Folate Rich Foods for Pregnant Women and Infants

Folate is an important vitamin, which most parents are aware of because of the association of low folate levels with premature babies and birth defects. These defects of the brain or spinal cord are the major defects associated with inadequate folate intake. Folate is necessary for women of childbearing age and at the beginning of pregnancy for a healthy child. Once born, infants and children continue to need adequate levels of folate otherwise they may not grow properly and have a slower than normal growth rate.

Folate

Folate is a B vitamin, such as thiamine, niacin, and vitamin B12—all of which have important roles in a child's normal growth and development.

Children who don't get enough folate (folate deficiency) can develop anemia (low red blood cell counts), diarrhea, weight loss, weakness, and irritability.

Although many children don't eat foods with naturally high sources of folate, such as leafy green vegetables and dried beans, they often do meet their recommended dietary allowances by eating foods fortified with folic acid—the synthetic form of folate.

Daily Requirements for Kids

The recommended dietary allowances for folate vary by age but include recommendations for how much each child should get per day.

These recommended dietary allowances increase to 500 micrograms of folate for women who are breastfeeding and to 600 micrograms for women who are pregnant or who may become pregnant.

Folate-Rich Foods

Foods that are naturally good sources of folate include many beans and vegetables and some fruits:

• Black-eyed peas
• Lentils
• Okra
• Beef liver
• Kidney beans
• Great Northern beans
• Broccoli
• Iceberg lettuce
• Beets
• Lima beans
• Sunflower seeds
• Spinach
• Brussels sprouts
• Corn on the cob
• White rice
• Asparagus
• Baked beans
• Green peas
• Baked potato
• Cabbage
• Avocados
• Peanuts
• Romaine lettuce
• Tomato juice
• Orange juice
• Strawberries
• Oranges
• Eggs
• Bananas
• Cantaloupe
• Mustard greens

You can read food labels to see how much folate your kids are getting from each of these foods.

Folate-Fortified Foods

In addition to the many vegetables, fruits, and beans that are naturally good sources of folate, many foods are fortified with folic acid. Serving your kids folate-fortified foods is a good way to make sure they are getting enough folate in their diet:

• Malt-o-Meal cereal
• Fortified Breakfast Cereal (Total, Product 19, Special K, Cheerios, Rice Krispies, Raisin Bran, Wheaties, Honey Nut Cheerios, etc.)
• Fortified soy milk
• Enriched pasta
• Enriched egg noodles
• Enriched bread, bagels, and muffins
• Enriched white rice