You may already know that vitamin D plays a role in maintaining healthy bones, but the “sunshine vitamin” does more than just that – it also helps boost your mood, ward off colds and prevent certain cancers.
During the dark, cold winter months, especially in the northern U.S., most people don’t get a chance to soak up the rays and thus, lack vitamin D. Increasing vitamin D in your diet is a natural way to get a boost despite the absence of sunlight, and here’s how to do it:
1. Choose fortified foods. Look for vitamin D in fortified foods such as milk, orange juice, margarine, cereal and yogurt.
2. Eat more eggs: Eggs are a good source of vitamin D, and in particular, the Eggland’s Best brand has four times more vitamin D than ordinary eggs. Eating two of them provides 40% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D.
3. Maximixe mushrooms: Mushrooms are the only fruit or vegetable that naturally contain vitamin D. Just like our own skin’s ability to manufacture vitamin D through sunlight exposure, mushrooms produce vitamin D as well. You can find mushrooms that provide 100% of your DV of vitamin D in one serving.
4. Go for the salmon: Wild Alaskan salmon is one of the richest sources of vitamin D you can find, with nearly double the recommended DV per 3 ounces.
By Michelle Lee