Vitamin D is the only nutrient your body produces when exposed to sunlight. Sadly, up to 50% of the world's population may not get enough sun, and 40% of U.S. residents are vitamin D deficient. it is recommended that you get a daily value (DV) of 800 IU (20 mcg) of vitamin D per day from foods, if you get the recommended amount of sunlight*. If you don't get enough sunlight, your Vitamin D intake from foods should be closer to 1,000 IU (25 mcg) per day.
*10-30 minutes several times a week
Fish
- Salmon
- According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Composition Database, one 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of farmed Atlantic salmon contains 66% of the DV of vitamin D
- Wild salmon contains about 988 IU of vitamin D per serving, while farmed salmon contains 250 IU, on average. That’s 124% and 32% of the DV, respectively.
- Herring
- Fresh Herring is 27% of the DV
- Pickled Herring is 4% of the DV
- Cod Liver Oil
- 1 teaspoon has 56% of the DV
- Canned Tuna
- 3.5 oz is 34% of the DV
- it is recommended to only have 1 can of tuna per week, maximum.
Egg Yolk
- 1 egg yolk can contain 5% of your DV
Mushrooms - D2
Mushrooms can produce vitamin D2 when grown in sunlight or UV light. Only wild mushrooms or mushrooms treated with UV light are good sources of vitamin D. Certain brands are treated with UV light. These mushrooms can provide anywhere from 130–450 IU of vitamin D2 per 3.5 ounces (100 grams)
Mushrooms Grown in UV Light:
- Crimini,
- Maitakes
- White Button
- Morels
- Chanterelles
- Shiitakes
Fortified Foods
Fortified foods are foods that have Vitamin D added to them.
- Cow’s Milk
- cow's milk is fortified with vitamin D. It usually contains about about 15–22% of the DV per cup (237 ml)
- Soy Milk - D2
- One cup is 13–15% of your DV
- Almond - D2
- One cup is 26% of your DV
- Rice Milk & Coconut Milk - D2
- One cup 24% of your DV
- Orange Juice
- One cup is 12% of your DV
- Cereal and Oatmeal
- Half a Cup is 17% of your DV
- Yogurt
- 6 oz can have between 10-20% of your DV
- These brands are fortified with Vitamin D