Vitamin D Rich Foods

Consuming foods rich in vitamin D with regular, but not prolonged (at least not unprotected) sun exposure is more than enough to prevent vitamin D deficiency.

Unfortunately, not all the foods we eat have vitamin D in substantial quantities. Actually, vegetables and fruits contain no vitamin D. Some UV irradiated mushrooms have vitamin D in RDA dosages from a single serving - great for vegans and vegetarians. If you are not sure if you are eating 'those' mushrooms, read the labels, or even better - check the price tag :o)

Nowadays, plenty of foods are fortified with vitamins, vitamin D included. Unfortunately, more often, manufacturers add vitamin D2 into the food - again, read labels.

Mediterranean cuisine is rich in seafood and thus contain vitamin D in abundance.

List of Foods Rich in Vitamin D

List of foods rich in vitamin D are given in the following table (vitamin D in natural form):

Table is updated regularly, feel free to print it for your own use.

As one can see, there are great amounts of vitamin D in fish, especially in fatty fish. Cod liver oil also contains large amounts of vitamin D, but cod liver oil should be considered as supplement, not as food - it is also rich in vitamin E and omega-3 essential fatty acids. Some manufacturers remove vitamin D from such oils - be careful and read labels.

Various meats have small amounts of vitamin D, while vegetables have no vitamin D. Shiitake mushrooms have vitamin D, especially shiitake mushrooms dried on the sun - producers of such mushrooms usually write down on the labels the amounts of vitamin D per 100g (or ounces) of mushrooms and they test them more or less regularly for vitamin D content.