There’s less of the sunshine vitamin available during the chilly, short days of winter. Vitamin D is well-known for its role in bone health. It also has other important roles in the body, including reducing inflammation. It’s involved with cell growth, immune function and glucose metabolism.
For most adults, the Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin D is 600 IU daily. It’s found in a variety of fish like tuna, tilapia, cod, salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel and trout. Other rich sources include eggs, UV-irradiated cultivated mushrooms, dairy products, and orange juice and grains that have been fortified.
To find out if you have a healthy level of vitamin D, your physician may order a lab test. A value of 50 nmol/L is sufficient for most people. The risk of deficiency increases at blood concentrations of less than 30 nmol/L.
While it’s best to get nutrients from food rather than supplements, your health care provider may recommend supplementation if your lab value is low. It’s important to note that vitamin D is a fat -soluble vitamin, which means toxicity is possible. The tolerable daily upper intake amount is 4000 IU for adults.
When fresh mushrooms are deliberately exposed to sunlight or UV radiation from lamps, they generate significant amounts of vitamin D. An egg yolk contains around 40 IU of vitamin D, but can be higher if the hens receive a vitamin D enriched feed or are exposed to sunlight. Savory sautéed mushrooms added to scrambled eggs or an omelet, along with a little cheese makes a delicious entrée any time of day.
Simple and full of flavor, this vitamin D-rich salmon recipe is a variation on the cooking technique En papillote (on poppy-yote), or in paper. The fish, plus flavoring ingredients are tightly enclosed in a piece of parchment paper so steam cannot escape. If you are not a salmon fan, this method also works well for other types of fish.
Mediterranean Salmon Packets
- 1 salmon fillet
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon capers
- 2 grape tomatoes, quartered
- 2 – 3 Kalamata olives, quartered
- juice from 1/4 lemon
- 20 inches of aluminum foil, folded once and sprayed with non-stick spray
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Place the salmon fillet in the center of aluminum foil.
- Top with a teaspoon of olive oil.
- Add minced garlic, salt, pepper and dried oregano, rub it gently into the salmon.
- Add the capers grape tomatoes, olives, and lemon juice. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil.
- Fold and close the packet, covering the salmon fillets well.
- Place on a baking pan and bake for 10 minutes or until salmon is cooked through and is flaky.
Margie Mansure is an extension agent with N.C. Cooperative Extension. As a registered dietitian/nutritionist chef, she offers nutrition and cooking classes to community members.
Read more at Cooking with Margie
