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Getting Choline on a Vegetarian and Vegan Meal Plan

Sharon Palmer

How much choline should you get if you eat a vegetarian or vegan diet? Which foods are high in choline? What’s the best choline supplement? I’m answering your top questions on the hot topic of Getting Choline on a Vegetarian and Vegan Meal Plan.

Choline may not be on your radar, but it should be. This essential nutrient has been highlighted recently because Americans aren’t getting enough of it. According to a recent study, only about 11% meet their daily needs, and 65% don’t even know what it is! Yet, choline is critical for your health, particularly in maintaining a healthy liver system and brain.

What is Choline?

Choline is an essential nutrient naturally present in some foods and dietary supplements. Your body needs choline for metabolism, cell membranes, and brain and nervous system functions. Humans can make some choline in the liver, but not as much as the body needs. While everyone needs choline, it seems to be even more important early in life while the brain is developing, and later in life to prevent cognitive decline. In addition, pregnant women need more choline.

How Much Choline Do You Need?

The FDA established a RDI (Reference Dietary Intake) of 550 milligrams (mg) for choline for adults and children 4 and above, and a Daily Value (DV, the daily requirement abased on 2,000 calories per day), which you may see listed on the Nutrition Facts labels of foods—indicating what percentage of the Daily Value a portion of food provides.

Here are the Adequate Intakes established for choline. 
 
Table 1: Adequate Intakes (AIs) for Choline 
Age Male Female Pregnancy Lactation
Birth to 6 months 125 mg/day 125 mg/day    
7–12 months 150 mg/day 150 mg/day    
1–3 years 200 mg/day 200 mg/day    
4–8 years 250 mg/day 250 mg/day    
9–13 years 375 mg/day 375 mg/day    
14–18 years 550 mg/day 400 mg/day 450 mg/day 550 mg/day
19+ years 550 mg/day 425 mg/day 450 mg/day 550 mg/day

 Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1998.

Getting Choline on a Vegetarian and Vegan Meal Plan
This Instant Pot Banana Brown Rice Pudding provides choline, compliments of the bananas and brown rice.

Foods with Choline

Wondering about foods high in choline? The top sources include beef liver, eggs, beef, scallops, salmon, chicken, and cod. But what about vegetarian or vegan choline foods? Vegetarians can get some choline in eggs and milk products. And there are several plant-based, vegan sources of choline, including legumes, tofu, green vegetables, potatoes, nuts, seeds, grains, and fruit—all of which contain some amounts of choline. However, plant sources are fairly low in choline, making it more difficult to reach that RDI of 550 mg/day if you’re vegan. Keep in mind that the average intake for choline in the U.S. is 402 mg in men and 278 mg in women.

Getting Choline on a Vegetarian and Vegan Meal Plan
This recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chickpea Bars is rich in choline, compliments of chickpeas and peanuts.

We don’t have a great deal of data on choline intakes among plant-based eaters. But here’s a sample menu for a vegetarian eating pattern providing 2000 calories per day:

  • Breakfast: Avocado Toast with Hard Boiled Egg
  • AM Snack: Apple & Cheddar Cheese Stick
  • Lunch: Loaded Sweet Potato with Brown Rice, Black Beans, Guacamole, Cotija Cheese & Sour Cream
  • PM Snack: Non-Fat Latte and Dried Dates
  • Dinner: Asian Tempeh Bowl

The estimated daily choline intake of this sample menu is 187 mg (37% DV).

However, keep in mind that I analyzed my version of a recommended healthy, well-planned vegan diet, as follows:

Breakfast
1 cup oats
1 banana
2 tablespoons wheat germ
2 tablespoons flax seeds
8 ounces soy milk

Lunch
Salad:
3 ounces extra firm tofu
2 cups kale
1/4 cup almonds
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons tahini
1 slice whole grain bread + 1/2 avocado

Dinner
1 cup chickpeas
1 cup masala sauce
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked brussels sprouts
1 apple

The estimated choline intake from this vegan menu (2452 calories) is 255 mg choline.

