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):
Amounts for macronutrients are given in grams per 100g of food, unless otherwise noted. Amounts of calcium are given in miligrams, vitamin D3 amounts in IU. | |||||||
Food | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fats | Fibers |
Vitamin D3
(cholecalciferol)
|
Calcium
|
Beans, Kidney | 333.0 | 23.6 | 60.0 | 0.83 | 24.9 | 0.0 | 143.0 |
Beef, Ground 5% fats | 137.0 | 21.4 | 0.0 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 9.0 |
Broccoli, Leaves | 28.0 | 3.0 | 5.2 | 0.35 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 48.0 |
Butter, Without Salt | 717.0 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 81.1 | 0.0 | 60.0 | 24.0 |
Carp | 127.0 | 17.8 | 0.0 | 5.6 | 0.0 | 988.0 | 41.0 |
Carrots | 41.0 | 0.9 | 9.6 | 0.25 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 33.0 |
Cauliflower | 25.0 | 1.9 | 5.0 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 22.0 |
Chicken Breast | 114.0 | 21.2 | 0.0 | 2.6 | 0.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
Cod, Atlantic | 82.0 | 17.8 | 0.0 | 0.67 | 0.0 | 36.0 | 16.0 |
Eel | 184.0 | 18.5 | 0.0 | 11.7 | 0.0 | 932.0 | 20.0 |
Egg | 143.0 | 12.6 | 0.7 | 9.5 | 0.0 | 82.0 | 56.0 |
Eggplant | 24.0 | 1.0 | 5.7 | 0.2 | 3.4 | 0.0 | 9.0 |
Haddock | 74.0 | 16.3 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 18.0 | 11.0 |
Halibut, Greenland | 186.0 | 14.8 | 0.0 | 13.9 | 0.0 | 1097.0 | 3.0 |
Herring, Atlantic | 158.0 | 18.0 | 0.0 | 9.1 | 0.0 | 167.0 | 57.0 |
Kale | 50.0 | 3.3 | 7.8 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 135.0 |
Mackerel, Atlantic | 205.0 | 18.6 | 0.0 | 13.9 | 0.0 | 643.0 | 12.0 |
Mackerel, Pacific | 158.0 | 20.1 | 0.0 | 7.9 | 0.0 | 366.0 | 23.0 |
Milk, 2% milkfat | 50.0 | 3.3 | 4.8 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 120.0 |
Mullet | 117.0 | 19.4 | 0.0 | 3.4 | 0.0 | 61.0 | 41.0 |
Peanut Butter, Reduced Sodium | 590.0 | 24.0 | 21.9 | 49.9 | 6.6 | 0.0 | 41.0 |
Pike, Northern | 88.0 | 19.3 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 99.0 | 57.0 |
Pork, Ground 4% fats | 121.0 | 21.1 | 0.2 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 15.0 |
Salmon, Pink | 127.0 | 20.5 | 0.0 | 4.4 | 0.0 | 435.0 | 7.0 |
Sardines | 120.0 | 18.4 | 0.0 | 5.2 | 0.0 | 205 | 85.0 |
Sea Bass | 97.0 | 18.4 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 226.0 | 10.0 |
Shiitake, Dried | 296.0 | 9.6 | 75.4 | 1.0 | 11.5 | 154.0 | 11.0 |
Shiitake, Raw | 34.0 | 2.2 | 6.6 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 18.0 | 2.0 |
Snapper | 100.0 | 20.5 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 408.0 | 32.0 |
Tilapia | 96.0 | 20.1 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 124.0 | 10.0 |
Tuna, Bluefin | 144.0 | 23.4 | 0.0 | 4.9 | 0.0 | 227.0 | 8.0 |
Tuna, Yellowfin | 109.0 | 24.4 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 69.0 | 4.0 |
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.