Winter changes surprisingly little about a family's vitamins. The biggest change is vitamin D, because the sun doesn't help in winter. Other vitamins come from the same place in winter as in summer: food. There's just different food on the plate.
What changes in winter?
In Finland, the skin makes vitamin D in sunlight from March to October. From November to February, vitamin D comes from food and supplements.
For children, winter doesn't change the recommendation. Children aged 2–17 are recommended a 7.5 µg vitamin D supplement every day, all year, summer and winter.
For adults, winter does change it. Adults aged 18–74 are recommended a 10 µg vitamin D supplement a day from October to March, if their diet doesn't include fortified dairy or spreads every day or fish 2–3 times a week.
This is the only vitamin recommendation that depends on the season. Recommendations for all other vitamins and minerals stay the same all year.
More on vitamin D sources: Where to get vitamin D
Vitamin C from the freezer
In winter there are no fresh Finnish berries, but the freezer has them. Blackcurrants, strawberries and blueberries go straight into porridge and smoothies, still frozen. Citrus fruit is at its best right in winter. Cabbage gives vitamin C as a raw slaw too.
More tips: Where to get vitamin C
Fish and milk stay on the table all year
Fish brings vitamin D and iodine. Milk and buttermilk bring iodine and vitamin B12. Fortified dairy also brings vitamin D. In winter, they matter more as a source of vitamin D, because the sun doesn't help.
More: Iodine and vitamin B12 and Where to get zinc
What you don't need for winter
Winter is no reason to double up on supplements. If your child already takes a vitamin D supplement, they don't need a second one for the winter. Upper limits apply to all intake together. How to add up the total vitamin D.
Winter week checklist
- A vitamin D supplement every day for children, and for adults from October to March as recommended
- Fish 2–3 times a week
- Vegetables, fruit or berries at every meal, in winter from the freezer too
- 4 dl of milk or buttermilk a day for a preschooler
- Iodised salt at home
Fish days are easy to plan ahead. Pick two or three days for the week and write them on the family calendar.
What does vitamin D do?
"Vitamin D is needed for normal growth and development of bone in children."
One Ayaka multivitamin chewable tablet, the daily dose, has 5 µg of vitamin D3, which is 100 % of the EU nutrient reference value. The same chewable tablet also has vitamin C, zinc and iodine.
In short
- In winter, the skin doesn't make vitamin D, so it comes from food and supplements.
- Children's vitamin D recommendation is the same all year, 7.5 µg a day.
- Adults are recommended a vitamin D supplement from October to March if they get little fortified food or fish.
- Other vitamins come from food in winter too: frozen berries, citrus fruit, fish and dairy.
Why Ayaka?
With Ayaka, your child decorates their own reusable jar with stickers. The jar becomes their thing. The idea is that the vitamin becomes a routine your child owns, not something parents have to remind them about. Ayaka has 12 vitamins and minerals. A refill comes through the letterbox once a month. See Ayaka multivitamin