If you are aiming to get about 500-550 mg of choline per day, here is a suggested vegan meal plan:

Suggested Choline-Rich Vegan Meal Plan

Breakfast:
1 cup oats (17 mg)
1 banana (12 mg)
1 cup soy milk (57 mg)
1 ounce almonds (7 mg)

Lunch:
1 cup chickpeas (70 mg)
1 whole wheat pita bread (17 mg)
1 cup broccoli (63 mg)
1/2 cup cooked quinoa (30 mg)
2 dates (20 mg)

Snack:
1 ounce peanuts (15 mg)
1 orange (16 mg)

Dinner:
1 cup spaghetti (13 mg)
1 cup tomato sauce (15 mg)
1/2 cup tofu (35 mg)
1 cup brussels sprouts (63 mg)
1 apple (8 mg)

Snack:
2 tablespoons peanut butter (20 mg)
1 slice whole wheat bread (9 mg)
1 cup soy milk (57 mg)

Total: 529 mg choline

Getting Choline on a Vegetarian and Vegan Meal Plan
This recipe for Asparagus Dill Tofu Quiche is a good source of choline, compliments tofu, tomatoes, and flax seeds.

How to Meet Your Choline Needs on a Vegetarian or Vegan Meal Plan

So, what should you do? First off, my recommendation for all vegans and vegetarians is to eat a diet rich in whole, minimally processed plant foods, including portions from all the major food groups at each meal: pulses (beans, lentils, peas) or soyfoods, nuts or seeds, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables (green vegetables daily). This will help supply a source of important essential vitamins and minerals to your diet, including calcium, iron, zinc, and choline. If you aim for a diet filled with whole plant foods, you may come pretty close to meeting your choline needs, as evidenced in my sample vegan meal plan. Adult women should aim for 425 mg per day, and men for 550 mg per day. 

Getting Choline on a Vegetarian and Vegan Meal Plan
Orangesicle Popsicles contain choline, compliments of oranges, bananas, and soymilk.

Choline Supplements

My second recommendation for plant-based eaters (particularly for vegans) is to supplement smartly. It is important to supplement a few key nutrients. One is vitamin B12, which is found primarily in animal foods. In addition, I recommend that you consume fortified sources of calcium and vitamin D (for example, in plant-based milk) and evaluate whether you need to take an additional supplement to meet your needs. Other nutrients that may be worth supplementing include long chain omega-3s (algae DHA and EPA) and iodine. And, considering the recent news on choline, it seems that you might want to take a closer look at this nutrient in your diet.

If you eat a diet filled with whole plant foods, you may come pretty close to meeting your needs. However, if your intake is lower than 2000 calories per day for women, or 3000 calories per day for men, you may fall short of choline. So, you may want to supplement your diet a few times per week with choline. However, keep in mind that new research has linked high choline intake and blood levels with increased mortality. That’s because high choline intake has been linked with increased production of TMAO, which has been associated with significantly higher risk of heart attacks and strokes compared with lower levels. So, it may not be a good idea to over supplement with choline. As with all dietary supplements, you should discuss them with your health care professional before taking them. It may be beneficial to take small doses of choline (about 250 mg) a few times per week to balance out low intake, but it’s not a case of more is better! Look for a plant-based (vegan and vegetarian) choline made from a reliable manufacturer (I like this brand). Here is a really good article on this topic of choline intake and heart risks written by one of my colleagues and nutrition experts, Carrie Dennett.

This recipe for Gado Gado is a good source of choline, due to broccoli, tempeh, peanut butter, and potatoes.

I prefer to approach supplementation from the perspective that you should supplement your diet with the nutrients you fall short on, not the whole kitchen sink in one pill. For example, plant-based eaters typically get higher levels of vitamins E, A and C, thiamin, riboflavin, and folate than omnivores. So, why supplement all of these nutrients, which may come along for the ride in a multi? And multivitamins may not contain those nutrients you are looking for, such as calcium and choline. A supplement should be just that—a supplement to your diet, covering the shortfall. You may need to only take half the recommended level to meet your diet half way. And remember that overdoing supplements is never a good thing. I recommend sticking as close to the recommended daily level as possible, factoring in that you gain some of these nutrients in your diet, too.

Please note that it is important to discuss any dietary supplement regimen with your healthcare practitioner. In addition, you should discuss your own personalized vegan meal plan and nutrient needs with a trained, plant-based health care practitioner, such as a registered dietitian or physician knowledgeable in this area.

