The human body needs Vitamin D to keep our bones strong and healthy. We mostly absorb the vitamin from sunlight but certain foods can be a great way of boosting your levels if you need to. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of Vitamin D for young children to adults under 71 is 600 IU (International Units). But when sunlight hides behind the clouds for the winter months, here are some foods that can provide your Vitamin D intake.

Wild-caught salmon is one of several fish extremely helpful for your intake of Vitamin D. A 100g serving of sockeye salmon contains around 526 IU on its own but some studies have found levels around 1,000 IU in just one piece. And it doesn’t stop at just plain salmon. Smoked salmon is even higher in Vitamin D – 100g contains a massive 685 IU, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

A 100g serving of freshly prepared mackerel has just under 84% of double the recommended daily dose of Vitamin D, at 1,008 IU.

Fresh Atlantic herring is estimated to have around 1,000 IU within an 100g serving, while pickled herring has a lower but still over the RDA at 680 IU. However, pickled herring is high in sodium so be careful with your intake because your sodium levels can become unbalanced.

Rainbow trout alone contains more than the RDA of Vitamin D with 635 IU per 100 grams. Trout is also particularly high in Omega-3 – fats that help your heart and lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.

This whiskered fish is yet another oily fish rich with Vitamin D. The USDA estimate one fillet of raw catfish to have 795 IU, which is over the RDA. If you fry your catfish, though, be wary of how much fried food you’re eating daily/weekly.

The delicacy that is caviar can prove to be an expensive yet beneficial one as a 100g serving contains 117 IU of Vitamin D. If caviar isn’t to your taste, salmon roe has 484 IU.

If you put a mushroom out to sunbathe, it will convert the ultraviolet light into Vitamin D just like a human. And research suggests that cooking mushrooms does not have any impact on its natural goodness, so you can eat them how you wish. But you need to choose your mushrooms carefully as a morchella mushroom contains 206 IU per 100g serving, whereas a Portobello mushroom contains a much lower level of 8.4 IU per mushroom.

A 100g tin of yellowfin tuna contains 69 IU of Vitamin D while Bluefin contains 227 IU. But be careful. Tuna can be high in mercury if not prepared correctly or consumed too much. High levels are mercury are incredibly bad for your digestive system as well as detrimental to your immune system and vital organs.

It turns out sardines aren’t just good for cats. The tinned fish in oil is one of a multitude of fish packed with bone-strengthening Vitamin D. The USDA say that one can (3.75oz) contains 177.6 IU.

Each breaded and fried shrimp contains 5 IU. While this may not seem like much on its own, something simple like decorating a dinner place with shrimp or having a starter with five shrimp can provide that extra Vitamin D boost.

Cereals aren’t natural providers of Vitamin D but some breakfast cereals are fortified and loaded up with it. Kellogg’s are big ones for this. A 100g serving of Frosted Flakes gives 188 IU while Corn Flakes sit a little lower at 143. General Mills also packs its cereals – a bowl of Fruity Cheerios provides 140 IU per 100g.

Milk isn’t something you should be putting in direct sunlight to try boost Vitamin D but, luckily, fortified milk rich with Vitamin D is packed with nutrients direct from the fridge. One quart (about a litre) of whole 3.2% fat milk contains 498 IU. And the good thing about milk is that you can use it in so many ways as part of your daily diet. You could pour it over your fortified cereal…

While not laced with Vitamin D on its own, yogurt is one food often fortified to provide a vitamin boost – much like milk. Also, a cup (72g) of frozen yoghurt already contains 3 IU. So your Pinkberry could actually have its health benefits!

If you can stomach liver, beef innards are a good source of Vitamin D you could add to your dinner. One 85g liver has 42 IU, providing it is pan-fried.

Raw egg yolk contains 218 UI, which is just over 35% of the RDA for adults. However, eating raw egg carries its own risk of salmonella poisoning. The good news is that cooked eggs are still packed with Vitamin D. Boiled chicken eggs offer 87 IU per 100g serving, fried eggs are 88 IU and an omelet is 69 IU.

Cheese is a natural source of Vitamin D. A slice of cheddar contains 6.7 IU – as does a slice of gruyere – and a slice of mozzarella contains 3.6 IU. If you prefer taking a fork to a wedge of cheese, a package of edam contains 39.6 IU. A cup of ricotta contains 25 IU, which makes cannelloni a perfect dinner choice if you’re in need of a Vitamin D boost.

Orange juice is best known for high quantities of Vitamin C (50mg per 100g) but some orange juices have added Vitamin D. Big brands such as Minute Maid, Tropicana and Simply offer cartons of the drink packed with Vitamin D. However, drinking too much orange juice can be bad for your teeth due to the acidity so always drink it through a straw and watch your intake.

Roasted ‘Boston Butt’ (pork shoulder) contains just over 20% of the RDA of Vitamin D as it contains 142 IU. But this isn’t the only way to prepare pork packed with Vitamin D. A 72% lean cooked piece of pork contains 34 IU per 100g, braised sirloin chops offer 22 IU per 100g and roasted lean ham contains 32 IU per 100g.

Vitasoy Lite Firm tofu is very high in Vitamin D and makes a good addition to any salad or dinner, especially if you’re vegan and unlikely to touch any of the other foods we’ve listed. This fortified tofu contains 157 IU per 100g.

One tablespoon of fortified margarine contains around 60 IU. In the UK, it is a requirement for all margarines to be fortified with Vitamin D – no less than 7 micrograms but no more than 8.8. Compulsory fortification of table margarines is also applicable in Australia. This makes spreading margarine on your sandwiches, your jacket potatoes or dunking breadsticks in the pot an easy way to add some Vitamin D to your diet on a regular basis.

If you don’t like margarine, fear not as 100g of butter contains 60 IU so you can still get your daily boost of Vitamin D from this spreadable.

Yes, a healthy hot dog. Cooked beef sausages contain 18 IU which can help supplement your Vitamin D intake. Vienna sausages are even higher in Vitamin D with 25 IU and Bologna sausages are higher still at 55 IU.

Maybe not a staple of every diet, but this herb can be used as a salad or sandwich garnish and boost your Vitamin D intake in the process. One women’s health nutritionist says that this offshoot from the pea family contains 267 IU per ounce.