Leafy vegetables such as spinach and turnip greens, dried beans and peas, fortified cereal products, sunflower seeds and certain other fruits and vegetables are rich sources of folate.

Try out this Kale, Sausage & Lentil Skillet Supper recipe. A serving already covers 79% of the daily value!

For a list of food sources of folate and folic acid, check out the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference and this food chart from the Florida Folic Acid Coalition.

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Foods Rich in Folate

What’s the connection of folic acid and birth defects? Folic acid is the single most effective weapon against spina bifida, a disabling birth defect which results from the failure of the baby’s spine to close during its first few months in the womb. It is therefore crucial that a pregnant woman takes sufficient folic acid during the first few months or even before conception to reduce the risks of neural tube defects in the baby. Since most pregnancies are unexpected, all women of childbearing age are recommended to take 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day.

In addition to preventing spina bifida, folic acid has also been shown to reduce the risk for heart disease and strokes by lowers the levels of homocystein, an amino acid associated with the development of cardiovascular disease.

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National Folic Acid Awareness Week