Best Vegan Vitamins: Multivitamins, Children’s Vitamins, Prenatals, Gummies, B-12, & More

Experts agree that the best way to get your recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals is through a balanced and diverse diet. Average people can agree that such a lofty goal might not be so easy. Between busy schedules, grab-and-go meals, and picky eaters, it’s a good idea to fill the gaps with a daily supplement or two. Vegans especially need to keep tabs on certain things that are harder to come across naturally on a plant-based diet, but everyone can benefit from a bit of nutritional assistance.

In the vast array of tablets, gummies, sprays, and liquids, what are the best bets for optimal health? More importantly, what would make one of these options unsuitable for cruelty-free consumers? Let’s take a closer look at the fine print!

Non-Vegan Vitamin Ingredients to Avoid

While the active ingredients in most vitamins and supplements are synthesized in labs or purely plant-based, the trouble comes with the medium in which it’s packaged.

• Gelatin: Convention soft gels or capsules have traditionally been made from the clear casing, made from highly processed animal bones and hooves. This is also an issue for anyone that keeps kosher since the origin isn’t often specified. It could be cows, horses, pigs, fish, and or more. Luckily vegetarian softgels and capsules exist and are becoming more and more widely available.
• Collagen: Related to gelatin, this is a protein that comes from the connective tissue, skin, tendon, bone, and cartilage from various animals.
• Fish or Cod Liver Oil: This one should be obvious, but you should keep an eye out for our aquatic friends, particularly when selecting an Omega 3 or DHA supplement.
• Lactose: Often used as a filler ingredient, this milk sugar is refined from dairy. Anyone with a dairy allergy or intolerance needs to be very careful to steer clear, too.
• Honey: A spoonful or sugar helps the medicine go down, but unfortunately, that sweetness sometimes takes the form of honey, particularly in liquid formulas for kids. Though it can take the bitter edge off various vitamins, it’s not at all sweet for the bees and their colonies.
• Vitamin D3: This specific form of vegan Vitamin D can sometimes be sourced from sheep’s wool. Unless it’s specified as coming from a plant source, assume the worst and leave it on the shelf.
• Glucosamine and Chondroitin: This duo often work together in various formulations for enhancing joint health. Sadly, the shellfish and sharks that they come from would have preferred to be together under the sea.

There are many other questionable components, such as Carotene, Vitamin B-12, Vitamin A, fatty acids, and more that can sometimes come from an animal source. Remove any doubt or worry from your RDA by simply seeking out companies that are transparent about their ingredients and clearly state their commitment to vegan values.

Key Vitamins That Are Important for Vegans

There are several essential vitamins and nutrients that are essential for all humans to get, but some are particularly necessary for vegan and vegetarian eaters to pay attention to. These include:

• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin D (vegan Vitamin D3)
• Calcium
• Iron
• Zinc
• Iodine
• Omega-3s / DHA
• Folate / Folic Acid (especially if pregnant)

Best Multivitamins for Most Vegan Adults

Everybody is different, so no single choice will be the best one for everyone. Thankfully, there’s a wealth of options on the market these days to accommodate everyone’s needs, cruelty-free.

Vegans especially need to be mindful of their Omega-3s, Vitamins B12 and D, Calcium, Iodine, Iron, and Zinc, since these can be harder to get on a plant-based diet. Consult a doctor to get your levels checked before making radical changes to your daily regime.

• Future Kind Essentials for Vegans
• Hippo7 Vegan Complete
• NATURELO One Daily Multivitamin (they have one for men and another for women)
• MyKind Organics Whole Food Multivitamin
• Complement Vegan Multivitamin Supplement (100% biodegradable and compostable packaging)
• Deva One Daily Vegan Multivitamins (with minerals and greens)
• MaryRuth’s Liquid Morning Multivitamin
• Ritual (vegan brand and certified B-Corp)
• VeganVitality Multivitamins & Minerals
• Supplements Studio Daily Vegan Whole Food Multivitamin Plus for Men & Women
• Flamingo Supplements Multivitamin Adult Gummy Vitamins
• Doctor’s Best Multi-Vitamin
• Wholier Whole Foods Multi for Plant-Based People
• PlantVital Whole Food MULTIVITAMIN
• EZ Melts Multivitamin with Iron
• Vedge Essential
• Good Earth Vegan Multivitamin

Best Multivitamins for Vegan Kids

Kids don’t always make the most nutritious choices, so if you get stuck in a rut of plain pasta for dinner five times a week, you can still make sure they’re still getting everything they need to grow and thrive. In addition to being specifically formulated for smaller bodies, they’re often in chewable or liquid forms that are easier to swallow. Some are even downright treats!

