Vitamin D Food List - How to meet your needs

Looking for a vitamin D food list to help you meet your D2 and D3 needs? These 26 foods contain the sunshine vitamin!

We all have a vitamin D deficiency. Ok, almost all. Around 80% of Germans have too low a vitamin D level in winter.

In summer, our skin we produce the sun vitamin itself. And it does so with the help of the sun. Now we need to replenish our stores so that we are ready for the winter.

This works on the one hand with the sun and on the other hand with Vitamin D food.

You'll learn in this post,

• Why well-filled vitamin D stores are important,
• how to cover your vitamin needs,
• Why foods are usually insufficient to produce enough Vit D,
• what is the difference between vitamin D2 and D3,
• Which foods contain a lot of vitamin D,
• how you can absorb the sun vitamin through your diet,
• how a vitamin D deficiency manifests itself,
• whether you need to take supplements in winter.

The best source of vitamin D is the sun. Our bodies can produce vitamin D through the skin. The only thing we need for this are sufficiently strong sun rays.

Vitamin D is formed from the sun's UVB rays through a chemical process via our skin.

In summer, this is not a problem at all. The production of vitamin D is on average 10 times higher than the intake through food.

It's a little more difficult in the winter. Even if the sun is shining, it is not enough. The German Nutrition Society recommends taking vitamin D as a dietary supplement during the winter months.

In summer, this means soaking up a lot of sun, so that we can also draw on it in winter.

In addition, the Sun vitamin also via food record. But what's the point of that anyway and what's it good for?

Before you immediately sprint to the supermarket and Vitamin D food here's some important information about the sun vitamin.

Vitamin D effect and functions

• It plays a very large role in skin renewal
• Vitamin D supports wound healing and prevents inflammation
• It supports the immune function of the skin and protects it from free radicals
• The sunshine vitamin is involved in thousands of regulatory processes in the body
• It is important for strong bones and healthy teeth
• Vit D prevents a whole range of cardiovascular diseases
• The sun vitamin controls the absorption of calcium in the intestine
• Vitamin D ensures an intact immune system and helps ward off infections
• It controls inner peace, better sleep and helps us manage stress better

How can I cover my vitamin D needs?

The daily vitamin D requirement is 20 µg per day. To know if you have a vitamin D deficiency, you can take a blood test with your doctor.

To meet this need, you need to be in the sun. Depending on your skin type, the length of stay varies. If you have dark skin, you need to stay in the sun longer to be able to form enough vitamin D.

You should spend 10 to 30 minutes outdoors at least 4 days a week. It is important that you do not apply sunscreen. Attention: Danger of sunburn!

The sunscreen prevents the skin from producing vitamin D.

And the second option are Vitamin D food.

Can you fill up on vitamin D in the solarium?

Vitamin D food

Vitamin D supply takes place largely through the skin. Vitamin D foods play only a small role. They can help to fill the vitamin D stores.

However, if you want to have a balanced vitamin D level without the sun, you would have to eat vast amounts of food.

Vitamin D is found in animal and plant foods. However, in different forms.

There is vitamin D2 in plant foods and vitamin D3 in animal foods.

Our body can produce vitamin D3 itself via the sun. It is the vitamin it needs. However, it can easily convert D2 into D3.

Food is only secondary for vitamin D

Whether we like it or not: as soon as we are in the sun, we produce vitamin D. Synthesis with the help of the sun accounts for 80-90 percent. Only 10-20 percent are attributable to Vitamin D food.

It is not for nothing that vitamin D is also called the sun vitamin.

Especially for those who spend little time in the sun, however, vitamin D in food is important.

But remember: Vitamin D foods are a great supplement. However, it is very unlikely that you will be able to fill your vitamin stores with food alone.

Food with a lot of vitamin D

Cod liver oil is healthy, even our grannies knew that. And they were right! Because cod liver oil contains the most vitamin D. This is because the sun vitamin accumulates mainly in the liver and kidneys. But cod liver oil already sounds so disgusting. There must be alternative vitamin D foods.

Vitamin D in plant foods

There are only a few plants with a vitamin D content that is really worth mentioning. Vegetarians and vegans in particular should therefore spend a lot of time outdoors.

Avocados contain the most vitamin D2. In 100 grams there are just 5 µg (micrograms).

So, especially for people who don't eat fish, it quickly becomes clear that meeting vitamin D needs through food is quite a task.

Animal vitamin D

Foods with notable vitamin D content are of animal origin. The highest occurrence is found in cod liver oil. Followed by fatty fish, eggs and dairy products.

Fish that comes from wild catch is much richer in vitamins and nutrients. The information in the table does not refer to aquaculture fish and seafood.

Vitamin D Food Table

In order to keep an eye on the vitamin D3 and D2 content, here is a table with an exact listing.

But does it even make sense to eat vitamin D foods if you can't cover your needs with them? We say yes!

Absorb vitamin D through the diet

From the small table it quickly becomes clear that especially animal foods such as fish, liver, egg, cheese and butter have a high content of vitamin D3.

There is vitamin D2 in plant foods, but the amount is hardly worth mentioning. There is no vitamin D in fruits and vegetables.

If you look closely at the list, you will probably also notice that foods with a lot of Vit D are not on our daily menus. For example, I don't know anyone who voluntarily eats offal every day.

In contrast, foods with a low vitamin D value, such as butter or cheese, end up on our plates almost every day. They contain little, but because we eat them very regularly, they contribute a large part to the vitamin D supply.

A very quick vitamin D recipe is Scrambled eggs with avocado and salmon. Tastes super delicious!

You can also super juicy salmon rolls with eggs prepare or how about a Giant mushroom burger? :)

For a requirement of 20 µg, you would have to eat 2 kg of butter, 1 kg of mushrooms, 100 g of eel or 7 chicken eggs. And that every day!

On average, adults consume only 2 to 4 µg daily via vitamin D foods.

If you spend a lot of time indoors - and we all do for work-related reasons - you should try to eat foods that contain vitamin D.

What happens to vitamin D3 and D2 during cooking?

There are many vitamins and nutrients that are lost during heating. This is quite typical for vitamin C, among others, which is very sensitive to heat.

Vitamin D is relatively heat stable. Up to a temperature of 180° Celsius it is preserved without any problems. Nevertheless, do not overdo it by cooking for a very long time. Especially with vegetables, short sautéing is usually enough.

This also preserves other vitamins and nutrients. And in terms of taste, crunchy vegetables are also much better than overcooked ones.

How does a vitamin D deficiency manifest itself?

The older we get, the less vitamin D our body can produce from the sun. At the same time, the need for vitamin D3 and D2 increases.

We women should also keep a close eye on our vitamin D levels during pregnancy.

The first signs of a deficiency are quite non-specific. Sleep problems, bad skin or concentration problems can occur.

If you have a high or prolonged vitamin D deficiency, you may experience frequent infections, poorly healing wounds, fatigue, back pain and depression.

The only way to find out whether you are affected by a vitamin D deficiency is to have a blood test. It is best to do the test in autumn or towards the end of summer. This way you know if your vitamin D level is high enough for the upcoming winter.

Do I need to take vitamin D as a dietary supplement?

You don't have to do anything. However, if you have a very low vitamin D level, your doctor will recommend it. Especially in winter, vitamin D cures are often made.

Because in the cold season, we can eat as many vitamin D foods as we want. It probably won't be enough. Or do you eat seven eggs every day?

You can take vitamin D in the form of capsules or drops. In between you consciously put vitamin D foods on your menu and you are already sufficiently supplied.

Our conclusion

In order to cover your vitamin needs, you should definitely rely on a mix of sun and nutrition. Eating 2 kg of butter every day is not the solution either. :) Instead, it is better to go out in the sun in between. Ideally, you rely on a mix of vitamin D foods and short sunbaths.

Have your vitamin D supply checked once a year, preferably in the fall. In winter, you can supplement it with food supplements.

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