Vitamin D is essential for the body to properly absorb calcium. Even though only a limited number of foods contain both nutrients, it's important to obtain the necessary amounts through your diet. The recommended daily intake for vitamin D is 5 micrograms (mcg) or 200 IU daily for everyone up to age 50. From age 51 to 70, the daily intake doubles. The adequate intake for calcium is 1,000 mg for people between 19 and 50. Over age 50, the recommended intake is 1,200 mg.
Fortified Foods
Most Americans obtain their dietary vitamin D from fortified foods, according to the National Institutes of Health. Foods that are fortified include cereal flours, milk products and fruit juices. Milk is a natural source of calcium, and all milk sold in stores is fortified with vitamin D. One cup provides 127 IU of vitamin D and 290 mg of calcium. Raw oranges have 60.2 mg of calcium and no vitamin D, but many brands of orange juice are fortified so that one cup provides 500 mg of calcium and 142 IU of vitamin D. Ready-to-eat cereals are also fortified with calcium and vitamin D, but check the nutrition labels because the amounts vary from one product to the next.
Fish
Salmon and tuna naturally contain vitamin D and calcium, but the amounts vary significantly depending on the type. The following nutritional values are for a 3-oz. serving size. Pink salmon has 265 IU of vitamin D and 11 mg of calcium. Sockeye provides more than double the vitamin D (619 IU) but only half the calcium (5 mg). Yellowfin tuna has 37 IU of vitamin D and 14 mg of calcium. Bluefin tuna has more than five times the amount of vitamin D (193 IU) but half the calcium (7 mg). Canned white tuna provides 68 IU of vitamin D and 12 mg of calcium. Sardines (canned in oil) are a bountiful source of both nutrients, containing 164 IU of vitamin D and 325 mg of calcium.
Eggs
As long as you eat the yolk, eggs provide vitamin D and calcium. One large egg (50 g) supplies 17.5 IU of vitamin D and 26 mg of calcium. The egg white doesn't contain any of the vitamin D and has only 2.3 mg of calcium.
Mushrooms
Portobello, shiitake and white mushrooms all have about 3 mg of calcium. To compare the amount of vitamin D, the values are for a 100 g portion, which represents about 1½ portobello mushrooms, five shiitakes and four white mushrooms. Portobello mushrooms provide 11 IU, shiitakes have 20 IU and white mushrooms have 7 IU of vitamin D. Some brands of mushrooms are exposed to ultraviolet light, which gives a huge boost to their vitamin D content. For example, portobello mushrooms exposed to ultraviolet light have 461 IU of vitamin D.
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