The Exam Room by the Physicians Committee Do Vegan Diets Really Require Careful Planning? Dr. Matt Nagra Sets the Record Straight
Oct 30, 2025
In this discussion, Dr. Matthew Nagra, a physician and nutrition researcher, dismantles the myth that vegan diets require extreme planning, a notion that often undermines plant-based eating. He highlights how omnivorous diets also frequently miss essential nutrients. Dr. Nagra explores the reasons behind perceptions of vegan diets, reveals surprising findings on diet quality, and offers practical advice for new plant-based eaters, including the importance of calcium and vitamin B12. His insights could reshape public health narratives around diet and nutrition.
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Nutrient Gaps Flip Between Diet Types
- Vegans often get less B12, calcium, and vitamin D but more fiber, polyunsaturated fats, and several B vitamins.
- Omnivores conversely commonly lack fiber, polyunsaturated fats, vitamin D, calcium, and folate, so nutrient gaps flip by diet type.
Vegans Score Higher On Diet Quality
- Vegans in population studies often show higher diet-quality scores than meat-eaters based on standard indices.
- That contradicts the common claim that vegans lack dietary knowledge or eat mostly junk food.
Choose Fortified Plant Milks
- Use calcium-fortified plant milks to reach most of your daily calcium target with little effort.
- Fortified foods remove the need for intense planning and make hitting calcium goals realistic.