Vitamin D – aka the sunshine vitamin – is essential for healthy bones, nerves and muscles, and most of us are aware that the best source of vitamin D is natural sunlight, absorbed through the skin. 

Here in the UK, we are not blessed with the bluest of skies, so it can be difficult to get the amount that we need. From September to late March, it’s advised that we all take a daily vitamin D supplement. But, let’s face it, this month hasn’t exactly been non-stop sunshine, so it makes good sense to try and top up those levels with some vitamin D-rich meals while we wait for the rain to clear. 

Salmon and vegetable tart

“Although it’s not in a lot of foods, you can get reasonable amounts of vitamin D in oily fish, such as salmon,” recommends nutritionist Hannah Hope. “This delicious dish also contains eggs, which could help to increase vitamin D in your diet. And the best bit is you can eat it for any meal of the day!”

Ingredients

200g ready-made puff pastry

1 pack (4 slices) smoked salmon, sliced in strips

1 courgette chopped or sliced

1 small round of goats cheese

5 sliced mushrooms

½ sliced red onion

2 eggs

Method 

1. Roll out the puff pastry so that it is a rectangular shape.
2. Use a knife to draw a rectangle on the pastry about 2cm in from the edges.
3. In a bowl, cover the vegetables in some olive oil so that it coats the vegetables and season.
4. Tear the goat’s cheese into chunks and place on top of the pastry.
5. Arrange the vegetables on the pastry and bake in a preheated (200 degrees Celsius) oven for 20 minutes.
6. Remove the pastry and layer the smoked salmon over the vegetables.
7. Create two spaces for the eggs in between the vegetables and crack the eggs into these spaces.
8. Put back into the oven to bake for a further 10-12 minutes until the egg whites are set.
9. Serve with a delicious rocket and lemon salad.

Mushroom soup

“This is perfect for a cold and rainy April day,” says nutritionist Thalia Pellegrini. Mushrooms are a good source of vitamin D – especially fortified mushrooms, which are grown inside but exposed to UV light – so look out for these when you’re shopping for ingredients.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 cup finely chopped red onion

3 stalks of celery, diced

2 carrots, diced

3 cups mushrooms (any type will work)

1 tsp black pepper

3 tablespoons tamari

4 cups water

½ cup cashews (soaked and drained)

Method

1. Heat your coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. 
2. Add the onion and saute for 4-5 minutes or until translucent.
3. Add in the celery, carrots, mushrooms, black pepper, tamari and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
4. Cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.
5. Add your cashews to a blender. Ladle in one cup of your soup broth and blend well until smooth to create your cashew cream.
6. Now ladle in the rest of your soup and puree. Caution: ensure you leave a place for the steam to escape from the blender, otherwise the lid will blow off. Keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

Quinoa brunch bowl

“This is a crowd-pleasing bowl of quinoa layered with exotic mushrooms (which are higher in vitamin D than standard mushrooms) and tomatoes, topped with an egg, greens, seeds and kraut or kimchi,” explains BANT registered nutritional therapist Eva Humphries. “It looks fancy but it’s super simple to make, and it ticks a lot of boxes from a nutritional perspective too, being high in protein, healthy fats and gut-friendly fermented foods, as well as a hit of vitamin D from the mushrooms and egg.”

Ingredients 

150g quinoa (dry weight)

1 punnet of cherry tomatoes

1 punnet of exotic mushrooms i.e. shiitake or oyster mushrooms or a mix

2 sprigs of thyme, leaves only

1 clove of garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons of tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)

A handful of bitter greens such as rocket or watercress

1 tablespoon of kimchi or sauerkraut

2 eggs

1 avocado

Toasted seeds to garnish

Rapeseed oil for cooking

Black pepper to season

Method

1. To cook the quinoa, rinse it in cold water twice, add enough water to cover it by a 1 cm and cook on a medium heat until all of the water has absorbed and the grains are fully cooked and fluffy. Set aside.
2. Boil the eggs for 7-8 minutes and set aside.
3. Grab a frying pan, add a splash of rapeseed oil and pop it on a medium-high heat.
4. Slice the mushrooms and add them to the frying pan. Cook for a minute.
5. Halve the cherry tomatoes and throw them in the frying pan too. Cook for a minute.
6. Add the garlic and thyme and season everything really well with black pepper.
7. Stir the quinoa into the cherry tomato/ mushroom mix and allow it to cook for a minute.
8. Drizzle the tamari over the quinoa mix and stir well.
9. To serve, divide the quinoa between two bowls.
10. Peel the eggs, halve and pop them on top of the quinoa.
11. Add a handful of greens to each bowl, a tablespoon of kimchi or kraut, half an avocado and sprinkle over some toasted seeds.
12. Season with sea salt and black pepper and enjoy!

Images: Getty; Eva Humphries