Let’s talk about foods high in folate (aka folic acid). Why folate foods? Because having adequate folate levels is essential regardless of age or gender. Think of folate as a supernutrient that’s responsible for the growth and repair of virtually every cell within the body. Pretty important job, right?

While we can all benefit from adding more folate to our diet, having enough folate is crucial for pregnant women. Adequate levels of folate are particularly important in the preconception period, given that low folate status in early pregnancy has been associated with serious birth defects (more on that below).

If you’re looking for foods high in folic acid, know that both folate and folic acid refer to the same nutrient – vitamin B9. However, even though these two forms of vitamin B9 are often lumped together and considered one and the same, they are not identical. Folate naturally occurs in many foods while folic acid is a synthetic form of folate, used in dietary supplements and added to many grain products (aka food fortification). Folic acid isn’t molecularly identical to naturally occurring folates.

The folate-rich foods list below is based on natural foods containing folate, not processed foods fortified with folic acid.

If you want to boost your folate levels or consistently keep them at optimal levels, foods rich in folate are a great way to achieve that, so take a look at the list below for ideas on how to incorporate more sources of folate into your diet.

Foods high in folate

The following list of foods high in folate includes:

  • amount of folate in mcg (micrograms) per serving size
  • daily value percentage (% DV) established for adults (scroll down for % DV for more age brackets and other groups)

[Data acquired from nutritiondata.self.com.]

Put these high folate foods on your menu if you want to boost your folate levels, or if your healthcare provider insists that you could benefit from adding more folic acid into your daily routine (such as during pregnancy).

— Legumes

Overall, legumes are an excellent source of folate. One of the best sources of folate, actually, among all food groups!

Serving size: 1 cup (cooked)Folate in mcg% Daily Value
Lentils358 mcg90% DV
Pinto beans294 mcg74% DV
Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans)282 mcg71% DV
Black beans256 mcg64% DV
Navy beans255 mcg64% DV
Kidney beans230 mcg58% DV
Split peas127 mcg32% DV

Just one cup of legumes can provide close to or over a half of the recommended daily intake for folate. On the other hand, besides containing lots of folate, legumes are also high in an antinutrient called phytic acid which interferes with nutrient absorption, cancelling some of the vital nutrients out.

If you’re preparing legumes at home, soak dry legumes prior to cooking for at least 7-8 hours, ideally overnight (approx. 3 cups of water per 1 cup of dry legumes, fridge or room temperature OK), and drain and rinse canned legumes well so that no residue remains and water runs clear, to eliminate as much of phytic acid as possible.

— Vegetables

A list of vegetables highest in folate, including popular vegetables with a lower folate content for comparison:

Serving size: 1 cup cooked
(unless specified otherwise)
Folate in mcg% Daily Value
Spinach263 mcg66% DV
Collard greens177 mcg44% DV
Turnip greens170 mcg42% DV
Broccoli 168.4 mcg42% DV
Beets 136 mcg34% DV
French beans133 mcg33% DV
Mustard greens102 mcg26% DV
Peas101 mcg25% DV
Asparagus (4 spears)89.4 mcg22% DV
Okra73.6 mcg18% DV
Romaine lettuce (1 cup shredded)63.9 mcg16% DV
Spinach (1 cup raw)58.2 mcg15% DV
Cauliflower54.6 mcg14% DV
Brussels sprouts (3 sprouts)37.8 mcg
(12.6 mcg/1 sprout)
9% DV
Zucchini30.6 mcg8% DV
Arugula (1 cup raw)19.4 mcg4% DV
Kale16.9 mcg4% DV

Dark leafy greens (particularly turnip greens, collard greens, and spinach) are among the best dietary sources of folate matching those of legumes, but if you’re not a fan of leafy green vegetables, there are plenty of other choices to consider on this list.

Not all dark greens in the produce aisle are equally high in folate. Interestingly, kale doesn’t top this list of folate-rich foods despite its deep green color – 1 cup of cooked kale has roughly 1/3 the amount of folate that cauliflower has and is nowhere near the leafy folate champions listed above. (Fresh raw kale doesn’t perform much better, adding about 2.5 mcg of folate per each cup over cooked kale, equal to a 1% increase in daily value/DV.) Colors can be deceiving when it comes to folate.

When it comes to mushrooms, portabella and white mushrooms have a similar folate content (1 cup cooked portabella mushrooms: 23 mcg/6% DV; white mushrooms: 21.6 mcg/5% DV). Shiitake mushrooms are lower in folate (12.5 mcg/3% DV per 1 cup cooked).

