Folic acid is basically a vitamin of B complex nutrient, that is normally present in the foods like dried beans, peas, oranges, lentils, whole-wheat products, beets, asparagus, broccoli, and spinach. This type of acid is very useful for our body, as it helps in producing and maintaining the new cells of the body. It also helps in preventing the changes in the DNA, that can even lead to cancer. Hence, it is very important to eat foods high in folic acid. This article will guide you regarding various foods high in folic acid.
Benefits of Folic Acid:
Here are various benefits of consuming folic acid.
- It works together with vitamin B12 and forms the healthy red blood cells (RBCs) in our body.
- It also helps in reducing the risk of forming defects in the central nervous system like Spina Bifida that usually occurs in unborn babies. Hence, this acid is highly recommended for pregnant women.
- The folic acid supplements are useful in treating the deficiency of certain types of anemia, but it is an irony that lack of folic acid can lead to the formation of the disease known as Folate deficiency anemia.
Few Side Effects of Folic Acid:
If there is any allergic reaction, then it is really very important to know the side effects of folic acids. You can experience the swelling and inflammation on lips, throat, tongue, and throat. Other minor side-effects may include:
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Bloating
- Gastric Problems
- An unpleasant taste in the mouth
- Sleeping problems
- Depression
- Feeling excited or irritable
When should a Woman Start Taking Folic Acid:
It is really important for a woman to start taking folic acid one month before she plans to become pregnant or she is pregnant. Folic acid helps in preventing major birth defects. Well, it is really important for all women to take folic acid on a regular basis, whether she is planning to get pregnant or not. Folic acid is really important for making new cells in your body
List of Foods High in Folic Acid (Rich Source of Folic Acid):
Contents
Well, here is the list of foods high in folic acid. Add them in your diet to fight from the deficiency of folic acid.
1.) Leafy Green Vegetables High in Folic Acid
Now, you know that why your mother keeps on saying to you to eat green vegetables and fruits. No matter how they taste but they are the healthiest food on this earth. It is also one of the highest sources of folic acid. To increase the content of folic acid in the body, just add foods like spinach, turnip greens, collard greens, romaine lettuce and kale into your diet. The daily dosage of such foods are as follows:
Consume one cup of spinach on a regular basis. It includes 263 Mcg of folate that is equivalent to 65% DV.
- Consume one cup of collard greens regularly. It includes 177 Mcg of folate that is equivalent to 44% DV.
- Consume one cup of turnip greens regularly. It includes 170 Mcg of folate that is equivalent to 42% DV.
- Consume one cup of mustard greens on a regular basis. It includes 103 Mcg of folate that is equivalent to 26% DV.
- Consume one cup of romaine lettuce on a regular basis. It includes 76 Mcg of folate that is equivalent to 19% DV.
2.) Broccoli High in Folic Acid
Broccoli is one of the greatest foods high in folic acid. Though, it is a good detox food as well, but one cup of broccoli can also provide 24% of folic acid. It is also rich in several other important nutrients. So, start eating broccoli on a regular basis. It is also recommended that the organic broccoli raw or lightly steamed can provide the best results for your health.
3.) Citrus Fruits High in Folic Acid
Citric fruits rank first in the list of foods high in folic acid. It is the highest source of folic acid, especially the citric fruit orange. Some other folate-rich fruits are grapefruit, papaya, cantaloupe, banana, grapes, and strawberries. Here is a short list of fruits high in folic acid. So, add them in your diet to remove the deficiency of folic acid.
- One papaya includes 115 Mcg of folate i.e equivalent to (29% DV)
- One orange includes 40 Mcg of folate i.e equivalent to (10% DV)
- One grapefruit includes 30 Mcg of folate i.e equivalent to (8% DV)
- One cup of strawberries includes 25 Mcg of folate i.e equivalent to (6.5% DV)
- One cup of Raspberries includes 14 Mcg of folate i.e equivalent to (4% DV)
4.) Asparagus High in Folic Acid
It is rich in various nutrients among the whole kingdom of vegetables. Just one cup of boiled asparagus will provide you 262 Mcg of folic acid. It basically accounts approximately 65% of daily values. The best part about asparagus is that it is a delicious snack. It includes various nutrients like vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, and manganese.
