These days, there are often minerals and vitamins added to processed foods. It is fairly common for vitamin D to be added to some grains and the majority of dairy products.
You will find the highest levels of vitamin D in animal products such as beef liver, and fatty fish (e.g. mackerel, salmon, and tuna). The level of vitamin Din foods is measured in international units (IU).
Levels of Vitamin D in Specific Foods
Here is a list of foods with their vitamin D content from lowest to highest:
- Fruits and Vegetables– Zero IU
- Grains and Cereals –Zero IU
- Portabella Mushrooms –half a cup has 4 IU
- Swiss Cheese –one ounce has 6 IU
- Cheddar Cheese –one ounce has 12 IU
- Fortified Cereal– one cup has 40 IU
- Egg Yolk– one large yolk has 41 IU
- Cooked Beef Liver– three ounces has 42 IU
- Scrambled Egg– one large egg has 44 IU
- Sardines (in a can with oil drained)– two sardines have 46 IU
- Fortified Yogurt –six ounces has 80 IU
- Fortified Soy, Oat, or Almond Milk– one cup has between 100 and 144 IU
- Fortified Milk –one cup has between 115 and 124 IU
- Fortified Orange Juice– one cup has 137 IU
- Tuna (in a can with water drained)– three ounces has 154 IU
- Mushrooms (raw, white, sliced and exposed to UV light)– half a cup has 366 IU
- Cooked Salmon –three ounces has 447 IU
- Cooked Swordfish– three ounces has 566 IU
- Cooked Trout– three ounces has 645 IU
- Cod Liver Oil– one tablespoon has 1360 IU
You can see from this list that specific animal products have more vitamin D in them than other foods do. When you are food shopping check the nutrition labels to see how much vitamin D is in the products you want to purchase. Be careful as fortified foods do not always contain the same amounts of vitamin D.