Curious about spices? Fresh spices like parsley, cilantro, and chives hover around 2-6 micrograms of folate for a serving size of 1 tablespoon – 1/4 cup, which is approximately 1% recommended daily value for folate.

— Fruits

Most fruits are relatively low in folate compared with vegetables (but, little by little, it all adds up!). Included are several popular types of fruit, so hopefully that will help you compare the folate content of a few of your favorites if you’d like to up your folate intake.

Serving size: 1 cup
(unless specified otherwise)
Folate in mcg% Daily Value
Avocado (1 fruit)163 mcg41% DV
Guava80.8 mcg20% DV
Orange (1 large)55.2 mcg14% DV
Papaya53.2 mcg13% DV
Cantaloupe37.2 mcg9% DV
Strawberries36.5 mcg9% DV
Blackberries36 mcg9% DV
Honeydew melon33.6 mcg8% DV
Pineapple29.7 mcg7% DV
Raspberries25.8 mcg6% DV
Bananas (1 medium)23.6 mcg6% DV
Kiwi (1 medium)19 mcg5% DV
Pear (1 small)10.4 mcg3% DV
Blueberries8.9 mcg2% DV
Watermelon4.6 mcg1% DV
Apple (with skin)
(without skin)
3.8 mcg
0 mcg
1% DV
0% DV
Grapes – green, red3 mcg1% DV

Out of citrus fruits, orange has the highest folate content (1 whole lemon yields approximately 6.1 micrograms of folate which is only about 2% of the recommended daily amount of folate (DV); 1 small tangerine provides around 12.2 mcg of folate, equal to 3% DV for folate; one half of grapefruit packs 12-16 mcg of folate depending on the variety, and roughly 3-4% DV for folate).

Apart from whole fruit, orange juice is also a good source of folate and a great addition to a folate-rich diet. The amount of folate in orange juice is similar to fresh orange.

— Animal sources

Folate in mcg% Daily Value
Chicken liver (1 oz; 28g)162 mcg40% DV
Beef liver (1 oz; 28 g)70.8 mcg18% DV
Eggs (1 large egg)22 mcg5% DV

— Nuts, seeds, grains

Folate in mcg% Daily Value
Wheat germ (1 cup)323 mcg81% DV
Peanuts (1 cup)212 mcg53% DV
Walnuts (1 cup)115 mcg29% DV
Sunflower seeds (1/4 cup)79.5 mcg20% DV
Almonds (1 cup)45.5 mcg11% DV

Folate requirement by age

Daily recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for folate for kids, teens, and adults:

AgeFolate RDA (male/female)
Birth to 6 months65 mcg DFE
7–12 months80 mcg DFE
1–3 years150 mcg DFE
4–8 years200 mcg DFE
9–13 years300 mcg DFE
14–18 years400 mcg DFE
19+ years400 mcg DFE

↑↑↑ What is DFE?

DFE stands for dietary folate equivalent.

The formula for vitamin B9 DFE is: 1 mcg DFE = 1 mcg natural FOLATE from foods = 0.6 mcg FOLIC ACID from fortified foods and supplements consumed with foods [source].

Basically, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for folate is adjusted to reflect a presumably higher bioavailability of folic acid as opposed to the bioavailability of natural folate.

Specifically, it comes down to about 85%-100% of synthetic folic acid being determined readily bioavailable vs. about 50% for natural folate [source]. (However, you can read here why it’s much more complicated than that and why this is either outdated information or purposefully misconstrued data.)

Either way, this makes the folate math easy: use the recommended daily intake for folate (DFE values) by age groups and apply directly to the folate content of individual foods. Basically, 1 DFE in mcg by age = 1 mcg food folate.

Example:

  • 4-8 years of age = 200 mcg of folate per day (200 mcg DFE) = any food combinations above that add up to approximately 200 mcg (plus take note of any folic acid supplements and fortified foods).
  • Teens & adults = 400 mcg of folate per day (400 mcg DFE) = food combinations totaling approximately 400 mcg (plus take note of any folic acid supplements and fortified foods).

It’s conceivable that LESS natural folate is needed because it’s likely this nutrient is more functional than presumed. If you have a hard time adding up the totals to your recommended daily amount per age group, don’t fret and remember that some is better than none!

