Winter calls for longer nights and shorter days without sunlight. With cold and flu season on the rise, plus seasonal affective disorder rearing its ugly head, our immune systems take a hit. One nutrient that is great at fighting against attacks on our bodies is vitamin D.
Unfortunately, with longer hours of darkness, getting our vitamin D absorption from sunlight can be more difficult in the winter. This just means we have to work a little harder to get what we need from sources other than the sun. Vitamin D has several benefits, from supporting muscles and neurological functions to helping with calcium absorption in the bones, and of course, boosting the immune system.
Sources of vitamin D besides the sun come from our foods. Below are the best foods high in vitamin D that are worth adding to your diet.
Best foods high in vitamin D
Salmon
The amount of vitamin D can vary depending on the individual fish you use. For instance, one study found that farmed salmon had 25% of the vitamin D content as found in wild-caught salmon. As such, if you’re getting vitamin D from fish sources, try to opt for wild-caught fish instead of farmed-raised fish. As it sits, the USDA says sockeye salmon has an average of 670 international units of vitamin D per 3.5-ounce serving.
Swordfish
Another fatty fish that is an excellent source of vitamin D is the swordfish. The USDA lists a 100-gram serving as containing 666 IU of vitamin D. That’s over the 600 IU daily recommendation for people aged 1 to 70 years old, so cooking up some swordfish for dinner may help you easily meet your vitamin D needs.
Tuna
This lunchtime staple can also pack a vitamin D punch. While not as high as salmon or swordfish, fresh yellowfin tuna still contains 82 IU of vitamin D per 100-gram serving, according to the USDA. It can be a food to include as part of an overall diet in vitamin D rich foods. However, bluefin tuna has 227 IU of vitamin D per 100-gram serving, so check which type of tuna you’re eating as well.
Egg yolks
As listed by the USDA, one whole egg yolk packs a whopping 218 IU in vitamin D. Simply making a frittata or some scrambled eggs in the morning with two eggs could give you a 436-IU boost of vitamin D. That’s a good way to start off any morning.
Orange juice
While oranges themselves are more known for their vitamin C content, orange juice often comes fortified with added vitamin D to help boost our health. Simply check the label on your orange juice to see if it has been fortified with Vitamin D. One study found that both Vitamin D2 and D3 are as equally bioavailable in orange juice as taking vitamin D capsules, meaning the body can still absorb the vitamins well.
Fortified Milk
Milk is another drink that is often fortified with vitamin D to help us get this valuable nutrient. Like orange juice, milk is not a natural source of vitamin D, but the FDA allows manufacturers to voluntarily add up to 84 IU of vitamin D3 per 100 grams of milk and 84 IU per 100 grams of D2 to plant-based milk alternatives.
Fortified Cereal
Another good way to access vitamin D is to choose cereals that have been fortified with it. There are a wide variety of cereals that all add vitamin D. You simply need to check the label of what you are buying. The Mayo Clinic lists fortified cereal as a good source of Vitamin D. You might look for more healthy brands of cereal, such as whole grain options, which are more likely to fortify with higher levels of Vitamin D and be better for you overall. Try to avoid highly sugary cereals with fewer nutrients.
Beef liver
Liver is a love-it-or-hate-it food, but if you like beef liver, it’s another good way to get vitamin D. You can either cook it up, popular with onions, or liver sausage can be a good source of vitamin D. According to the USDA, pan-fried cooked beef liver has 40 IU of vitamin D, measured for a single slice.
Sardines
This is another food people either really love or really hate. However, if you’re a sardine fan, sardines have a higher amount of vitamin D, too. According to the USDA, 100 grams of canned sardines have 193 IU of vitamin D. Enjoy sardines on some crackers or add them to your favorite pizza.
Herring
Herring is another type of fatty fish that is popular to eat out of a jar and on crackers, or you can cook it up for dinner. Herring boasts 214 IU of vitamin D for a 100-gram serving, according to the USDA. In fact, herring is a popular food to eat around the holidays in the Midwest. During the cold and darker months, it’s a convenient and popular holiday food, and it boasts fairly high vitamin D levels.
Wild Mushrooms
If you are looking for vitamin D that doesn’t come from an animal source, mushrooms are perfect. Just like us, mushrooms create vitamin D when exposed to UV light from the sun. Fungi are packed with vitamin D2 (animal sources contain vitamin D3), and one cup of wild mushrooms can equal about 136 IU of vitamin D.