• MaryRuth’s Vegan Kids Multivitamin Gummies
• Complement Essential Liquid Vegan Nutrients
• Ritual‘s Essential for Kids Multivitamin
• Rainbow Light Kids One Multivitamin
• Hello Bello Kids Organic Multi
• Llama Naturals Plant-Based Multivitamin
• California Gold Nutrition Kid’s Multi Vitamin Gummies
• Renzos Picky Eater Multi
• NUTRAMIN Vitamin Gummies for Kids
• Garden of Life mykind Organics Kids Gummy Vitamins
• Wellvites Kids Multivitamin Gummies
• Fruily Organic Children’s Multivitamin Real Fruit Gummy
• Yumi Gummy Vitamins for Kids 4+

Vegan Gummy Vitamins

Gummies are traditionally made using gelatin, which is not vegetarian or vegan as its made from animal skin and bones. But fret not, dear parents and adults who can’t swallow pills! Vegan gummy vitamins not only exist, but there is a growing array of options to choose from. Here are the most popular vegan gummy vitamin brands we know of:

• NATURELO (for adults and for kids)
• Garden of Life MyKind (they have gummy vitamins for kids, adults, and prenatal gummy vitamins)
• Hello Bello
• Llama Naturals
• Mary Ruth’s
• Yumi
• Ritual Kids Multivitamin Gummies
• New Nordic
• Vitamin Friends
• Chewwies
• Herbaland
• Love, Beauty & Planet

Best Prenatal Vegan Vitamins

A mom-to-be has different needs when her body becomes the support system for a new life. There are different vegan prenatal vitamin formulas designed to nourish before, during, and after vegan pregnancy to welcome your new baby in with the best health.

• Naturelo Prenatal Multivitamin Capsules with Folate (these are the vegan prenatals I took throughout my pregnancy)
• Garden of Life My Kind Organic Vegan Prenatal Daily Multivitamin Tablets
• Deva Vegan Prenatal One Daily
• Rae Prenatal Dietary Supplement Capsules with Vegan DHA and Folate
• Nordic Naturals Vegan Prenatal DHA Softgels
• Mommy’s Bliss Postnatal Support Well-being, Apple Cider Vinegar
• MegaFood Baby & Me 2 Prenatal DHA & Choline Capsules
• Premama Fertility Reproductive Support Vegan Drink Mix

Vegan Vitamin B12 Supplements

By far the most talked about vitamin that is essential for vegans to supplement is Vitamin B-12. We have an entire article dedicated to vegan vitamins B-12 and why it’s so important, and we encourage you to read it. The most popular forms of B-12 are sublingual vitamins (that you dissolve under your tongue), B-12 sprays, and B-12 shots (administered through your doctor’s office). Here are some widely available options:

• Deva Vegan Vitamin B-12 (fast dissolve with bioactive methylcobalamin)
• mykind Organics B-12 (spray)
• NATURELO B-12 (capsules)
• MegaFood B-12 (tablets)

Best Vegan Omega-3 / DHA Vitamins

Omega 3 fatty acids are necessary for brain health. You can satisfy our needs with 1 tablespoon of ground flax or chia seeds every day or seek out an alternative source that makes it easier to check off your to-do list.

• Naturelo Vegan DHA Omega-3 from Algae
• Ovega-3
• Freshfield Vegan Omega 3, DHA, and DPA
• SR Vegan Omega-3
• Purity Products Vegan Omega 3-6-9
• Zenwise Vegan Omega-3
• Deva Vegan Omega-3 DHA EPA Supplement
• MaryRuth’s Omega 3 6 7 9 Gummies
• Nature’s Way NutraVege Omega-3 Plant Based Softgels
• Spectrum Essentials Soft Gels, Vegan Ultra Omega-3 EPA and DHA with Vitamin D
• Barlean’s Organic Oils Seriously Delicious Strawberry Banana Smoothie from Flax Oil
• Havasu Nutrition Vegetarian Omega 3-6-9 Gummies + DHA

Vegan Probiotics

Digestive health and harmony is critical for overall wellbeing, which is why it’s always smart to add probiotics into your diet. Natural sources include fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, kombucha, and more. For an extra assist, check out these quick fixes:

• NATURELO Multibiotic
• MaryRuth’s Gut Flora Health+ Enzymes
• Deva Vegan Probiotic with FOS Prebiotics
• Zenwise Health Digestive Enzymes Plus Prebiotics & Probiotics
• Yuve Vegan Probiotic Gummies
• Rae Pre + Probiotic
• Garden of Life Dr. Formulated Probiotics Platinum Series Restore
• Wholesome Wellness Digestive Enzymes
• NOW Supplements Probiotic-10
• Ora Organic Probiotics with Prebiotics

Consult Your Doctor or a Registered Dietitian!

No matter your life stage or health status, it’s a good idea to visit your doctor at least one a year for regular checkups. Review your blood levels with them to make sure you’re getting everything that you need, through food or supplements, to live a fuller life. We are not doctors, and Google is not a doctor. And doctors are not nutritionists or Registered Dietitians and often receive very limited nutrition training. We have a list of plant-based and vegan Registered Dietitians available for consultation if you need customized help!

Other Vegan Nutrition Guides

• Vegan Nutrition Guide
• Vegan Vitamin D Guide
• Plant-Based Omega 3 and Vegan DHA
• How to Find Credible Nutrition Information
• Is Soy Bad for You?

This guide to the best vegetarian and vegan vitamins was written with support from Hannah Kaminsky. The information presented here is not to be construed as medical advice or used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition or disease.