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 

For easy access jump to:

• Day 1
• Day 2
• Day 3
• Day 4
• Day 5
• Day 6
• Day 7

Day One

Breakfast

Asian-style scrambled egg breakfast (1 serve)

View Recipe

+ 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)

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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)

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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)  

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 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)

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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.

View Recipe

 +  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