Foods Rich in Vitamin D -
Can You Obtain a Normal 
Vitamin D Level From Food?

Finding foods rich in vitamin D can be a challenge. Obtaining sufficient vitamin D sources from food can be extremely difficult as there are very few foods that contain vitamin D in significant amounts.

Your best vitamin D foods:

Fatty Salt Water fish:

• Salmon
• Tuna
• Mackerel
• Herring
• Sardines
• Cod liver oils. Note that refined cod liver oils have the vitamin D removed!

Small amounts of vitamin D are found in:

• Milk that is vitamin D enriched
• Egg yolks
• Cheese
• Cream
• Liver
• Butter
• Shitake mushrooms
• Morel mushrooms
• Dandelion greens
• Oatmeal
• Oysters
• Sweet potatoes

Other vitamin D sources - Herbs that contain small amounts of vitamin D:

• Alfalfa
• Nettle
• Parsley

Are our top sources really good vitamin D sources?

Salmon, 3½ ounces 360 IUs (international units) of vitamin D 
Mackerel, 3½ ounces 345 IUs vitamin D 
Tuna fish, canned 3 ounces 200 IUs of vitamin D 
1 cup low fat milk, vitmamin D fortified 98 IUs of vitamin D 
1 Egg yolk 20 IUs of vitamin D

Based on previous low levels of vitamin D RDA set at 400 IUs per day...

Salmon gives us 90% of our RDA (Recommended daily allowance) 
Mackerel 90% 
Tuna 50% 
Milk 25% 
Egg yolk 6%

However, we need 1000 IUs per day, researchers are suggesting even more.

So no, you can not obtain sufficient vitamin D or a normal vitamin D level without a vitamin D supplement.

Note also that the sources we get from food or supplements must be converted by the liver and then by the kidneys. So those suffering from liver or kidney disorders can have a vitamin D deficiency.