With the clocks having gone back on Sunday, 26th October, and the shorter days of autumn and winter, your body may struggle to get enough vitamin D from sunlight alone. A nutritionist warns that it‘s important to consider other ways to keep your levels topped up.

Between April and September, sunlight usually provides most people with enough vitamin D. But during the darker months, the limited daylight in the UK can make it challenging to get the vitamin D your body needs.

With this in mind, Registered Nutritionist and Recipe Development Manager, Lily Keeling from recipe box delivery service Green Chef, has shared their advice on keeping your vitamin D levels up as the clocks go back, with useful tips and tricks when it comes to planning meals.

Why do we need vitamin D in our diet?

Lily says, “Vitamin D is a key nutrient for maintaining healthy teeth, bones and muscles because it helps your body to regulate and absorb calcium more effectively.”

“Those with a vitamin D deficiency might experience negative side effects such as muscle and bone aches, and fatigue.”

“Most people need around 10 micrograms of vitamin D each day, but on average, we consume less than three micrograms. And during darker days, it’s especially important to consider ways of maintaining vitamin D levels in your diet when we’re exposed to less sunlight.”

Which foods are rich in vitamin D?

With an average of 27,000 monthly Google searches for “vitamin D foods”, it’s clear that Brits are seeking guidance on how to increase their intake through enriched foods.

While Lily recommends checking the nutrient level of any food on the packaging and ingredients list, she suggests some of the highest vitamin D rich foods are:

Types of oily fish, such as mackerel and salmon
Egg yolks
Mushrooms
Milk replacements, including soy and almond

Tips for keeping you vitamin D levels up

While oily fish is recommended for boosting vitamin D levels, Registered Nutritionist, Lily Keeling shares other simple alternatives to maintaining your vitamin D levels.

“The simplest way to increase your vitamin D levels through your diet, is by increasing your mushroom intake. Particularly paying close attention to portobello, button and chestnut mushrooms that have been grown in the sunlight or under a UV lamp. You can usually find this information on the packaging.

“This quick and easy swap can not only help to reduce your meat intake, but can be used as a healthier plant based alternative.

“A portion of mushrooms between 80g-100g can provide you with all your daily vitamin D needs. This amounts to one large portobello mushroom, 11-14 button mushrooms, or just 4-5 chestnut mushrooms.

“You can also increase your intake by carefully choosing milk alternatives that have been fortified with vitamin D and calcium. Typically, in the UK cow’s milk is not fortified, so making this swap can help to increase your vitamin D levels with very little impact on your daily diet.”

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