3 Foods High in Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential to your health. But unlike a lot of other vitamins, vitamin D isn’t found naturally in many foods.

But there are ways to make sure you’re getting plenty of this oft-named “sunshine vitamin” in your diet by eating foods high in vitamin D — both natural and fortified.

“Most people are able to meet their daily requirement of vitamin D from sun exposure and a balanced diet that includes foods fortified with vitamin D,” says registered dietitian Anna Taylor, RD, LD.

Here are some vitamin D foods to try.

What foods are high in vitamin D?

It’s recommended that people age 1 to 70 years old get 600 IUs of vitamin D per day (15 mcg). People over the age of 70 need 800 IUs (20 mcg).

These vitamin D-rich foods can help you reach that target.

1. Cod liver oil

What exactly is cod liver oil? It’s pretty much what it sounds like. It comes from the liver of the codfish, which is naturally high in vitamin D. Just one tablespoon of cod liver oil delivers about 227% of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin D for the majority of people.

You can find cod liver oil (as capsules or liquid) for sale online and at most grocery stores.

2. Rainbow trout

Just 3 ounces of cooked rainbow trout contains 645 IU of vitamin D, which is about 108% of the RDA for people age 70 and under.

The freshwater fish gets its high amounts of vitamin D from sunlight exposure, as well as from their diet of plankton and small fish.

3. Sockeye salmon

Another reason why salmon is such a great addition to any diet? Cooked sockeye salmon — about 3 ounces — can help you get at least 95% of the RDA of vitamin D.

Fortified vitamin D food options

Fortified foods are meant to help boost vitamin and mineral intake. They’re designed to add nutrients that don’t naturally occur in the product. This could include things like iron, fiber, zinc, vitamin A and, you guessed it, vitamin D.

“Since so few foods found in nature are good sources of vitamin D, fortified foods provide most of the vitamin D found in the American diet,” Taylor says.

Common foods that may be fortified with vitamin D include:

• Milk and certain plant-based milks, like soy milk
• Orange juice
• Yogurt
• Breakfast cereal
• Margarine

Check the nutrition label to see whether the product was fortified with vitamin D. But take care when choosing vitamin D-fortified foods. Some may contain other compounds that make the product less healthy, like added sugar or saturated fats.

Making sure you’re getting enough vitamin D

In addition to eating enough foods with vitamin D, you may want to do the following:

• Spend time in the sun. This helps your body create vitamin D. In fact, sunlight — not food — is the most common way that people get vitamin D. Somewhere between five and 30 minutes of direct outdoor sun exposure most days of the week may be a good goal for many people. Typical sunscreen use doesn’t generally lead to vitamin D deficiency for healthy people.
• Consider taking a vitamin D supplement. This may help, but talk with a healthcare provider before taking any nutritional supplements. They can check to see if you have a vitamin D deficiency. And they can ensure that the supplement won’t interfere with other medications you take and advise on how much you need.

“Vitamin D is essential for your bone health, cell growth, immune function, glucose metabolism and so much more. But our diets aren’t naturally rich in vitamin D, and sun exposure isn’t always direct enough to help synthesize this important nutrient,” concludes Taylor. “Speak to your dietitian to ensure you’re getting the right amount to support your health.”