A List of Foods With Folic Acid

Folic acid is an essential vitamin that should be part of everyone's daily diet. According to Janie Burney, associate professor of food, nutrition and health for The University of Tennessee, folic acid is important for cell growth, preventing birth defects and reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. The New York State Department of Health states 400 micrograms of folic acid is the recommended daily intake. Fortunately, folic acid is found in numerous types of food and is readily available.

Fruits

Fruits are a great way to consume folic acid; fruits taste great, can be eaten raw and can be mixed in a blender along with fruit juice to make a nutritious smoothie. Wheatfoods.org states orange juice is very high in folic acid; one cup of orange juice contains 60 to 100 micrograms of folic acid. Other fruit sources for folic acid include frozen raspberries, oranges, pineapple juice, papaya, blackberries, plantains, strawberries, cantaloupe and honeydew melon. Remember to read the labels on fruit juice to ensure you are drinking real fruit juices and not a sugary, watered down, fruit-flavored juice that lacks nutrients.

Vegetables

Vegetables offer great variety for sources of folic acid. The list of vegetables that contain folic acid seems endless. According to Wheatfoods.org, five spears of asparagus have 110 micrograms of folic acid. Spinach, artichokes, collard greens, corn, peas, beets, okra, brussels sprouts, iceberg and romaine lettuce, celery, cabbage, cauliflower and squash are all excellent sources of folic acid. You can also have tomato juice, okra, sauerkraut, turnip greens, green beans and bean sprouts. Be sure to eat 1/2 to 1 cup of your desired vegetable to have an adequate serving size.

Meat and Protein

The meat group is a vast group that is made up of foods that supply our bodies with protein; in this group are meat, fish, beans, eggs, poultry and nuts. An appropriate serving size is ½ cup for these types of foods. There are a lot of beans that you can eat to obtain folic acid, such as cranberry beans, pink beans, black beans, adzuki beans, cowpeas, navy beans, split peas, pinto beans, kidney beans and soybeans. Other versions of meat and protein foods in this group that contain folic acid are firm tofu, liver and eggs. According to wheatfoods.org, lentils contain 90 micrograms of folic acid in every ½ cup. A serving or 1 ounce of peanuts or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter also contain folic acid.

Breads

Ready-to-eat breakfast cereal is a great way to start your day and get your folic acid; according to Wheatfoods.org, ready-to-eat breakfast cereal has 100 to 400 micrograms of folic acid per serving. The New York State Department of Health states all sources of bread contain added folic acid; among these products are muffins, tortillas, slices of bread, pizza crust, waffles, pancakes, rolls, rice, pasta and barley. These products may even come with a label that tells you that it has added folic acid.