Five healthy vegan foods that are rich in iodine

What is iodine?

Before we look at iodine rich vegan foods, let’s spend a bit of time talking about the mineral itself. It tends not to receive as much attention as nutrients like protein, vitamin C, iron, calcium, and vitamin B12. Despite this, it’s still key for our wellbeing – and we have to get it through our diet.

According to the NHS, adults need to consume 140 micrograms of iodine per day for good health. This number may be higher if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Our bodies use the mineral to make thyroid hormones like thyroxine, which are crucial for several processes. These include regulating cell function and metabolism (how the body produces and uses energy). Iodine is also vital for growth and development of the brain during pregnancy and childhood.

If you don’t get sufficient iodine in your diet, it may result in swelling of the thyroid gland and hypothyroidism. The latter is when you have an underactive thyroid that doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones. This could cause symptoms like fatigue and muscle weakness, weight gain, depression, impaired memory, and increased sensitivity to cold. So, you can see why consuming iodine rich vegan foods is important. 

The difficulty you may have found is that there aren’t a lot of plant-based foods naturally rich in the mineral. Luckily, however, that doesn’t mean there are none at all! Let’s dive into the specifics.

Can you get vegan foods with iodine?

If you’ve previously searched for a list of foods rich in iodine, you’ll probably have noticed they’re mostly animal based. One reason for this is that iodine is naturally present in seawater. It’s therefore also found in fish and other types of seafood. The actual amount varies depending on factors like whether it’s a farmed or wild-caught fish, and where they lived.

Even a vegetarian iodine-rich foods list is longer than one of iodine rich vegan foods. That’s because eggs and dairy products like cow’s milk are also rich in the mineral. The reason for this is that farmers often put iodine salts into cattle and chicken feed, plus use iodine-based disinfectants. The mineral then passes through the food chain into those who consume products from those animals.

So, what about iodine rich vegan foods? The good news is that they do exist! The bad news is that there aren’t a lot of them that contain the mineral in sufficient amounts to easily meet your daily requirements. Don’t panic though – it is possible to get sufficient iodine via a plant-based diet with a little planning. Below, we discuss five types of iodine rich vegan foods, and how to ensure you obtain enough of this mineral.

1. Seaweed

There’s no question that the top iodine rich vegan foods are all varieties of seaweed. This is because these plants are able to absorb and concentrate the mineral from the seawater they live in. It’s actually a similar process to how the thyroid gets iodine from our blood.(1) Like with seafood, the precise amount of the nutrient that a portion of seaweed contains will vary. It’s influenced by factors such as the species, where it grows, and how it’s processed. For example, kombu (a type of kelp) often has exceptionally high levels of iodine. As such, be careful not to consume too much of it, as this might result in excessive iodine intake.

Some of the best seaweed sources of iodine to add to your diet are wakame, nori, dulse, and sea moss. For instance, nori – the type of seaweed usually used in sushi rolls – contains roughly 16-43 micrograms of iodine per gram.(2) Wakame is slightly richer in the mineral, with approximately 66 micrograms per gram.

Depending on where you live, it’s not always easy to source raw seaweed. That’s why we recommend using seaweed powder instead. We find it to be a more convenient and versatile way to get your iodine. As an example, you can add a scoop of our sea moss powder to all sorts of meals. Its earthy, salty flavour goes perfectly in rice dishes, pasta, soups, stews, salad dressings, and sauces. And with 11200 micrograms of iodine per 100g, it’s a very effective way to meet your daily requirements.

2. Algae

In a similar vein to seaweed, freshwater algae like spirulina can be iodine rich vegan foods too. Again, the exact amount will be different depending on the species, where it grows, and how people process it. However, to give you an idea, our organic chlorella powder contains 150 micrograms of iodine per 100 grams. We recommend taking a teaspoon of it a day to support immunity, promote heart health, and cleanse the body. This won’t meet all your daily iodine requirements, but could certainly help you top up your levels of the mineral. Simply mix it into a smoothie, bowl of soup, or salad dressing for a burst of iodine and other nutrients. Its grassy flavour and vivid green hue make it a great addition to all sorts of recipes!

3. Fortified plant-based milks

Let’s move away from ingredients that are naturally high in the mineral for a moment. Fortified plant-based milk is actually one of the top iodine rich vegan foods you can buy. Just remember that not all vegan milks are fortified with the mineral. In fact, only a minority are – so check the nutrition label. You might see it listed as ‘potassium iodide’. Ideally, look for a brand that has about 25 micrograms of iodine per 100 ml. The Vegan Society suggests that if you consume 500 ml a day, you’ll meet 90% of your iodine requirements.(3) Don’t worry if you think that sounds like a lot of milk! From your morning cereal or smoothie to sauces and cups of tea, it’s easy to get the amount you need.

4. Certain types of beans

Interestingly, some pulses naturally contain iodine. Having said that, the levels are not as high as those in the iodine rich vegan foods mentioned above. As an example, a 400-gram tin of kidney beans provides approximately 12 micrograms of iodine.(4) Meanwhile, a cup of cooked butter beans contains around 16 micrograms of the mineral. As you can see, you’re unlikely to meet your full daily requirement from beans alone. However, they could make a useful contribution – especially because they have plenty of other health benefits to offer. Think of it as one more reason to add a tin of pulses to your meals!

5. Some fruits and vegetables

It’s not only sea vegetables that contain iodine – some other fruits and vegetables do too. However, they are not particularly iodine rich vegan foods, so shouldn’t be your sole source of the mineral. The amount of iodine they provide varies depending on the iodine content of the soil and groundwater where they’re grown. To give a few examples, strawberries and potatoes contain about one microgram of iodine per 100g, and prunes two micrograms.(4) That means you’d have to eat quite a lot of these fruits and vegetables to get your daily 140 micrograms! As such, we recommend you think of them as a top-up rather than your primary source of iodine.