Vitamin D is such an important nutrient for our body that we cannot even imagine living without it. But most of us believe SUN is only capable of fulfilling our daily requirements. Foods high in vitamin D are also capable of giving you all the benefits of this sunshine vitamin.
It helps our brain in development, heart in functioning, and keeps our bones and muscles strong by letting us absorb other vital nutrients properly. Vitamin D does more than this and you need only 800 IU or 20 mcg each day.
In case, you are one who live in cold areas or one who never leaves their room, then you must increase Vitamin D intake to 25mcg per day. How? Add these 10 foods in your diet to fix this issue.
Foods Which Are High In Vitamin D ( Only For Non-Vegetarians)
1. Salmon
One of the most consumed fatty fish which is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acid, Salmon can rev up your vitamin d intake. A wild salmon contains 124% more of the daily required value whereas it is only 32% per 100 gram in farmed salmon. So, what you choose also makes a difference.
Irrespective of the type you pick, salmon tastes delicious when grilled, oven-roasted or pan-fried. It has a mild flavored meaty taste and a bit oily. To enhance or mask it flavor, season it with garlic butter, or lemon and dill or use Cajun seasoning.
2. Canned Tuna
Non-vegetarians can enjoy canned tuna whilst getting 34% of the daily requirement of vitamin D per 100 gram serving. It is one of the best vitamin D foods because it is available cheap and can be stored longer.
Beside this, Tuna serves niacin and vitamin K which are another two important nutrients for good health. However, you must be careful while choosing canned tuna as it also contains a toxin known methylmercury.
How to pick canned tuna
- Check whether the can is BPA free or not
- If it has any safety issue, then do not buy it
- Do not buy bigeye tuna, white and yellowfin tuna are also not best options either
- Pick chunk light tuna in water as its lower in calories
You can also choose tuna rather than one that comes in can.
Also Read: 8 Good And Bad Foods For Fatty Liver
3. Pork Products
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Pork is one of the best animal foods that are high in vitamin D. Spareribs and pork fat contains around 103 and 138 IU per four ounces respectively. You can even eat pork chops for this requirement. But it is not the only source of this sunshine vitamin; it also contains thiamine, selenium and phosphorus. These helps in different bodily functions especially thyroid that is supported by selenium in pork.
4. Eggs
If you are not a hard-core non-vegetarian then add only eggs in your diet so that your body doesn’t get deficient of this important vitamin. You can get more of it by choosing eggs that comes from farms where chickens are raised outside.
5. Swordfish
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Eating 2 servings of cooked swordfish every week ensures that you are getting enough vitamin D. It also contains cancer-fighting nutrients and is rich in protein. Besides this, swordfish also improves your calorie and fat level and doesn’t make you fat.
But if you are pregnant or feeding cooked swordfish to kid then beware as it contains high level of mercury which is not good for these two kinds of people.
5 Vitamin D Foods For Vegetarians
Mostly, animal products are good source of it which makes a bit difficult for vegetarians to get enough of this vitamin. This leads to deficiency, poor bone health and put them at high risk of developing infections. A few vegetarian foods have enough of this nutrient to prevent you from these effects.
1. Tofu
This relative of paneer is very healthy, it is even good than rice and low in calories. You can have it either in dinner with stir-fry chickpea and tahini sauce or enjoy tofu in soup. There are endless ways to cook and consume fortified tofu.
2. Milk
Milk is one of the best sources and its easily available too. You can even choose soy milk above cow’s milk if you have digestive issues. Almond, coconut and even a glass of rice milk is a good substitute for those who have allergy from cow’s milk.
Also Read: Fried Milk Could Be Your Next Sweet Obsession
3. Mushrooms
Eat chestnut mushrooms that are grown in sunlight. Only one cup or 100 gram of this mushroom is enough. You can also pick other types of mushroom such as portabella, maitakes, white button or shiitakes.
4. Yogurt
Whether you drink milk or not, you must add fortified yogurt into your diet. Make raita or simply eat yogurt with fruits in breakfast. It is also a healthy option for kids who hate milk.
5. Instant Oatmeal
Cereals and oatmeals are usually overlooked as they are packed foods and not naturally available as a complete food. But these breakfast meals are a healthier option for vegetarians as they are fortified with vitamin D. However, the percent of this sunshine vitamin is very low than other foods high in vitamin D.