Boost choline in your diet with chickpeas in this recipe for Chickpea Curry with Sorghum.

Vegan and Vegetarian Food Sources of Choline

The following plant foods offer sources of choline.

Vegan Serving Choline (mg)
Almonds, dry roasted 1 ounce 7
Apples, raw, with skin 1 large 8
Bananas, raw 1 medium 12
Bread, whole wheat 1 slice 15
Broccoli, cooked 1 cup, chopped 63
Brussels sprouts, cooked 1 cup 63
Brown rice, cooked 1 cup 18
Chickpeas, cooked 1 cup 70
Dates, medjool 1 10
Flaxseed, ground 2 tablespoons 11
Lentils, cooked 1 cup 65
Oats, instant, fortified, plain 1 cup 17
Oranges, raw 1 large 16
Peanut butter, smooth 2 tablespoons 20
Peanuts 1 ounce 15
Potatoes, boiled, in skin ½ cup 11
Quinoa, uncooked ¼ cup 30
Soymilk, original and vanilla, unfortified 1 cup 57
Sunflower seeds, dried 1 ounce 15
Spaghetti, cooked, enriched 1 cup 13
Squash, summer, cooked 1 cup 9
Tofu, firm ½ cup 35
Tomato sauce 1 cup 15
Wheat germ, toasted 2 tablespoons 25
Vegetarian    
Egg 1 large 147
Milk, skim 1 cup 38
Yogurt, low-fat, plain 1 cup 37

Source: USDA

Brussels sprouts are a good source of choline. Try this recipe for Maple Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

Image: This Harvest Grain Bowl, which is rich in choline, is featured in my new book California Vegan.

For other blogs on vegan nutrient needs, check out the following: 

How to Get Vitamin B12 on a Vegan Diet
Meeting Your Nutrient Needs on a Vegan Diet
6 Tips for Boosting Protein on a Plant-Based Diet
Power Up on Plant-Based Calcium

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19 thoughts on “Getting Choline on a Vegetarian and Vegan Meal Plan

  1. Alpha-GPC can be considered. Importantly it crosses the blood brain barrier which other supplements containing choline do not. Most supplements are 300mg, which I think is too high. But it is easy to open and split the capsules. Do not take it at night, as it can be activating. Low choline quickly causes reduced cognitive function especially in older adults.

    • Thanks for your suggestion. I agree that 300 mg is too much, which is why I suggest taking this dose a few times per week if a supplement is needed. That’s a great idea to split the capsules.

  2. Choline is associated with heart disease due to TMAO bad gut bacteria. Vegans generally don’t have it because they don’t OD on the choline like meat eaters…especially of lamb and beef.

    • Nobody “ODs on choline” really, unless they take insane amounts of supplements (which is def bad). Choline is not the only nutrient that converts to TMA by gut bacteria, carnitine is probably a more important culprit in this (as research has shown that red meat significantly increases TMAO, but has failed to show this with lecithin, which is the dietary source of choline found in eggs and soy/sunflower products). Plus, vegeterian/vegan microbe gut systems may have less capacity of producing TMA themselves. There is no difference between vegans and lacto-ovo-vegeterians in TMAO levels (though one would assume the latter’s choline intake would be higher). The risks of chronic choline deficiency in physical and mental health compared to the risk of a minimal-if-at-all increase on TMA/TMAO due to this are far greater.

      People, listen to the author of this article and make sure that you take enough choline. Soy/sunflower lecithin is great addition to a lot of food, like oatmeal, cakes etc.

      Sources for most of the claims:

      Free choline but not phosphatidylcholine (lecithin) increases TMAO:
      https://academic.oup.com/cdn/article/4/Supplement_2/379/5844184

      Relationships between diets, gut bacteria and TMAO:
      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC6478664/

    • Thanks for your feedback on this. The area of choline and TMAO is very complex. Indeed, research links TMAO (the body can turn choline into TMAO) with elevated risk of heart disease. However, choline is an essential nutrient with critical roles to play in the body. So, at the end of the day, my opinion is that we need to try to come closer to our estimated choline needs without going over. I edited this excellent science-based article on choline in Today’s Dietitian here. It might help address this complex issue.

  3. A seriously deficient level of choline can affect the brain and other organs, I have read, how do we as vegans get more choline without us eating every hour of the day?

