B12 boosts for Flexitarians, Vegetarians and Vegans.

I lead a busy life, I feel like I’m constantly switched on and on the go, but my levels were lower than what I was used to without any significant reason. So off I trotted to the Docs who recommended I get a few blood tests, the result being that my B12 levels were very low. Asked and answered - and not really a huge shock considering the following research and my diet.

I’m too busy to have a B12 deficiency. I’m also too much of a non-meat/fish eater to rectify the issue easily. I do eat healthily, I consume more than my 5-a-day, cook most meals from scratch and pretend I can afford shopping in Wholefoods more often than I should. But I am a Flexitarian (in short, that can mean so many things to many different people, however, it refers to a predominantly vegetarian lifestyle with occasionally having a particular animal product or 2). For me it’s chicken breast on the odd occasion and not missing out on my beautifully talented Spanish friend’s Chorizo Tortilla when she makes it.

 

 

However, those in the know will be aware that the biggest source of B12 is in Fish and red meat, closely followed by Eggs and cheese. Great for our vastly increasing Vegan nation. Yes we can take supplements but I’m not a huge fan so I’ve put together a (hopefully) great collection of options to boost your B12 for both vegans and vegetarians.

So here is the result of my research and hopefully useful tips on how to boost your B12 without compromising your beliefs and dietary requirements.

I’ll be honest and I’m not going to focus on it too much, however... A lot of energy drinks are vegan and rich in B12 - which basically means that a Vodka Redbull can do wonders, if you want to jazz it up a bit, slip a bit in your fizz...!

Failing that, anything containing the following: Almonds, Marmite, Tofu, Violate Vegan cheese, or...

 

Fortified cereal

What are fortified cereals?

Fortification adds vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, to the grains the cereals are made with, enriching them with nutrients that were not present in the original plant matter or were removed as a part of the manufacturing process. Here’s a list of fortified cereals you can easily get hold of.

 

Nutritional yeast

Say again..?! A great source and can easily be added to a plethora of everyday recipes.

 

Kale (again)

A recipe that I love and is so easy to creat are my Red Pesto Kale Chips.

Ingredients: Kale, Red Pesto, Olive Oil & Salt flakes

Put them all on an oven tray and give them a good mix together, put in the oven at 150C for 20 mins. Easy peasy. Snack away, add to salads, garnish a pasta dish, etc.

 

 

Seaweed

Seaweed can be a great source of B12 among many other incredible and surprising benefits.

Move over Kale Pesto, it’s Seaweed’s turn...

 

Another option if you are struggling for time, inspiration and inclination are:

 

 

Let’s get our B12 on, we don’t need any more reasons to feel exhausted!

 

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YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A VEGAN (BUT YOU CAN BE) TO LOVE THE FOOD AND GET INVOLVED.