Whole-food plant-based and vegan diets have specific nutrition gaps — protein completeness, B12, iron, omega-3 — that most tracker apps completely ignore. We tested every major app to find which ones actually help.
Tracking a standard omnivore diet is relatively simple: chicken breast, rice, broccoli — the nutrient data is clear, the protein is complete, the micronutrients are mostly covered. Plant-based diets introduce real complexity:
A common mistake: eating 70g of plant protein and assuming it's equivalent to 70g of animal protein. Due to lower digestibility (PDCAAS scores) and missing amino acids, plant-based diets typically require 10–20% more total protein to achieve the same muscle protein synthesis response. The research-based target for plant-based athletes is 1.8–2.2 g/kg/day vs 1.6–2.0 g/kg for omnivores.
| Nutrient | Why It's at Risk | Daily Target | Best Plant Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | Lower PDCAAS scores; missing leucine threshold | 1.8–2.2 g/kg (athletes) | Tempeh, edamame, seitan, lentils, tofu |
| Vitamin B12 | Not present in whole plant foods | 2.4 mcg/day | Fortified foods, nutritional yeast, supplements only |
| Iron | Non-haem iron absorbs poorly (2–20%) | 18 mg/day (women); 8 mg (men) | Lentils, tofu, pumpkin seeds, fortified cereals |
| Calcium | No dairy; some plant calcium poorly absorbed | 1,000–1,200 mg/day | Fortified plant milk, tofu (calcium-set), bok choy, almonds |
| Zinc | Phytates in legumes reduce absorption | 8–11 mg/day | Pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, lentils, cashews |
| Omega-3 (ALA) | EPA/DHA conversion is only 5–10% | 1.6 g ALA/day; algae EPA/DHA ideal | Flaxseed, chia seeds, walnuts, hemp seeds |
| Iodine | Absent from most plant foods except seaweed | 150 mcg/day | Seaweed (variable), iodised salt, supplements |
| Vitamin D | Few plant sources; sun-dependent D2 vs D3 | 600–800 IU/day | UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified plant milk, D2 supplements |
NutriBalance is the best free option for plant-based macro tracking because the full macro breakdown — protein, carbs, and fat in grams — is available without a paywall. For plant-based eaters, protein in grams is the most critical number to watch daily, and apps that hide macros behind subscriptions are a non-starter. The 7M+ food database (Open Food Facts) has excellent coverage of plant-based products: tempeh brands, tofu variants, plant-based milks, meat substitutes, legume dishes, and specialty items. The barcode scanner handles vegan packaged products well. The home screen widget lets you check protein remaining at a glance — essential when you're trying to hit 140g+ from plants alone. The streak system is genuinely valuable for plant-based beginners who need to build the logging habit before their nutrition instincts are calibrated.
Cronometer is the gold standard for micronutrient tracking — and for plant-based diets, micronutrients are where the real risk lies. It's the only free app that tracks B12, iron (with haem vs non-haem distinction), zinc, iodine, omega-3 ALA, vitamin D, and calcium all in one place. The amino acid profile feature shows you whether you're actually hitting leucine, lysine, and methionine thresholds — the three amino acids most limited in plant diets. For plant-based eaters, a monthly Cronometer deep audit catches deficiencies before they become health problems.
MFP has the largest food database of any tracker, which matters for plant-based eaters dealing with niche products — specialty vegan cheeses, obscure legume dishes, specific tempeh brands. The community-submitted database has extensive coverage of plant-based products from every country. The drawback: macros are paywalled since 2024. For a plant-based person tracking protein grams, this is a significant issue. You can see calories for free, but protein in grams requires Premium (~$19.99 USD/month).
Dr. Michael Greger's Daily Dozen checklist app tracks whether you've hit the recommended servings of key plant food groups (beans, greens, cruciferous veg, berries, flaxseeds, nuts) rather than tracking specific macros or calories. It's not a calorie tracker in the traditional sense — it's a pattern tracker. For people following a whole-food plant-based (WFPB) approach who are less focused on precise macros and more focused on eating the right foods, it's a useful supplement.
Not a traditional tracker, but worth mentioning for plant-based eaters who eat out frequently. Happy Cow finds vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants, and many listings include menu items. Pair this with NutriBalance's manual entry for restaurant meals and you have a workable system for plant-based tracking when eating out — a major gap for most calorie trackers that assume you're eating at home.
