Choline is an important nutrient that, despite being essential for good health, isn’t well known. Because animal foods (especially eggs) are the most concentrated sources, some people have criticized vegan diets for being too low in choline.
Fortunately, a variety of plant foods contain choline — more than most people realize.
In this post, I’ll provide an extensive list of the best vegan sources of choline, discuss the health benefits of this nutrient, and explain whether vegans need to supplement.
What is choline?
While neither a vitamin nor a mineral, choline is an essential nutrient. The body makes some of its own choline, but we need extra from food.
Choline is an organic compound required by the body for a variety of processes, such as:
- Brain development in early childhood
- Synthesizing fatty compounds needed for cell membranes
- The production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that supports memory, mood, muscle control, and other nervous system functions
- Gene expression
- Transporting fats out of the liver and into the bloodstream
It may also play an important role in preventing heart disease, according to a 2024 study1 that found a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease in people meeting the current choline recommendations.
Interestingly, the authors also found larger reductions in colon cancer risk with increasing choline consumption.
Daily choline needs
The Institute of Medicine has set the daily Adequate Intake (AI) level for choline2 at 550 milligrams for adult men and 425 milligrams for adult women. The IOM set AI levels because there wasn’t enough evidence to set Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) levels, a stronger recommendation.
It’s worth noting that these recommendations are based on a small study done only in men, so it isn’t completely clear how biological sex affects a person’s choline needs.
We do know, however, that choline needs for women increase during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It appears that premenopausal women may have lower choline requirements3 than postmenopausal women, possibly because estrogen helps the body produce its own choline.
Choline needs also vary significantly depending on genetics and the intake of other nutrients like folate, vitamin B12, methionine, and betaine, although more research is needed to understand these relationships.
| Age | Daily Choline Needs (AI) | |
| 0-6 months | 125 mg | |
| 7-12 months | 150 mg | |
| 1-3 years | 200 mg | |
| 4-8 years | 250 mg | |
| 9-13 years | 375 mg | |
| 14-18 years | Men | 550 mg |
| WomenPregnancyBreastfeeding | 400 mg450 mg550 mg | |
| 19+ years | Men | 550 mg |
| WomenPregnancyBreastfeeding | 425 mg450 mg550 mg | |
Vegan sources of choline in the diet
In general, the best plant-based sources of choline are soy foods, beans, lentils, peanuts, some cruciferous vegetables, mushrooms, potatoes, and some seeds.
There are small to moderate amounts of choline in many different plant foods, as you can see in the comprehensive chart below. Vegans can get enough choline by consistently including a variety of these foods in their diet with a particular focus on beans, legumes, and cruciferous vegetables.
| Portion size | Choline content (per USDA) | |
| Soy protein powder | 1 scoop | 140 mg |
| Roasted soybeans | ½ cup | 107 mg |
| Kidney beans | 1 cup | 90 mg |
| Edamame, frozen, prepared | 1 cup | 87 mg |
| Black-eyed peas | 1 cup | 54-78 mg |
| Great northern beans | 1 cup | 77 mg |
| Collard greens, cooked | 1 cup | 73 mg |
| Chickpeas | 1 cup | 70 mg |
| Lentils | 1 cup | 65 mg |
| Brussels sprouts, boiled | 1 cup | 64 mg |
| Large lima beans | 1 cup | 61 mg |
| Pinto beans | 1 cup | 60 mg |
| Broccoli, boiled | 1 cup | 63 mg |
| Mung beans | 1 cup | 59 mg |
| Soy milk | 1 cup | 57 mg |
| Red potatoes | 1 large potato | 57 mg |
| Black beans | 1 cup | 56 mg |
| Shiitake mushrooms, cooked | 1 cup | 54 mg |
| Cauliflower | 1 cup | 48 mg |
| Asparagus, cooked | 1 cup | 47 mg |
| Firm tofu | ½ block | 46 mg |
| Quinoa, cooked | 1 cup | 43 mg |
| Portabella mushrooms, grilled | 1 cup | 40 mg |
| Sweet potato | 1 cup | 35 mg |
| Cabbage, boiled | 1 cup | 30 mg |
| Toasted wheat germ | 2 Tbsp | 27 mg |
| Russet potato | 1 medium | 26 mg |
| Peanuts | ¼ cup | 24 mg |
| Green peas | ½ cup | 24 mg |
| Bok choy, cooked | 1 cup | 21 mg |
| Peanut butter | 2 Tbsp | 20 mg |
| Grapefruit juice | 1 cup | 20 mg |
| Sunflower seed kernels | ¼ cup | 19 mg |
| Brown rice | 1 cup | 19 mg |
| Millet | 1 cup | 19 mg |
| Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) | 1 oz | 18 mg |
| Plantains, baked | 1 cup | 18 mg |
| Corn | ½ cup | 18 mg |
| Cashews | 1 oz | 17 mg |
| Oatmeal, cooked | 1 cup | 17 mg |
| Hummus, homemade | ¼ cup | 17 mg |
| Whole wheat pita | 1 6.5” pita | 17 mg |
| Cooked tomatoes | 1 cup | 17 mg |
| Almond butter | 2 Tbsp | 17 mg |
| Almonds | 1 oz | 15 mg |
| Orange juice | 1 cup | 15 mg |
| Raspberries | 1 cup | 15 mg |
| Sun-dried tomatoes | ¼ cup | 14 mg |
| Avocado | ½ fruit | 14 mg |
| Orange | 1 medium | 13 mg |
| Spaghetti | 1 cup | 13 mg |
| Banana | 1 medium | 12 mg |
| Flaxseed, ground | 2 Tbsp | 11 mg |
| Red bell peppers, raw | 1 cup | 8 mg |
| Tomato paste | 1 Tbsp | 6 mg |
| Baby carrots | 5-6 baby carrots | 6 mg |
Choline is also found in small amounts in lecithin, a common food additive used as an emulsifier to improve the consistency and appearance of non-dairy milk, chocolate, bottled salad dressing, and other processed foods.
