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Vitamin D Calculator

Do you know how much Vitamin D you are getting every day?

Vitamin D works with calcium to build better bones by helping the body to absorb calcium. The easiest and most natural way to get Vitamin D is from exposure to sunlight which causes the body to manufacture its own. Just 15 minutes a day of summer sun exposure, even if only on the arms, face and hands, will greatly enhance Vitamin D production.

According to the Osteoporosis Canada, the recommended daily intake of Vitamin D for adults 19 to 50 years of age is 400 international units (IU) and for adults older than 50 years of age it is 800 IU. For pregnant and lactating women (18 years of age and older) the recommended daily intake of Vitamin D is 400 IU.1

The following Vitamin D calculator can help you find out if you are meeting your body's Vitamin D requirements. Enter in the table below the number of portions of each food that you eat daily and the calculator will automatically total the amount of Vitamin D you received from that food and for the entire day.

Vitamin D Content of Some Common Foods Portion Number of Portions per Day Vitamin D (IU) Total Amount of Vitamin D
(IU)
MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS
Cheese – Cheddar 2.54 cm (cube) 2
Cheese – Edam 250 mL (diced) 50
Cheese – Swiss (Emmenthal) 2.54 cm (cube) 7
Milk – 1%, 2% or 3.25% 250 mL 103
Milk – Skim 250 mL 104
FISH AND EGGS
Chicken egg – Whole, uncooked 1 large egg 16
Herring – Atlantic, uncooked 1 filet (189 g) 76
Salmon – Pink, canned, with bones 1 can (454 g) 2638
Salmon — Pink, poached 100 g 861
Salmon – Pink, uncooked ½ filet (159 g) 1525
Salmon – Red sockeye, canned, with bones 1 can (369 g) 2882
Sardines – Atlantic, canned in oil with bones 250 mL (drained) 428
Sole – Uncooked 1 filet (162 g) 97
OILS AND FATS
Butter – Salted 15 mL 8
Cod liver oil 15 mL 1382
Margarine (soy, vegetable, or corn oil) 15 mL 76
DAILY TOTALS

Adapted from Brault Dubuc M and Caron Lahaie L2

References:
1Brown JP et al. 2002 Clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in Canada. Can Med Assoc J 2002;167(Suppl 10):S1-S34. 

2Brault Dubuc M and Caron Lahaie L. Valeur nutritive des aliments. Société Brault-Lahaie, 2003, 9th ed.:331.

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This site is for residents of Canada. / This site was updated on October 26, 2011.