Natural Vegetarian Sources of Vitamin D
The vast majority of vitamin D sources are not strictly vegetarian. Fatty fish is a prime source of vitamin D, as are eggs and many dairy products. Getting the right amount of vitamin D into your diet is something of a balancing act. Too little can result in low back pain, high blood pressure, arthritis or other conditions, but too much can also prove dangerous. Headaches, weight loss, nausea and other ailments have been attributed to an overabundance of vitamin D. Finding the right amount, especially from nonanimal sources, can be tricky, but it is entirely possible.
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The Sun
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The sun is the primary source of vitamin D for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. The human body instinctively manufactures vitamin D the moment our skin touches sunlight, which is why it has long been called the sunshine vitamin. The American Dietetics Association claims that adults need five to 15 minutes in the sun each day to meet their daily requirements for vitamin D.
Soy Milk, Rice Milk and Other Alternative Milks
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It is very easy nowadays to walk into most supermarkets and find a good selection of soy milk, rice milk and other alternative types of milk (such as oat milk or almond milk). Nearly all the alternative milks in production today are fortified with vitamin D, which makes it easy to get your daily allowance of the sunshine vitamin. Check the labels to see how much vitamin D each serving contains. Also, you may want to try a variety of alternative milks to find the one best suited to your taste: not all alternative milks are created equal.
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Natural Breakfast Cereals
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If you check out the health food section of your neighborhood grocery store or pop in to the local health food shop, you will no doubt come across a wall of natural breakfast cereals. While you won't find Fruit Loops or Cocoa Pebbles here, you will come across a variety of much healthier options--and many of them are fortified with vitamin D. Again, read the labels carefully to find out how much vitamin D is in each serving.
Margarine
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Margarine is a butter substitute traditionally made with vegetable oils. Some companies add animal fat, while others do not. Many manufacturers, however, fortify their margarines with vitamin D. In fact, in the United Kingdom and Canada, it is required by law that margarine be fortified with vitamin D.
Wild Mushrooms
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A naturally occurring source of vitamin D can be found in many varieties of wild mushrooms. Just as we flourish in the sun, so too do mushrooms. The major obstacle to enjoying wild mushrooms is that one must be well-versed in the edibleness of this type of fungi. If you are a connoisseur of wild mushrooms and know which are safe to consume and which are not, you will find a wellspring of vitamin D in these pungent toadstools. If you know little or nothing about wild mushrooms, this is an option to avoid at all costs; some varieties of wild mushrooms can kill you.
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