Fresh fruits and veggies - foods high in folate

Folate recommendations for pregnancy and lactation

Here is a recommended folate intake for pregnant and nursing women in mcg of folate (micrograms of folate) per day [source].

See “Folate requirement by age” above for DFE (dietary folate equivalent) definition. (In a nutshell, 1 mcg DFE = 1 mcg food folate.)

Folate RDA
Pregnancy600 mcg DFE
Lactation500 mcg DFE

Folate deficiency (vitamin B9 deficiency) during pregnancy has been associated with neural tube defects (NTDs) which are serious birth defects of the baby’s brain, spine, and spinal cord. That’s why folic acid supplements and prenatal vitamins with folic acid are put on a high list of nutritional priorities in pregnancy.

Nevertheless, evidence suggests that maternal folate stores are not the sole factor that prevents or contributes to NTDs [source, source] and there is a big difference between synthetic folic acid VS. natural food folate so I would be careful choosing between folate and folic acid prenatal vitamins to ensure full benefits, but food folate is an entirely different story – virtually no risks and endless health benefits in pregnancy (and beyond).

But, timing is key. It’s a common misconception that pregnant women need enough extra folate (aka folic acid) over the course of the entire pregnancy. While folate plays a crucial role throughout pregnancy (just as it does outside of pregnancy), the reality is that folate status during the EARLIEST STAGES OF PREGNANCY, as early as 3-4 weeks following conception, is what matters the most [source, source].

The baby’s neural tube (which later develops into the brain and spinal cord) that can be affected by maternal folate deficiency closes about 28 days after conception. If it fails to close properly at this time, a neural tube defect occurs, the two most common being spina bifida and anencephaly. This critical time comes around just about 2 weeks after a missed period, or by pregnancy week 6 (pregnancy is counted from the first day of the last normal period). So, very early on!

If you happen to be in the earliest stages of pregnancy or #TTC, make sure to go over this folate foods list to find a few sources of folate that you find appealing, and eat some of that folate goodness EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!

Can you eat too much folate?

Not if you tried. 🙂

There is no need to worry about eating too much NATURAL folate that comes from foods. Folate is a water-soluble vitamin, so when you eat more folate than your body can utilize at any given moment, the unused load is simply flushed out in your urine.

Relying on folic acid (synthetic folate) to boost folate levels may be tricky and you can potentially do more harm than good, but you can’t do any harm by eating more of the naturally occurring folate that’s found in many foods.

Eat some of the folate-rich foods on this list, or eat them all. But, most importantly, eat them regularly!

Related: 8 Super Simple Ways to Eat Healthier (Without Dieting!)

More folate foods tips

  • Fresh local greens tend to contain more folate than store-bought greens. Natural folates are not very stable and tend to degrade easily when exposed to heat, light, or oxygen. In fact, as much as three-quarters of folate can be lost during food storage. The sooner you eat the greens after they’ve been harvested, the more folate you get and the better for your health.
  • When cooking folate-rich vegetables, use gentle heat to prevent large folate loss and a small amount of water if you will be discarding it later. Some of the vital nutrients will leach into the water during cooking.
  • Although cooking vegetables often decreases some nutrients, sometimes heat enhances them instead. Spinach and broccoli are two examples of vegetables that show an increase in folate when cooked!
  • If you’d like to up the sources of folate in your diet rapidly, below is a list of foods highest in folate. These folate-rich foods have ample amounts of vitamin B9!
legumes (lentils, beans)
wheat germ
spinach (cooked!)
broccoli (cooked!)
collard greens
turnip greens
avocado
chicken liver
peanuts
  • Once more, this high-folate foods list does NOT include foods high in folic acid. Foods don’t naturally contain this B vitamin form. Many grain products are enriched with folic acid (in addition to other synthetic nutrients) – check individual product labels for DV amounts and mcg of folic acid per serving.
  • The best way to get a quick folate boost? Make a green smoothie! There is no wrong way to make a green smoothie. (Unless you forget the greens.) Cheers!
DISCLAIMER: The information contained on this website is not considered to be a substitute for any type of professional medical advice or treatment. Some of the statements made here on WholesomeChildren.com have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration including, but not limited to, nutrition-related advice, products, health conditions, ingredients, supplements, or a lifestyle practice. No information on this website should be used to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or a health condition.
A woman eating a healthy meal. Text overlay - Top folate foods you should be eating every single day.
A pregnant woman sitting down, hands on her belly. Text overlay - Top folate foods to put on your menu for a healthy pregnancy (to help prevent neural tube defects).

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