Vitamin D Sources for Vegetarians

Vitamin D is crucial for healthy bones and teeth as well as proper heart, immune system, and brain function. Unfortunately, there are very few foods that contain it and most of them are animal products so it can be hard for vegetarians to get this vitamin through diet alone. It’s not impossible though and here are some options:

• Egg Yolks
The amount of vitamin D in egg yolks greatly depends on the quality of life of the chickens that laid them. If they’re allowed to roam outside, their eggs can have up to 4 times the amount of vitamin D found in eggs from chickens that are kept indoors.

• Cheese
You can find small amounts of vitamin D in cheese, but the amount varies by type. Cheddar, Monterey, and Fontina contain the highest amount while soft cheeses like cottage and ricotta contain 0%.

• Mushrooms
Mushrooms have the distinction of being the only edible plant source of vitamin D. It’s been found that if they’re exposed to UV light during their growth, mushrooms can be as effective at raising your vitamin D levels as supplement pills. Check the packaging to see if the mushrooms you’re going to buy have these increased vitamin D levels.

• Fortified Foods
There are lots of options of foods that have vitamin D added to them including oatmeal, some dry cereals, milk, yogurt, and plant-based milks.