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This fat-soluble vitamin plays a major role in bone health and immune function, among many other things. And yet, most Americans don’t get enough.
One of the best ways to get vitamin D is to expose your skin to the sun for a small amount of time. But during the gray days of winter, reaching the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) is a challenge.
For males and females ages 14 to 70, the RDA is 600 international units (IU) per day. Here's a few good sources to help you get there.
Salmon & Other Fatty Fish
3 ounces of cooked, farmed salmon provides about 450 IUs; wild salmon is estimated to have much more.
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Pesto Roasted Salmon with Roasted BeetsCanned Tuna
3 ounces of canned tuna contains about 40 IUs of vitamin D.
Fortified Foods
Fortified foods have extra nutrients added to them:
1 cup of orange juice fortified with vitamin D provides about 100 IUs.
1 cup of fortified milk has about 100 IUs.
6 ounces of fortified yogurt has about 80 to 100 IUs.
¾ cup to 1 cup of fortified breakfast cereal has about 50 to 100 IUs.
Egg Yolks
One egg yolk contains 40 IUs.
Mushrooms
Some mushrooms are grown in ultraviolet light, which spurs more vitamin D production. Look for “UV-treated” or “High in Vitamin D” on the label. These mushrooms can contain around 400 IUs per 3-ounce serving.
