Get Your Daily Dose of Vitamin D: 6 Vegetarian Sources

Getting adequate vitamin D can be especially tricky if you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet since vitamin D comes primarily from animal sources. However, there are plenty of other vegetarian sources of vitamin D that can help you get your daily dose — many of which aren’t suitable only for vegetarians, but also vegans as well! Here are six different vegetarian sources of vitamin D.

1) Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a good source of vitamin D and offer a delicious, healthy way to get your daily dose. But mushrooms aren't just vitamin-D rich—they're also full of fibre, which makes them heart-healthy. Button mushrooms or crimini are both great options for vegetarians who want to add more vitamin D to their diet. In addition, portabella mushroom is also safe for vegans looking for a food that contains high levels of vitamin D. Even better? Portabellas have an even stronger flavour than a regular button or crimini mushrooms, so they can be substituted in recipes in place of meat—even those that require high-heat cooking techniques like grilling or frying!

2) Fortified milk

If you’re a vegetarian, it can be tricky to get enough vitamin D in your diet. One of your best bets is to drink fortified milk—specifically, organic, non-dairy pints of milk such as almond or soy milk that have been fortified with vitamin D. One cup provides nearly half your daily needs for about 100 calories (though these numbers vary depending on which brand you choose). Some other food sources with added vitamin D include eggs and fish roe. While eggs are versatile, food labels don’t always make it clear whether they contain added vitamin D; in most cases, you’ll need to look into it yourself.

3) Supplements

Getting your daily dose of vitamin D should be easy, right? Wrong. Although it's officially known as a vitamin, vitamin D is more like a hormone that can be found in a variety of foods. Unfortunately, if you're on a vegetarian or vegan diet, getting enough dietary vitamin D isn't easy. Vegans in particular need to look for food sources fortified with vitamin D (such as some soy pints of milk) or combine smaller amounts from various sources to get their needed dose. Here are six good vegetarian sources that will help you meet your daily requirements without meat

4) Egg yolks

It might seem crazy, but eating an egg yolk (but not an egg white) with a healthy meal can provide you with 100% of your daily dose of vitamin D. Just be sure that you eat it within 30 minutes or so after preparing it; otherwise, a chemical reaction will occur in which much of your vitamin D will become denatured. In addition to that, keep in mind that certain health conditions may make you more susceptible to egg yolk's high cholesterol content. Eggs are also a common allergen; if eggs bother you, skip them and check out some other options below. If they don’t bother you, check out our recipe for Sunnyside Up Egg Dish!

5) Sunlight

If you're not a vegetarian but still concerned about obtaining your daily dose of vitamin D, sunlight is likely your best bet. Sunlight helps our bodies synthesize vitamin D from cholesterol. Just be sure to wear sunscreen if you want to keep it off your skin, since UV rays can lower vitamin D levels in skin cells, according to some studies. If you do get a suntan, try to keep it on for at least 30 minutes per day; that's when your body absorbs most vitamin D.

6) Fish (for non-vegetarians and for those who consume fish products regularly)

Fatty fish such as wild salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. A large analysis of 40 studies found that people who regularly consumed omega-3s had a 12% lower risk of death from any cause than people who did not. Fish is also a good source of vitamin B12 for non-vegetarians and for those vegetarians who do consume fish. [Vegan alternative: Fortified soy milk]

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