Stay Strong with the "Sunshine Vitamin"!
Whether you're hitting the books or playing in the park, there is one essential nutrient your body craves during the winter: Vitamin D. Often called the "sunshine vitamin," it’s the secret ingredient that helps us absorb calcium to build strong bones, and powerful muscles.
The Great British "Sun Gap"
Our bodies are amazing—they actually create Vitamin D when direct sunlight hits our skin! However, as explained by NHS Inform, the sun in Scotland often isn't strong enough from October to March for our bodies to make enough.
BBC Food notes that it is a real challenge to get everything you need from your diet alone during the winter months. This is why health experts suggest a little extra help. Spending all day in the library? If you're a "study hermit" who rarely sees the daylight, you might need a supplement all year round to keep your energy and immune system tip-top. Growing kids need Vitamin D to build their "forever bones."
Trying to add more vitamin D to your diet? These ideas might help:
- Sunshine Cereal: Fortified breakfast cereals with milk or yogurt.
- Dippy Eggs: Soft-boiled eggs with toast (the Vitamin D is in the yolk).
- Tuna Melt: Tinned tuna and melted cheese on a toasted wrap or bread.
- Salmon Roll-ups: Tinned salmon mixed with a little mayo in a wrap.
- Egg Salad Sandwiches: A classic lunchbox favorite using hard-boiled eggs.
- Salmon Pesto Pasta: Flaked salmon mixed into your favorite pasta.
- Family Frittata: A big egg-based bake with cheese and veggies like mushrooms.
- Fish Finger Tacos: Use oven-baked fish fingers (oily fish versions are best).
Best wishes for some sunshine food this weekend!
Warm regards,
Valerie DeGraw
School Counsellor
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