High Vitamin D Meal Plan
High Vitamin D Meal Plan
It can be easy to overlook natural food sources when seeking to increase your vitamin D intake. Vitamin D is sometimes called the 'sunshine vitamin' for a reason. The best source of vitamin D is sunlight. However, despite our climate, almost a quarter (23%) of Australian adults have a mild or moderate vitamin D deficiency.
For many reasons, it's not always possible to get enough sun exposure and so it's useful to know that it is possible to meet the recommended daily intake of vitamin D through your diet.
This 7-day meal plan aims to provide you with 100% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D for adults.
Notes About This Meal Plan
- This meal plan provides approximately 8,700kJ daily and is based on the average energy and nutrient requirements for weight maintenance in 18 – 65 year old adults who undertake light to moderate levels of activity. Your energy requirements vary depending on age, activity, health status, height and weight. For personalised advice, seek the services of an Accredited Practicing Dietitian.
- The meal plan provides the minimum number of serves from each of the core food groups as recommended in the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating* for adults (other than women over 51years and men over 70 years who require additional dairy).
- This meal plan provides 100% RDI vitamin D for adults per day.
- Note that it is also important to drink plenty of water.
- This meal plan has been developed by an Accredited Practicing Dietitian at Food & Nutrition Australia.
- Those with a medical issue should seek advice from a medical practitioner prior to changing their diet.
*Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, NHMRC, Commonwealth of Australia, 2013
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Day One
Breakfast
Asian-style scrambled egg breakfast (1 serve)
+ 2 slices multigrain bread
+ 1 glass vitamin D fortified soy milk
+ 1 medium pear
Lunch
Tuna & Avocado Couscous Salad
1 medium tuna fillet (pan-fried or sashimi) + 2 cups salad vegetables (e.g. lettuce, cucumber, tomato) + ¼ avocado
+ 1 cup cooked couscous
Dinner
Greek Chicken Bowl
Pan-fried 100g chicken breast, ½ cup cherry tomato, small cucumber and ½ onion with olive oil, served over 1 cup cooked brown rice. Topped with plain Greek yoghurt or tzatziki sauce and feta cheese. Squeeze with lemon juice
Dessert
Ricotta & Fruit
1 cup fruit salad topped with 2 tbsp ricotta cheese and a sprinkle of linseeds & chia seeds
Snack
1 tub yoghurt topped with 1 tbsp mixed seeds
Day Two
Breakfast
Wholegrain cereal with Milk &Fruit
2/3 cup wholegrain flaky cereal + 1 cup vitamin D fortified milk + 1 medium apple (diced) + 1 tblsp linseeds
Lunch
Homemade Beef Burger
100g pan-fried lean beef, patty on 1 wholegrain flat, bread roll + sliced tomatoes + ½ sliced red onion + 2 lettuce leaves + 1 cheese slice + mustard/tomato/BBQ sauce to taste.
+1 kiwifruit/ apricot
Dinner
Cauliflower steaks with herbed scramble (1 serve)
Served with 1 cup steamed brown rice and tomato and green salad
Dessert
Berries & Yoghurt Parfait
3/4cup natural yoghurt layered with 1/2 cup mixed berries and 2tblsp chopped nuts
+ (optional) 1tbsp apple juice for sweetness
Snack
3 wholegrain crispbreads with 30g cottage cheese and sliced cucumber
Day Three
Breakfast
Toast with soy milk
1 toasted wholegrain bread spread with 1 tbsp nut butter
+ 1 glass vitamin D fortified soy milk
+ 1 banana
Lunch
Sweet Potato Waffles with Eggs and Avocado (1 serve)
Dinner
Grilled Steak with Vegetables
Grilled steak (using canola or olive oil) with mashed sweet potato and steamed vegetables.
Dessert
Fresh Fruit & Cheese Platter
Slice and serve a variety of fresh fruits in season with your favourite cheese.
Snack
Handful of nuts (30g)
Day Four
Breakfast
Mango Smoothie
Smoothie made with 2/3 cup wholegrain flaky cereal + 1 cup vitamin D fortified milk + 1 small mango+ 1 banana + 2 tbsp linseed
Lunch
Lentil, Vegetables and Barley Soup
Lentils with 1 cup chopped vegetables (e.g. carrot, pumpkin, celery, onion), vegetable stock and barley. Serve with dollop of natural yoghurt.
+ 1 slice multigrain bread
+ Small bundle of grapes
Dinner
Baked Salmon with Quinoa & Vegetables
1 medium salmon fillet (100g), baked & served with 1 cup cooked quinoa + 2 cups cooked vegetables (e.g. cauliflower, broccoli, carrots) + 2 tsp oil in cooking or as a dressing with lemon juice
Dessert
Pancake with Ricotta Cheese
Spread 2tbsp ricotta cheese over pancakes. Topped with ½ cup berries and almond slices.
+ Drizzle with honey (optional)
Snack
1 tub yoghurt topped with muesli
Day Five
Breakfast
Ricotta & Fruit Wrap
1 slice of wholemeal flatbread spread with 1/4 cup ricotta, ½ sliced banana + ½ cup strawberries + ¼ cup muesli. Drizzle with honey and roll up into a wrap.
+ 1 glass vitamin D fortified milk
Lunch
Mexican pan frittata (1 serve)
Served with toasted multi-grain bread
Dinner
Pesto Chicken Pasta
1 cup wholemeal pasta with basil pesto sauce, chicken breast, cherry tomatoes and roasted asparagus + side salad with vinegar dressing.
Dessert
Frozen yoghurt with fruit
Slice and serve a variety of fresh fruits in season with your favourite frozen yoghurt.
Snack
Handful of nuts (30g)
Day Six
Breakfast
Muesli with Yoghurt & Fruit
½ cup muesli + 1 tub yoghurt + 2 nectarines/ apricots/ plum
Lunch
Chicken, Cheese and Salad Wrap
Chicken breast + cheese + avocado + salad vegetables (e.g. lettuce, cucumber, carrot, capsicum) rolled up in wholegrain wrap.
Dinner
Eggs with Herbed Mushrooms (1 serve)
Served with 2 slices sourdough bread
Dessert
Mango Sorbet
Peel 1 mango and freeze the flesh for 4-5 hours. Blend mango and ¼ cup hot water in food processor until smooth + 1tbsp lime juice and coconut flake and pistachio.
Snack
1 glass vitamin D fortified soy milk
Day Seven
Breakfast
Poached Eggs on Toast
Two poached eggs on 2 slices wholegrain toast. Add tomato, spinach, 2 medium mushrooms.
+ 1 medium apple
+1 glass vitamin D fortified milk
Lunch
Baked Beans, Spinach & Tomato on Toast
Baked beans with 2 slices soy & linseed toast with 1 tsp spread+ steamed spinach and grilled tomato.
+1 medium orange
Dinner
Lamb Stir-fry
Made with 100g trim lamb + 2 cups mixed veg stir-fried in canola oil. Serve with 1 cup cooked brown rice.
Dessert
Fruit Pop
Made with frozen fruits (e.g. bananas or berries) with Greek yoghurt.
Snack
3 wholegrain crackers with 40g cheese