Where do we get folate?

In 1990, more than 1/3 of the folate in the American diet was provided by fruits & vegetables. Grain products contributed a little more than 1/5 & legumes, nuts & seeds contributed a little less than 1/5.

Foods that contain small amounts of folate but aren't considered good sources can contribute significant amounts of folate to an individual's diet if these foods are eaten often or in large amounts.

Good Sources of Folate
Food	Serving Size	Percentage of U.S. RDA1
Breads, Cereals, & Other Grain Products
English muffin, whole wheat	1	+
Pita bread, whole wheat	1 small	+
Ready-to-eat cereals, fortified2	1 oz	++
Wheat germ, plain	2 Tablespoons	+
Fruits
Grapefruit & orange juice, frozen, reconstituted	3/4 cup	+
Orange juice:
Fresh	3/4 cup	+
Frozen, reconstituted	3/4 cup	+
Vegetables
Artichoke, globe (French), cooked	1 medium	+
Asparagus, cooked	1/2 cup	+
Beets, cooked	1/2 cup	+
Broccoli, cooked	1/2 cup	+
Brussels sprouts, cooked	1/2 cup	+
Cauliflower, cooked	1/2 cup	+
Chinese cabbage, cooked	1/2 cup	+
Corn, cream style, cooked	1/2 cup	+
Endive, chicory, romaine, or escarole, raw	1 cup	+
Mustard greens, cooked	1/2 cup	+
Okra, cooked	1/2 cup	+
Parsnips, cooked	1/2 cup	+
Peas, green, cooked	1/2 cup	+
Spinach:
cooked	1/2 cup	++
raw	1 cup	+
Turnip greens, cooked	1/2 cup	+
Meat, Poultry, Fish & Alternates
Liver, braised:
Beef or calf	3 ozs	+++
Pork	3 ozs	++
Chicken or turkey	1/2 cup diced	+++
Fish & Seafood
Crabmeat, steamed	3 ozs	+
Dry Beans, Peas & Lentils
Beans, cooked:
Bayou, black, brown, calico, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), lima, Mexican, pinto, or white	1/2 cup	+
Black-eyed peas (cowpeas)	1/2 cup	+++
Red kidney	1/2 cup	++
Lentils, cooked	1/2 cup	+++
Peas, split, green or yellow, cooked	1/2 cup	+
1 A selected serving size contains:
+ 10-24% of the US RDA for adults & children over 4 years of age
++ 25-39% of the US RDA for adults & children over 4 years of age
+++ 40% or more of the US RDA for adults & children over 4 years of age
2 See section on fortified foods.

Why do we need folate?

Folate, a water-soluble vitamin, helps the body form red blood cells & aids in the formation of genetic material within every body cell.

How can we get enough folate?

Eating a variety of foods that contain folate is the best way to get an adequate amount. Healthy individuals who eat a balanced diet rarely need supplements.

The list of foods in the lefthand column will help you select those foods that are good sources of folate as you follow the Dietary Guidelines. The list of good sources was derived from the same nutritive value of foods table used to analyze information for recent food consumption surveys of the USDA.

How to Prepare Foods to Retain Folate

Folate can be lost from foods during preparation, cooking, or storage.

To retain folate:

• Serve fruits & vegetables raw whenever possible.
• Steam or simmer vegetables in a minimal amount of water.
• Store vegetables in the refrigerator.
• Don't boil or microwave foods as they lose their nutritional values with these cooking methods. 

What about fortified foods?