Natural Vitamin D Hack Vegans Need Now

New Research Shows Mushrooms Can Be a Good Source of Vitamin D. A new factsheet from the Mushroom Council reveals that mushrooms can be an excellent plant-based source of vitamin D, a nutrient that most Americans fail to get enough of.

A plate of mushrooms in bowl, on a wooden table.

The guidelines state that current recommendations for vitamin D intake are 600 IU per day for most adults, over three times higher than previous recommendations. For adults over 70 years old, the recommendation is even higher at 800 IU per day. Meeting these higher intake levels can be challenging without supplementation or consumption of fortified foods.

Mushrooms: A Natural Vitamin D Source

However, the Mushroom Council’s new factsheet explains that UV-exposed mushrooms are a natural source of vitamin D in the produce aisle. Mushrooms contain higher levels of the plant sterol ergosterol, which converts into vitamin D2 when exposed to UV light.

Mushrooms in a wicker basket on a wooden table.

For vegetarians and vegans who avoid vitamin D-fortified dairy products, mushrooms provide one of the only natural food sources of this essential vitamin.

Easy Mushroom Meals

Adding more servings of UV-enhanced mushrooms to meals and snacks is an easy way to help meet recommendations and prevent deficiencies. Here are some mushroom-based recipes you can add to your diet:

Stuffed mushrooms topped with onions and parmesan cheese.

Best Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe – So Easy

This easy and delicious stuffed mushroom recipe is perfect as an appetizer or vegetarian main dish. Giant mushrooms are stuffed with a savory mixture of cheese, garlic, and breadcrumbs then baked until hot and gooey.

Mushroom Pizza Recipe

This unique mushroom pizza skips the traditional red sauce and instead tops a crisp whole wheat crust with sautéed mixed mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, and fresh chives. It makes for the ultimate hearty, yet healthful vegetarian pizza night.

Mushroom risotto served in a black bowl on a wooden cutting board.

Easy Mushroom Risotto Recipe

Creamy risotto loaded with meaty shiitake and oyster mushrooms and finished with nutty Parmesan cheese. This satisfyingly rich mushroom risotto comes together in only 30 minutes but tastes like you spent all day making it.

Mushrooms Give 1000% Vitamin D

The Mushroom Council factsheet also announced that vitamin D data for UV-exposed white and crimini mushrooms has now been included in the USDA National Nutrient Database, the standard reference for nutrient information in the United States.

Delicious mushroom wellington slice showing the insides of it.

One serving of UV-exposed white mushrooms contains 890 IU of vitamin D, while one serving of UV-exposed crimini mushrooms contains 1086 IU. This provides official verification of the high vitamin D content of treated mushrooms.

With the many health benefits of vitamin D, the ability to easily enrich mushrooms with this important nutrient is very valuable news. More nutrient-packed mushroom recipes and preparation tips can be found at www.mushroominfo.com.