What a day of vegan meals with enough protein, iron, calcium and B12 looks like

A good day is three meals added up, not one “healthy” bowl

People often assume that eating well on a vegan diet means finding one miraculous dish. It does not. It means having protein, iron, calcium and B12 spread across the day's meals, rather than loading it all into a salad at lunch and going hungry for the rest of the day. What follows is the practical version, with nothing to weigh out.

Protein: where from, and how much

An adult of ordinary activity needs around 1g of protein per kilogram of body weight a day. Someone of 55kg needs about 55g, spread across three meals. Plant protein sits mostly in tofu, soybeans, black beans, mung beans, sesame and nuts.

Tofu and pulses

A piece of fried or soft tofu of about 100g gives close to 10g of protein. Two or three servings of tofu or pulses across the day already covers most of what a fairly sedentary person needs.

What that looks like in a loaf

Đậu Hũ Cay at 56,000d and Thập Cẩm at 59,000d both contain fried tofu and soy-based vegan cold cut, along with fresh salad. One of those contributes a substantial share of the day's protein at lunch, with nothing complicated added.

Iron and calcium on a vegan plate

Plant iron is concentrated in pulses, sesame and dark leafy greens such as amaranth and spinach. The simple way to absorb more of it is to eat something with vitamin C in the same meal — the cucumber and carrot in the salad, or a glass of orange juice afterwards.

Calcium comes from tofu set with a calcium coagulant, from sesame, from calcium-fortified nut milk, and from green leafy vegetables. A Nut Milk Coffee at 45,000d or a Nut Milk Bubble Tea at 45,000d contributes a small part if the nut milk used is fortified, though it should not be counted as a main source.

B12 — the one thing to supplement separately

B12 is virtually absent from plants as they grow. Anyone eating vegan full-time, particularly over several years, should ask a doctor or pharmacist about a B12 tablet or about foods fortified with it. This is not a cause for alarm — only something to know so that you can act on it, and not a reason to take a high dose without asking anyone.

A sample day, easy to copy

• Morning: a Bơ Đường at 28,000d or a Chả Lát Chay at 53,000d, with a Nut Milk Coffee at 45,000d.
• Midday: a Thập Cẩm at 59,000d or an Đậu Hũ Cay at 56,000d, with salad and tofu — enough protein for an afternoon of work.
• Afternoon: a Jasmine Lemon Tea at 36,000d, or whatever fruit is in the house, for the vitamin C that helps the iron along.
• Evening: something light with pulses and green vegetables, or a Thượng Hạng Premium at 75,000d if you need it to hold through a late shift.

This is a frame rather than a fixed formula. Portions shift with body weight and with how active you are.

Ordering for the whole day

On a day too busy to cook, call 0923.183.183 or order from one of the five shops: 38 Lê Thị Riêng, 15B Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, 2B Trần Hưng Đạo and 148B Đề Thám in District 1, and 210 Bùi Văn Ba in District 7. The shops are open 24 hours and deliver day and night, free on orders from 500,000d within 5km.

Quick questions

Does a full-time vegan diet leave you short of nutrients?

No, provided you vary the pulses, nuts and green vegetables and take care of B12. The risk usually comes from eating the same few dishes over and over, not from the diet itself.

Where does B12 come from on a vegan diet?

Plants as they grow contain virtually none. Anyone eating vegan full-time should use B12-fortified food or a supplement, after asking a doctor or pharmacist.

How much tofu a day covers the protein?

Two or three 100g servings a day, together with pulses or sesame, covers a fairly sedentary adult. Anyone very active needs more.

Do children on a vegan diet get enough calcium?

They can, with calcium-set tofu, fortified nut milk and green leafy vegetables eaten regularly. Ask a paediatrician to keep an eye on it if a child is eating vegan long-term.

Is one vegan banh mi enough protein for a meal?

A loaf such as Thập Cẩm or Đậu Hũ Cay has tofu and vegan cold cut in it, and contributes a substantial share of a lunch. Eat it with salad and drink enough water to round the meal out.

Is delivery charged?

Free on orders from 500,000d within 5km. Smaller or further orders are charged by distance — call 0923.183.183 to check.