Get Your Daily Dose of D!
Summertime is a great reminder of our body’s easiest way to get Vitamin D – through the sun! Before you go slathering on the sunscreen when you go outside, remember that it only takes about 15 minutes of sun exposure on your hands and face to absorb the sun’s natural rays and provide your body a healthy dose of D. Although vital to prevent skin cancer, sunscreen decreases the amount of Vitamin D our body absorbs from the sun.
Vitamin D is a powerful nutrient for many reasons:
- Aids in the absorption of calcium promoting strong bones
- Fuels a healthy immune system
- Decreases the risk of developing cancer
- Maintains proper brain function
Besides the sun, here are a few of FEED’s favorite ways that adults and kids can get their daily dose of Vitamin D!
- Yogurt Pops: Add your favorite fruit to plain Greek yogurt and freeze in popsicle molds. About 6 oz of yogurt packs in 80 IU of Vitamin D!
- Snacking Done Right: Include fortified cereal to your on-the-go trail mix. Fortified cereals contain at least 40 IU of Vitamin D per serving!
- Got Milk? Rather than cooking oatmeal in water (yes, we said oatmeal, even in the summer!), replace water with milk or dairy alternative such almond, hemp, or rice beverage. All of these choices provide ~100 IU of Vitamin D per 8-oz serving!
- Hooray for the Parfait! Layer non-fat vanilla yogurt, berries, and fortified cereal for a third of your daily D.
- Eggs Anytime: Next time you purchase eggs, look for eggs that are fortified with Vitamin D; some brands contain 80IU per egg! No need to limit this wonderful source of protein and vitamins to just breakfast. Enjoy eggs hard- boiled with lunch or chopped over vegetables, such as asparagus, for dinner.
Try these fun ideas or come up with your own D-licious choices! Check out more information about your kid’s Vitamin D requirements here.