The Top 10 Natural Sources of Vitamin D in Food

The best sources of Vitamin D are foods and sunlight, according to the Institute of Medicine. Most people (including many erroneously diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency) don't need supplements – so try these Vitamin D-rich foods in some of our favorite recipes.

Also see the best sources of Calcium, which helps the body absorb Vitamin D.

By Dan Shapley


The Benefits of Vitamin D, the Sunlight Nutrient

Are you getting enough Vitamin D? Many people are worried about Vitamin D deficiency, which the Institute of Medicine says has been over-diagnosed in recent years. Unlike other nutrients, Vitamin D isn't really a vitamin at all: It's a hormone, made by your body as you are exposed to sunlight.

 
Whatever it is, it has an important role in maintaining bone strength (its role in fighting other diseases has not been proven). If you eat a varied diet and get some sun (about 20 minutes a day, unfiltered by sunscreen) then you are probably getting all the Vitamin D you need from these sources. Even if you aren't getting enough Vitamin D from sunlight, though, you probably don't need a vitamin supplement, according to the Institute of Medicine. You need some Vitamin D-rich foods, like the ones we feature here. (About 600 iu of Vitamin D daily.) This list includes the foods with the most Vitamin D, according to the USDA. Enjoy!

Salmon

 

Salmon has by far the most Vitamin D of any food (and wild salmon has much more than farmed salmon, which unfortunately is cheaper and easier to find). Half a fillet of sockeye salmon has more than 1,400 iu of Vitamin D – more than twice as much as most people need in a day. The next-highest Vitamin D food, Pacific rockfish, has about one-third as much as salmon. (Unlike wild salmon, which is considered one of the most sustainable fisheries, Pacific rockfish is badly depleted.)

  Wild Salmon Recipes:
> Wild Salmon with Ginger and Green Onions
> Honey-Lime Wild Salmon
> Teriyaki Salmon with Gingery Chard
> Salmon Pie
> Sesame Wild Salmon with Bok Choy and Carrot Ginger Whole Wheat Couscous
> Toasted Wild Salmon
> Red Chili-Rubbed Salmon
> Horseradish-Crusted Wild Pacific Salmon

Tuna

  

A serving of tuna has a healthy dose of Vitamin D - more than one-third of a daily dose. Light tuna in oil has the most Vitamin D. (Light tuna in water has about one-fourth of a daily dose, while white tuna has about one-tenth. Light tuna also has less mercury than white tuna, making it a safer choice.) The other fish-in-a-can, sardines, also have a lot of Vitamin D - about one-fourth of a daily dose (along with a healthy dose of calcium), and pickled herring have about one-sixth of a daily dose.

Sole or Flounder

 

 Flatfish like sole and flounder have about one-fourth a day's worth of Vitamin D. (The other white fish, cod, has less than one-tenth.) Look for Pacific flounder, sole or cod at the fish market, because Atlantic stocks are depleted.

Recipes:
> Grilled Dover Sole with Red Peppers, Thyme, and Black Olives
> Penang Fish with Chile, Garlic, Ginger, Lemongrass and Black Pepper
> Broiled Cod with Miso Glaze

Milk

 

Fortified milk has about one-fifth a day's worth of Vitamin D (whole milk has more than skim).

Cereal

 

Like fortified milk, fortified cereal provides a more balanced meal than a Vitamin D supplement. The amount of Vitamin D in cereals varies widely by brand and type, though, so read the label carefully. The USDA found a range of Vitamin D levels in fortified cereals from 34 iu (about one-seventeenth of a daily dose) in corn flakes to 104 iu (about one-sixth a daily dose) in raisin bran.

Pork

Three little ounces of pork can provide as much as 88 iu of Vitamin D – almost one-seventh of a daily dose. The most can be found in ribs, and the amount of Vitamin D in pork varies greatly by cut and preparation. You'll barely get any Vitamin D from a slice of ham.

Pork Recipes:
 > Dried Fruit-Stuffed Pork Chops
> Thai Lemongrass Pork and Rice Vermicelli Wraps
> Gluten-Free Pork Ramen
> Honey-Garlic Grilled Pork Chops
> Heirloom Pork Roast with Fresh Thyme
> Mexican Cochinita Roasted Pork Pibil
> Mesquite Smoked Pork with Braised Greens and Honey Baked Beans
> BBQ Pork Sandwiches
> Sicilian Stuffed Pork Chops

Eggs

  

Two large eggs have about one-tenth of a daily dose of Vitamin D. Eggs from truly free-range chickens, like those many are raising in backyards these days, are often more tasty and nutritious than the factory farmed kind; unfortunately, the free-range label on eggs is virtually meaningless.

Egg Recipes:
 > Gluten-Free Avocado, Mushroom and Spring Onion Frittata
> Florentine Frittata
> Egg Salad with Tarragon and Horseradish
> Turkey Sausage and Egg Strata
> Egg and Smoked Trout Salad
> Oil-Poached Halibut with Gribiche and Poached Eggs
> Spring Frittata
> Orange and Ginger Brûlée Custards
> Egg and Spinach Quiche

Don't forget, when you're done, to re-use those eggshells!

Mushrooms

 

Mushrooms can have a significant amount of Vitamin D, but the amount varies widely by type. Shiitake mushrooms (pictured) have 45 iu – about one-thirteenth of a daily serving of Vitamin D. White mushrooms, on the other hand, have just 5 iu.

Mushroom Recipes:

 > Asparagus with Shiitake Mushrooms and Bacon
> Bok Choy with Wood Ear and Shiitake Mushrooms
> Grilled Shiitake Mushrooms with Buckwheat Soba Noodles
> Immune Boosting Goji Berry and Shiitake Mushroom Soup
> Nora Pouillon's Crab and Shiitake Mushroom Cakes
> Beef Brisket with Shiitake, Porcini and White Mushrooms
> Terrific Tofu and Mushrooms
> Turkey, Mushroom and Vegetable Stir-Fry

 Beef Liver

 

A 3-ounce portion of beef liver has more than 42 iu of Vitamin D – about one-fourteenth of a daily dose needed for someone who doesn't get much exposure to the sun. Beef is also one of the best sources of Vitamin B-12 and organ meats are one of the top sources of iron. If you're heading to the store for meat, look for grassfed beef to take advantage of additional nutrition, and more sustainable farming practices.

 

Ricotta Cheese

 

Ricotta cheese stands out among cheeses for its relatively high Vitamin D content. With 25 iu of Vitamin D, it would still take about 24 servings to get your daily dose solely from ricotta cheese (not recommended). That said, ricotta has about five times as much Vitamin D as most other cheeses.

Ricotta Cheese Recipes
 > Ricotta-Green Onion Gnocchi
> Penne with Peas, Grape Tomatoes and Ricotta
> Creamy Rigatoni with Spinach
> Sweet Pea and Lemon-Ricotta Ravioli
> Emeril's Crostini with Ricotta and Spring Peas
> Whole Wheat Pita Pizzas with Vegetables
> Spring Pea Tortellini

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/sources-of-vitamin-d-in-foods
.