Do women who are vegetarian need to take a dietary supplement?
Not always. You can get all the nutrients you need from a vegetarian eating plan by eating a variety of foods from all of the food groups. But you may need to take extra steps to get enough protein, iron, calcium, vitamin B-12, and zinc.
The extra steps you need to take depend on what type of vegetarian you are. For example, low-fat and fat-free milk and milk products are good sources of calcium, vitamin B-12, and complete protein. Eggs are a good source of vitamin B-12, choline, and complete protein. So if you don’t drink milk or eat eggs, you need to get these nutrients from other foods.
See a list of good sources of protein, iron, calcium, and more for vegetarians at ChooseMyPlate.gov.