| Feature | NutriBalance | Cronometer | MFP | Daily Dozen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protein in grams (free) | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ Paid | ✗ |
| B12 tracking | ✗ | ✓ Free | ✗ | ✗ |
| Iron tracking | ✗ | ✓ Free | ~ Paid | ✗ |
| Omega-3 / ALA tracking | ✗ | ✓ Free | ✗ | ✗ |
| Amino acid profile (leucine) | ✗ | ✓ Free | ✗ | ✗ |
| Home screen widget (free) | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Plant-based food database | 7M+ (OFN) | NCCDB quality | 14M+ (mixed) | Food groups only |
| Streak / habit building | ✓ Free | ✗ | ✗ | ~ Checklist |
| Best use case | Daily macro tracking | Micronutrient audits | Niche food lookup | WFPB pattern check |
NutriBalance daily for macro and calorie tracking (protein grams, calorie goal, barcode scanner, widget). Cronometer monthly for a full micronutrient audit — B12, iron, zinc, omega-3, calcium. Run the Cronometer audit the first week of each month and adjust supplements accordingly. This combination covers everything a plant-based diet requires without paying for two premium apps.
| Food | Serving | Protein | Calories | Limiting Amino Acid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tempeh | 100g | 19g | 193 kcal | Complete (soy-based) |
| Edamame (cooked) | 155g (1 cup) | 17g | 188 kcal | Complete (soy-based) |
| Firm tofu | 100g | 8g | 76 kcal | Complete (soy-based) |
| Seitan (wheat gluten) | 100g | 25g | 370 kcal | Lysine (not suitable as sole protein) |
| Lentils (cooked) | 200g (1 cup) | 18g | 230 kcal | Methionine (pair with grains) |
| Black beans (cooked) | 172g (1 cup) | 15g | 227 kcal | Methionine (pair with rice) |
| Hemp seeds (shelled) | 30g (3 tbsp) | 10g | 166 kcal | Near-complete; good ALA omega-3 |
| Pea protein powder (1 scoop) | 30g | 24g | 120 kcal | Methionine (blend with rice protein) |
| Quinoa (cooked) | 185g (1 cup) | 8g | 222 kcal | Complete (rare for a grain) |
| Nutritional yeast | 15g (2 tbsp) | 8g | 45 kcal | Complete + B12-fortified (most brands) |
You don't need to combine complementary proteins in the same meal — your body maintains an amino acid pool throughout the day. What matters is that across your full day of eating, you're covering all essential amino acids. However, for muscle protein synthesis, hitting the leucine threshold (~2–3g) per meal does require some planning.
| Combination | Approx. Leucine | Total Protein | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200g tofu + 100g edamame | ~2.8g | ~33g | Both soy-based — complete protein |
| 1 cup lentils + 30g hemp seeds | ~2.5g | ~28g | Lentil provides bulk; hemp rounds out amino profile |
| 1 scoop pea protein + 1 scoop rice protein | ~3.2g | ~46g | Gold standard plant protein blend |
| 150g tempeh + 185g quinoa | ~3.0g | ~37g | Both near-complete; high-volume meal |
B12 deficiency on a vegan diet is not a theoretical risk — it's a near-certainty without deliberate supplementation. Deficiency develops slowly (2–5 years from depletion of liver stores) and by the time symptoms appear (fatigue, nerve damage, cognitive issues), the deficiency may be severe. No plant food provides reliable B12 in adequate amounts except fortified foods and supplements. Track your fortified food B12 intake in Cronometer, and supplement 500–1000 mcg cyanocobalamin or methylcobalamin if dietary sources are inconsistent.
50g of protein from seitan + rice is nutritionally different from 50g from a soy/pea blend. Seitan is very low in lysine; rice is low in lysine too — combining two lysine-limited foods hits your gram target but still leaves you short on this essential amino acid. Diversify protein sources and check amino acid profiles periodically in Cronometer.
Whole plant foods (vegetables, fruits, legumes) are genuinely low in calorie density. A large plate of vegetables and legumes can be 300–400 kcal. For active people or those trying to gain muscle, this means eating large volumes to hit targets. If you're consistently under your calorie goal on a plant-based diet, add calorie-dense foods: nuts, nut butters, avocado, tahini, coconut products, and whole grains.
Fortified plant milks are one of the main ways plant-based eaters get B12, calcium, and vitamin D. But the fortification level varies massively between brands — some oat milks have 25% RDA calcium per 100ml, others have 0%. Always check the label and log the specific brand, not the generic "oat milk" entry.
Vegan Oreos, chips, and beyond-meat burgers are technically plant-based but nutritionally equivalent to their non-vegan counterparts. Tracking total calories and macros prevents the "it's vegan so it must be fine" trap that stalls many plant-based dieters who wonder why they're not losing weight.
Plant-based cooking often uses significant amounts of olive oil, coconut oil, tahini, and nut-based dressings. A stir-fry with 3 tbsp olive oil adds 360 kcal before counting the vegetables. Log every oil, every spoon of nut butter, every pour of tahini — these are the hidden calories that blow plant-based calorie targets consistently.
Use NutriBalance daily — it's the best free macro tracker for plant-based diets, with protein tracking in grams, a home screen widget, and a large database covering plant-based products. Once a month, run a full nutritional audit in Cronometer to check B12, iron, zinc, omega-3, and amino acid profiles. Together these two free apps give you everything you need for a nutritionally complete plant-based diet.
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