The amounts used are so small, however, that the amount of choline provided by the lecithin in these foods is likely negligible.
RELATED: Is Soy Lecithin Vegan? Is It Healthy?
Example meal plan meeting choline requirements
This is an example of a day’s worth of meals providing 100% of an adult woman’s choline needs:
| Meal | Menu | Choline Content |
| Breakfast | SAVORY option – Breakfast Tacos: 1 cup seasoned black beans ½ cup tofu scramble ½ cup red bell peppers ½ medium avocado 3 corn tortillas SWEET option: 1 cup oatmeal (cooked in water) 2 Tbsp peanut butter ½ banana ½ cup raspberries 1 cup soy milk (added to oatmeal, in coffee/tea, and/or enjoyed on its own) | 56 mg 35 mg 4 mg 14 mg 9 mg 17 mg 20 mg 6 mg 7.5 mg 57 mg |
| Lunch | Hoppin’ John & Cornbread: 1 cup black-eyed peas 1/2 cup diced tomatoes 1 cup cooked collard greens 1 piece cornbread (contains 1/8th cup whole grain cornmeal | 70 mg 8.5 mg 73 mg 3 mg |
| Snack | ¼ cup homemade hummus 5-6 baby carrots | 17 mg 6 mg |
| Dinner | Edamame Veggie Stir-Fry: 1 cup shelled edamame ½ cup broccoli ½ cup bok choy ¾ cup brown rice | 87 mg 31.5 mg 10.5 mg 14 mg |
| TOTAL | With SAVORY breakfast With SWEET breakfast | 439 mg 428 mg |
Do vegans need choline supplements?
As we’ve seen above, a well-planned vegan diet can meet your daily needs for choline. However, if you struggle to eat a balanced diet consistently, you may not be getting enough choline.
You can check by using a food tracking app and looking at your average daily choline intake. If your intake is low, try eating more beans, soy, mushrooms, and cruciferous vegetables.
If you’re still struggling to get enough choline, a small dose choline supplement in addition to a nutrient-dense diet could be helpful.
For example, there are 300 milligrams of choline in a two-gummy serving of vegan-friendly Nature Made Choline Gummies. Cutting this down to one gummy a day would provide 150 milligrams, a good amount for those close to the Adequate Intake but who regularly fall short.
That said, supplements may not be necessary even in these cases depending on how many betaine-rich foods you consume. Betaine is a compound found in beets, spinach, and whole grains that helps reduce the body’s requirement for choline4, so people eating a lot of these foods may not need quite as much choline.
More research on this relationship is needed before specific recommendations regarding betaine intake and choline needs can be made, however.
We know that 90 to 95% of all pregnant women don’t get enough choline3, so it’s wise for pregnant vegans to take a prenatal supplement with choline. There is a significant risk of neural tube defects and inadequate fetal brain development that can occur with low choline intake.
And don’t forget folic acid in your prenatal supplement! Folic acid deficiency leads to an even higher need for choline, so getting enough of both is important while pregnant.
RELATED: The Best Multivitamin For a Vegan Diet
Summary
All in all, claims that vegan diets are inherently deficient in choline are under-informed.
Vegans can get enough choline by eating a balanced diet rich in whole and minimally processed plant foods, especially soy foods, beans, legumes, some mushrooms, potatoes, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, collard greens, cauliflower, cabbage, and bok choy.
Eating plenty of foods rich in betaine like beets, whole grains, and spinach may help vegans meet their choline needs more easily by reducing how much choline the body needs, although we don’t yet know by how much.
Interested in learning about other nutrients on a vegan diet? Check out these helpful posts:
- The Best Magnesium Sources for Vegans
- Vegan Sources of Vitamin A
- 14 High-Calcium Foods for Vegans
- The 12 Best Iron-Rich Vegan Foods
- Vegan Sources of Iodine
The scientific information in this article was accurate at the time of publishing but may change over time as new research becomes available.
References
- Jieru P, Zhang S, Cai L, et al. Dietary choline intake and health outcomes in U.S. adults: exploring the impact on cardiovascular disease, cancer prevalence, and all-cause mortality. J Health Popul Nutr. 2024;43(1):59. Published 2024 May 6. doi:10.1186/s41043-024-00528-0
- Wiedeman AM, Barr SI, Green TJ, Xu Z, Innis SM, Kitts DD. Dietary Choline Intake: Current State of Knowledge Across the Life Cycle. Nutrients. 2018;10(10):1513. Published 2018 Oct 16. doi:10.3390/nu10101513
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Choline Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. NIH website. Accessed 12/27/24.
- Higdon, Jane. Choline. Oregon State University Linus Pauling Institute website. Accessed 12/30/24.
