Updated:: Nov 7, 2018
Original:: Dec 23, 2009

How to Eat More Foods with Vitamin D

Dubbed the “sunshine vitamin” because sun-exposed skin produces it, vitamin D promotes strong bones and teeth and combats osteoporosis. Get your daily dose with these foods.

Instructions

: Never change your diet without first consulting your physician.
Step 1: Drink fortified milk Drink vitamin D-fortified milk or soy milk for vegetarians. One cup of it contains 100 international units -- IUs -- of D, or about 25 percent of the recommended daily value.
TIP: It's recommended that breastfed infants receive supplements of 400 IUs of vitamin D per day.
Step 2: Eat oily fish Eat oily fish, such as salmon, tuna, and sardines, which are naturally high in vitamin D. They also contain beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.
Step 3: Take fish liver oil Take fish liver oil, such as cod liver oil, for a daily dose of D. One tablespoon will give you 340 percent of your daily recommended amount.
Step 4: Add other foods Add foods such as beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks into your diet, which contain small amounts of D.
Step 5: Look for D-fortified foods Look for D-fortified foods, which include ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, some orange juice, yogurt, and margarine.
FACT: The milk-fortification program began in the United States in the 1930s to combat rickets, then a major health problem.