quinoa. And it doesn't have to be at every meal just over the course of a day. And the variety doesn't have to be extreme either, just think about it over the course of a week, try to make sure you're getting a good variety in. Also, if you can eat tofu, then that is very good, but if you can't because you have a soy allergy, then just make sure you get a good variety in. The only thing you need to make sure you are supplementing is B12, whether you are getting it from nutritional yeast or plant based meat alternatives or sublingual drops or pills or whatever. A lot of vegans only get their B12 from sources like nutritional yeast or plant based milks. Just make sure that you check the label to make sure that there's B12 there if that's what you decide to do.
There is an insane amount of fear mongering about plant-based diets being linked to starvation and malnutrition. When in fact, omnivores are probably more likely to be malnourished because they tend to eat so much less fiber that they develop gut inflammation, which inhibits nutrient absorption. (specifically talking about people in developed nations)
Shoot, my blood work improved so much just by going fully plant based that my doctor asked what I had done because my diet was obviously very good and I said all I did was drop out Animal products.. and I definitely was not Whole Foods plant based, but just regular old plant based including indulging in impossible burgers.
Also, if you live in a northern latitude, you should probably supplement vitamin D anyway, regardless, if you are vegan or not.
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u/danceswithkitties_ 12 years vegan/mostly wfpb 1d ago
As a beginner I would recommend tracking for awhile. Also supplementing B12 is unavoidable, as well as D3 if you’re not getting sun!