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Vitamin D for children aged 1 to 3
Fifteen micrograms a day in the EFSA table; 10 micrograms a day in the Nordic recommendation followed in Estonia and Finland. Both are far more than a toddler will get from food in a Baltic winter.
EFSA note on this row: EFSA band is 1-17 years
These are published population reference values, not a diagnosis and not a prescription. A reference intake describes what covers a healthy group; it cannot tell you your own status, and no page can. Pregnancy, chronic illness, medicines and malabsorption all change the picture — take those questions to a doctor, midwife, pharmacist or dietitian.
The number goes up at the first birthday
EFSA sets 10 micrograms a day for infants and 15 micrograms from one year to seventeen. The jump is not because a one year old suddenly needs half as much again in absolute terms; it reflects the different evidence base and body size assumptions for the two bands.
The Nordic recommendation used in Estonia and Finland sits at 10 micrograms a day for children over two, with specific supplement advice for the youngest through the child health system. Two credible bodies, two numbers, both defensible — and both far above what a small child eats.
Bone is being built, quickly
Vitamin D controls calcium absorption, and calcium is being deposited into a rapidly lengthening skeleton at this age. Deficiency at this stage does not just mean a low blood level: prolonged deficiency causes rickets, with bowing of the legs, wrist and rib changes and delayed walking.
Children with darker skin need more ultraviolet exposure to make the same amount of vitamin D, which at these latitudes they cannot get for half the year. That makes them a higher-risk group in Nordic and Baltic countries specifically, and it is one of the reasons national supplement advice is universal rather than targeted.
Food will not do it
A toddler portion of salmon or mackerel is a real contribution, and fortified margarine and milk add a little. Beyond that the list runs out. There is no realistic combination of toddler-sized portions that reaches 10 micrograms a day reliably in winter, which is the practical case for the supplement.
The main vitamin D page carries the full food table if you want to see the arithmetic for yourself.
Ask for the current schedule
Supplement schedules for small children are set nationally and change. The child health clinic, family health nurse or pharmacist has the current advice for your country, including which product and how long. That is a better source than any table, including this one.
How this compares with every other group
| Group | Reference value | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infants 7-11 months | 10 µg | AI | |
| Children 1-3 years | 15 µg | AI | EFSA band is 1-17 years |
| Children 4-6 years | 15 µg | AI | EFSA band is 1-17 years |
| Children 7-10 years | 15 µg | AI | EFSA band is 1-17 years |
| Children 11-14 years | 15 µg | AI | EFSA band is 1-17 years |
| Boys 15-17 years | 15 µg | AI | EFSA band is 1-17 years |
| Girls 15-17 years | 15 µg | AI | EFSA band is 1-17 years |
| Men 19-50 | 15 µg | AI | |
| Women 19-50 | 15 µg | AI | |
| Men 51 and over | 15 µg | AI | |
| Women 51 and over | 15 µg | AI | |
| Adults 65 and over | 15 µg | AI | EFSA sets no separate value for older adults |
| Pregnancy | 15 µg | AI | no increase in pregnancy |
| Breastfeeding | 15 µg | AI | no increase while breastfeeding |
Ordinary food against the 15 µg figure for children 1-3 years
Top of this list: Trout, 22.8 µg in a 120 g serving (a fillet) — 152% of the 15 µg figure for children 1-3 years. One serving covers the whole day on its own.
| Food | Ordinary portion | Per portion | Share of the day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trout | a fillet, 120 g | 22.8 µg | 152% |
| Canned sockeye salmon | half a tin, 100 g | 21 µg | 140% |
| Sardines | half a tin, 60 g | 2.88 µg | 19% |
| Whole milk † | a glass, 200 g | 2.6 µg | 17% |
| Skim milk † | a glass, 200 g | 2.4 µg | 16% |
| 2% milk † | a glass, 200 g | 2.4 µg | 16% |
| Cod | a fillet, 130 g | 1.56 µg | 10% |
| Canned tuna | a small tin, drained, 100 g | 1.2 µg | 8% |
| Egg (hard-boiled) | 1 egg, 50 g | 1.1 µg | 7% |
| Margarine tub † | a scraping, 10 g | 1.07 µg | 7% |
| Boneless pork chop | a chop, 120 g | 0.84 µg | 6% |
| Chicken thigh | a thigh, 120 g | 0.24 µg | 2% |
† US milk is fortified with vitamin D, and reduced-fat and skimmed milk also with vitamin A. Fortification of liquid milk is not universal in Europe - read the carton.
† Margarine is fortified with vitamins A and D here as well, but the amount is set by the manufacturer, so treat this figure as indicative rather than as a property of the food.
Portion sizes are ordinary household servings chosen for this table, not official reference portions, and the shortlist is an editorial one: everyday foods eaten in this region rather than the highest per-100 g entries in the database. A raw per-100 g ranking would be topped by dried herbs, drink powders and fortified breakfast cereals, which answers a different question. The composition data is American, so where US fortification practice differs from European practice the row carries a dagger and the reason. For the full per-100 g ranking of a nutrient, the food-data section of this site publishes one.
The whole nutrient, not just this group
The Vitamin D reference intake page carries the full age and sex table, the upper level, and what the value type means.
Related pages
Iron for children aged 1 to 3
The same life stage, a different nutrient.
Vitamin D for infants aged 7 to 11 months
The same nutrient, a different life stage.
Vitamin D for adults 65 and over
The same nutrient, a different life stage.
Vitamin D in pregnancy
The same nutrient, a different life stage.
Sources: EFSA Dietary Reference Values · Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIII · USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy (food composition) · EFSA scientific opinion on dietary reference values for vitamin D (2016) · Nordic Nutrition Recommendations, Nordic Council of Ministers · Tervise Arengu Instituut, Estonian national nutrition guidance · Ruokavirasto, Finnish national nutrition guidance · checked 2026-09-06
Frequently asked questions
How much vitamin D does a small child need?
EFSA adequate intake is 15 micrograms a day for children from one to seventeen years. The Nordic recommendation followed in Estonia and Finland is 10 micrograms a day for children over two.
Do children in Estonia and Finland need a vitamin D supplement?
National child health guidance in both countries includes vitamin D supplementation for small children, because there is no skin synthesis for months of the year. Ask your child health clinic for the current schedule.
Which foods give children vitamin D?
Oily fish is the main one, with fortified margarine and milk contributing smaller amounts. The list is short, which is why supplementation is recommended.
Turn a reference value into your own week
TempoLife adds up what you actually ate, so you can see how a real week sits against the figure on this page.