Evidence points to vitamin D as a key helper in strong bone health, immune system enhancement and much more. So it’s no surprise that a deficiency can lead to serious health concerns.
Luckily, you can get all the vitamin D you need from your diet, exclusively.
Whether it’s through consuming animal products, high vitamin D mushrooms or fortified foods, it’s easy to add vitamin D to your diet when you know what to eat.
Here are four foods high in vitamin D worth including on your dinner plate:
1. Fish
Quite a few varieties of fish steal high rankings on Health.gov’s Vitamin D Table, offering more of the sunshine nutrient per standard food portion than many other foods.
Amongst some of the top vitamin D-bearing underwater dwellers are salmon, trout and tuna.
Salmon
Salmon claims multiple rows on the Vitamin D Table, with five out of the top ten sources of vitamin D per standard food portions being different species of pink fish.
Canned sockeye contains 17.9 μg*per every three ounces, smoked chinook 14.5, canned pink 12.3, with cooked sockeye and pink cooked tying with 11.1.
While the boldest in taste is strongly indicative of the species, this fish generally has a mild to strong flavor that pairs exceptionally well with garlic and fresh herbs.
Try these simple salmon recipes:
- KISS in the Kitchen’s Herb Crusted Salmon
- The Mediterranean Dish’s Baked Lemon Garlic Salmon
* (1 μg of vitamin D is equivalent to 40 IU)
Rainbow Trout
Out of the trout fish family, the rainbow trout takes the crown for the most vitamin D per standard portion size, with three ounces of farmed, cooked trout offering 16.2 μg.
Trout is not what you’d typically think of as a “fishy” tasting catch, boasting a very mild, clean flavor. By pairing trout with robust, umami-rich mushrooms, you can enhance the taste— and when using High Vitamin D mushrooms, get a generous bonus serving of the vitamin.
Try these flavorful trout recipes:
- New England Today Food’s Pan-Seared Rainbow Trout with Mushrooms
- Primavera Kitchen’s Garlic Butter Rainbow Trout in Foil
Canned Tuna
Stocked up on a few cans of tuna? You may be surprised to learn that three ounces of light canned tuna contains a generous punch of vitamin D: 5.7 μg, in fact.
Tuna produces a robust mouthfeel on the tongue, described as bearing a strong umami flavor— just like mushrooms. This tender fish goes great on bread and is easily seasoned as zesty or bright for various palates.
Try these easy-to-make tuna recipes:
- Skinnytaste’s Canned Tuna Ceviche
- Salt and Lavender’s Easy Canned Tuna Pasta
2. Fortified Milk/Yogurt
Food manufacturers are now fortifying their products with High Vitamin D mushrooms and other helpful nutrients to boost their nutrition panels. Dairy products like milk and yogurt are popular choices, easily incorporating mushroom powders without compromising texture or flavor.
Whole, non or reduced-fat… in traditional, chocolate, strawberry and other creative flavors— you name it, many milk products include a dose of vitamin D. Usually, they offer anywhere from 2-3 μg of vitamin D per cup (milk) or 6 ounces (yogurt). Even for non-dairy milks like soy, almond and rice milk, manufacturers are still fortifying their beverages.
Try Joyful Healthy Eats’ Yogurt Parfait with Mixed Berry Compote + Homemade Granola recipe with fortified yogurt for a surge of vitamin D for breakfast.
3. Egg Yolks
While it’s commonly assumed that eggs contain vitamin D, it’s the yolk that contains high levels, not the white.
One large hard-boiled egg contains 1.1 μg. Though not often compared to the other foods we mentioned, eggs also contain a nice list of essential vitamins and selenium. They also contain “small amounts of almost every vitamin and mineral required by the human body, including calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, manganese, vitamin E, folate and many more,” according to Healthline.
Try these delicious egg and High Vitamin D mushroom recipes:
4. Mushrooms
You may have noticed that within these recipes, High Vitamin D mushrooms are used to boost the nutritional value of many meals. That’s because mushrooms specifically labeled as high vitamin D are an amazing way to sneak in added benefits!
We’ve compiled 15 recipes for an extra kick of vitamin D, all featuring delicious fungi.
All the Benefits of High Vitamin D Mushrooms
High Vitamin D mushrooms are a clever way to incorporate more valuable nutrients into your everyday diet. Download our free eBook, Everything You Need to Know About Vitamin D & Mushrooms to learn more about this special nutrient and all the benefits of eating mighty mushrooms.
Do you know if your grocer carries High Vitamin D mushrooms?
At Monterey, we sell sliced High Vitamin D Whites, Baby Bellas and whole Portabella caps nationwide in 8 and 16 ounce packages.