    • Yes, it’s true that for some it is difficult to get enough choline to meet your needs. I think that a small supplement might be helpful for many individuals. However, the research seems to show that getting more than you need might be a problem too. So, just adding a small supplement to a diet already filled with choline-rich foods might be beneficial. It’s important to discuss this issue with a trained health care professional too.

  4. You give a Vegan Menu Sample that seems like a common meal plan for many, and it’s 2400 calories supplying only 37% of needed Choline.

    Then you say that if you’re a man getting 3000 calories on a vegan diet, you’re probably getting enough choline.

    And that most vegans eating a variety of plant foods are “coming close” to meeting their need for choline.

    But 37% isn’t close! and 50% isn’t either.

    If we really do need 400 – 550 mg of choline daily, then it appears that we can either consume 6000 calories lol or reach for supplements.

    Show me if I’m wrong.

    • Thanks for your comments. This is very complicated stuff! If you base your choline intake at 255 mg and compare it to a goal of 425 mg per day for women, then that would mean you’re meeting 60% of your estimated needs. It’s important to note that excess choline intake has been linked with increased production of TMAO, which may increase risk of mortality. People with higher levels of TMAO in their blood have more than twice the risk of heart attacks, and stroke, compared to those with lower levels. So, I think you have to be careful about over supplementing. Please note that, as with all dietary supplements, you should discuss this with your health care professional. It may be beneficial to take small doses of choline (250 mg) a few times per week to balance out intake. Here is a really good article on this topic.

      • Sharon, that paper you cite says that the amount of TMAO in some sources of choline is lower in plant-based foods especially compared to fish. It says “Some research studies that have found associations between TMAO levels and CVD have gone so far as to recommend limiting or avoiding choline-rich foods and dietary supplements containing choline. Caudill says this isn’t only premature, but it’s concerning, because following that advice may have unintended consequences. “The demand for choline is so high,” she says, adding that there’s evidence that going above the AI may be beneficial in certain populations, while other populations may need to be cautious about supplementing with both choline and folic acid, which can increase cell division.”

        Everything in moderation, but I think if one is vegetarian or vegan it would be wise to supplement with several teaspoons of lecithin a week. At my calorie intake and eating a healthy vegetarian diet similar to your meal plan, I would not be getting enough choline to be really healthy and this may have contributed to my current health issue. I started consuming sunflower lecithin, and even though it was a bit distasteful the first time, my body started to crave it for several days, so I think I was a bit deficient. Always best to listen to one’s body.

        • Hi, thanks for making these points. I agree with you—it might be hard to meet the needs for choline on a plant-based diet, even while considering the impact of TMAO. The overall goal is to get enough without getting too much. So, it seems appropriate that supplementing with a small amount of choline might be beneficial for those not meeting their needs. I love your suggestion of lecithin, as it does contain choline.

          • I would love to eat 6000 calories but my digestion is seriously out of whack. I can barely eat enough food and I think it may be from choline deficiency. Choline helps absorb B12 and other things, creates stomach acid etc.

          • Lecithin is interesting because the content of fatty acids is variable, depending on the source of lecithin. Sunflower lecithin contains arachidonic acid on sn2, and much omega-6 acids in the diet may be contained in the lecithin incorporated in ultra processed foods. Eggs from free range chickens would be better from this point of view, if you are vegetarian. What is the contribution of lecithin to choline sufficiency in an ultra processed food diet.?

          • I get lots of questions on lecithin and choline. Most lecithin supplements are made from soy. But lecithin is also found in foods. And it is a food additive used in food products too. One of its main components is phosphatidylcholine (a source of choline).

          • Thankful for this useful info on choline Sharon.I need to pay more attention to what I’m consuming to ensure I get enough.I will definitely up my intake of broccoli and chickpeas! Thanks

  5. Hi Sharon, thank you for this sound and balanced advice. I have read that nutritional yeast is a good source of choline but it’s hard to find out for the different brands (we tend to use Engevita in the UK). Does choline naturally occur in nutritional yeast without the manufacturer specifically adding it?

    • Most nutritional yeasts do not report on choline content, however some products do report good sources of choline. I would look at the label of the product, which is not available for me to review. Many nutritional yeasts are fortified, so it would be indicated on the label.

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