Vitamin D: Down Your Daily D with These Foods

Here’s a question for you health nuts: What Vitamin do we need in amounts up to 25 times higher than the government recommends for us to be healthy? Yep, the elusive Vitamin D.

Here are 5 Foods that are heavy on the Vitamin D:

1. Milk. Milk and milk substitutes are often fortified with vitamin D, containing up to 100 IUS in a serving. Be sure to check labels, however, as some nut milks do not contain any D.

2. OJ. OJ is often fortified as well, containing as much vitamin D as milk. Just be aware of the calories and sugar content in your OJ.

3. Egg yolks. Another reason to love those eggs. The yolk contains 40 IUs and also has been proven to be beneficial for overall brain health.

4. Cod Liver Oil. Fish oil is beneficial for brain health as well as heart health. Cod Liver oil contains 1300 IUs of vitamin D, making it an excellent option for achieving your D quota. (Although 1300 IUs is twice the amount recommended by the RDA, it doesn’t exceed the upper-level intake of 4000 IUs.)

5. Since vitamin D is not found in many foods, it’s best to try to consume those above. (Organ meats, including beef liver also contain vitamin D, but these should only be eaten in moderation.) We also love the idea of adding dairy and non-dairy fortified milks to morning smoothies for a protein, calcium and D boost: