5 Recipes to Support Vitamin D Intake

Quick Scoop

• Direct skin exposure to sunlight is needed for your body to produce Vitamin D.
• Vitamin D supports bone, teeth, muscle, and immune health.^†
• Most people spend less time outdoors in sunlight during the fall and winter months, which impacts Vitamin D production.
• There aren’t many foods that naturally contain the sunshine vitamin, but some foods are fortified with Vitamin D.
• Cooking seasonal recipes with natural and fortified food sources of Vitamin D can help support your Vitamin D intake during fall and winter.

As daylight lessens during fall, so does our skin's exposure to sunlight, which signals our bodies to produce Vitamin D. Diet and vitamin supplements that contain Vitamin D become more important to ensure adequate Vitamin D intake during fall and winter.

In this article, we’ll review food sources of Vitamin D and share six cozy fall-inspired recipes to help support your Vitamin D needs this season.

Vitamin D During Fall and Winter

Your body is capable of making its own Vitamin D, but it needs sunshine to do so. If you live in a region with true fall and winter seasons, your body likely isn’t making as much Vitamin D as it does during warmer months. There are several reasons for this, including:

• Spending more time indoors as temperatures drop
• Wearing more clothing outdoors so you have less skin exposure to direct sun
• Fewer hours of daylight to spend outdoors

Getting enough Vitamin D is essential to support bone, teeth, muscle, and immune health. Including more foods that can support Vitamin D levels during fall and winter can help make up for the loss of time in the sun.^†

Food Sources of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is found in just a handful of foods. Some foods, like dairy products and cereals, have Vitamin D added to them to help people meet their needs.[1]

Here are the best foods with Vitamin D:

• Beef liver
• Fatty fish, including salmon, sardines, and tuna
• Mushrooms treated with ultraviolet (UV) light [2]
• Whole eggs
• Fortified cereals
• Fortified milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese
• Fortified non-dairy milks, such as soy or almond
• Fortified orange juice
• Fortified tofu

Fall Inspired Recipes to Support Vitamin D Levels

How can you turn the above foods into delicious recipes for autumn? Here are six easy, cozy recipes to support Vitamin D levels.

 1. Cinnamon Apple Smoothie

Blend 1 cup of Vitamin D-fortified dairy or non-dairy milk with ¼ cup plain yogurt, ¼ cup rolled oats, 1 diced apple, 2 teaspoons honey, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and ½ cup ice. For a nutty twist and extra protein, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of almond or peanut butter.

 2. Pumpkin Yogurt Parfait

Mix ⅓ cup unsweetened canned pumpkin puree, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup into ¾ cup plain yogurt made from Vitamin D fortified milk. Top with sliced banana, slivered almonds, and/or pumpkin seeds.

 3. Sweet Potato, Spinach, and Mushroom Egg Bake

Dice one large sweet potato, then toss with a tablespoon of olive oil and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer the sweet potato to the bottom of an 8-inch baking dish. Top with 2 cups baby spinach, 8-ounces of sliced mushrooms, ½ cup chopped onion, and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

In a mixing bowl, beat 8 eggs with ¼ cup milk. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Pour eggs over vegetables and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until eggs are set in the middle, about 25 minutes.

 4. Warm Brussels Sprout & Salmon Salad

Arrange salmon filets on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Roast at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until the fish is opaque and flakes easily, about 15 minutes.

While the salmon bakes, thinly slice a pound of brussel sprouts. Top with thinly sliced red onion, chopped apple, walnuts, dried cranberries, and any other toppings you wish. Serve salmon on top of salad with balsamic vinegar and olive oil or your favorite vinaigrette.

 5. Tofu & Mushroom Stir-Fry

In a small bowl or jar, whisk together 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Set aside.

Pat a firm block of Vitamin-D-fortified tofu dry and cut into 1-inch cubes. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the tofu in a single layer and cook until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove tofu from the pan.

Drizzle a little more oil in the pan and saute 1 sliced onion, 3 cups broccoli florets, and 16-ounces of mushrooms until tender. Add tofu back to the pan with the soy sauce mixture. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Serve over cooked rice or quinoa.

 6. Creamy Mushroom Vegetable Soup

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large pot set over medium-high heat. Add 1 chopped yellow onion, 2 carrots sliced into rounds, 2 chopped celery stalks, and 1 pound of sliced mushrooms.

Sauté the vegetables and mushrooms until softened and fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add a couple of minced garlic cloves to the pot and sauté for another 30 seconds.

Sprinkle ¼ cup of all-purpose flour into the pot and stir to coat the vegetables. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then pour in 3 cups of chicken stock and 1 cup of Vitamin-D-fortified whole milk. Stir in two diced russet potatoes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and a bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until broth is thickened and potatoes are cooked through about 15 minutes.

Before serving, remove the bay leaf and finish the soup with a squeeze of lemon juice or a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.

You can also add meat to this soup. Sauté 1 pound of ground chicken or turkey in a drizzle of olive oil till browned, then add the vegetables and mushrooms to the pot and continue with the recipe.

The Bottom Line

Your body needs at least 5 minutes of exposure to direct sunlight on your arms, legs, and face (with no sunscreen) to produce Vitamin D. Most people spend less time in the sun as days turn shorter and cooler in the fall. You can make up for this seasonal gap of the sunshine vitamin with diet and/or a Vitamin D supplement. Try adding these fall-inspired recipes to support Vitamin D levels to your meal plan.

Learn More About Vitamin D:

• What Foods Have Vitamin D?
• How Much Vitamin D Do You Need Per Day?
• How Much Vitamin D Do You Really Get From the Sun?

Follow @NatureMadeVitamins on Instagram for new product news, healthy tips, and more.

† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

References

1. Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Consumers. National Institutes of Health. Updated November 8, 2022. Accessed August 15, 2023. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/
2. Cardwell G, Bornman JF, James AP, Black LJ. A Review of Mushrooms as a Potential Source of Dietary Vitamin D. Nutrients. 2018;10(10):1498. Published 2018 Oct 13. doi:10.3390/nu10101498 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6213178/