5.) Beans, Lentils, and Peas High in Folic High in Folic Acid
Peas and Beans are the foods are high in folic acid. It includes lima beans, green peas, black-eyed peas kidney beans, and pinto beans. Even the small bowl of any type of lentils will provide the daily needed amount of folic acid. Here is a short list of the beans and peas with their amount of folic acid:
- One cup of lentils includes 358 Mcg of folate i.e equivalent to (90% DV)
- One cup of pinto beans includes 294 Mcg of folate i.e equivalent to (74% DV)
- One cup of garbanzo beans includes 282 Mcg of folate i.e equivalent to (71% DV)
- One cup of black beans includes 256 Mcg of folate i.e equivalent to (64% DV)
- One cup of navy beans includes 254 Mcg of folate i.e equivalent to (64% DV)
- One cup of kidney beans includes 229 Mcg of folate i.e equivalent to (57% DV)
- One cup of lima beans includes 156 Mcg of folate i.e equivalent to (39% DV)
- One cup of split peas includes 127 Mcg of folate i.e equivalent to (32% DV)
- One cup of green peas includes 101 Mcg of folate i.e equivalent to (25% DV)
- One cup of green beans includes 42 Mcg of folate i.e equivalent to (10% DV)
6.) Avocado High in Folic Acid High in Folic Acid
In a Mexican fare, it is the most popular vegetable among people. It holds up to 90 Mcg of folate per cup. It also accounts 22% of daily values. Avocados are not only the best vegetable having folic acid content, but it is also an amazing source of vitamin K, fatty acids, and dietary fiber. Just add it to sandwich and different salads to eat the healthiest food in breakfast and lunch.
7.) Okra High in Folic Acid
It is the most nutrient-rich and slimmest vegetable in the world. Not only it offers various nutrients and minerals, but it is also a great cleansing agent for the body that can clean the entire digestive tract and even prevents the toxins build-up. Okra is one of the best sources when we talk about the folic acid. Just cook one cup of okra and it will provide you 37 Mcg of folic acid.
8.) Brussel Sprout High in Folic Acid
It is one of the best types of foods high in folic acid. One cup of Brussel sprout includes 25% of daily values of folate. It is also rich in various vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, and manganese. Though, people don’t like eating sprout but it is really very beneficial for our health.
9.) Seeds and Nuts High in Folic Acid
Well, seeds and nuts are other types of foods high in folic acid. Here is the list of few seeds and nuts with the amount of folic acid present inside them:
- One-fourth cup of sunflower seeds includes 82 Mcg of folate i.e equivalent to (21% DV)
- One-fourth cup of peanuts includes 88 Mcg of folate i.e equivalent to (22%)
- Two tablespoons of flax seeds include 4 Mcg of folate i.e equivalent to (14% DV)
- One cup of Almonds includes 46 Mcg of folate i.e equivalent to (12% DV)
10.) Corn High in Folic Acid
This amazing vegetable is not only good in taste, but it is also one of the best foods high in folic acid. One cup of cooked corn will provide you 76 Mcg of folate that is equivalent to 20% of daily values of folic acid.
Few Facts About Folic Acid:
Here are few important facts about folic acid.
- Basically folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin B nutrient. It is present naturally in the foods like spinach, lentils, asparagus and many more.
- If we talk about vitamin B9 then it is a synthetic form of folate (folic acid). This nutrient is added to supplements and fortified foods like cereals and bread.
- Folic acid is also termed as folacin.
- It is really important to eat natural sources of folate instead of supplements. It is very important in developing new cells in the body.
- You may also use folic acids for hair growth.
Foods that are Rich In Protein for Vegetarian
1.) Lentils to Add Protein In your Diet
Lentils become a health protein which is a great alternative to animal sources for protein. But, it is not work as a complete protein as they don’t contain all the nine essential amino acids. For that you can add one cup of boiled protein which contain 18 grams of protein. It also contains fiber, potassium, iron, folate, zinc, phosphorus and niacin. As letin belongs to legume family which comes in different shapes, colors and sizes. There are easily available in the market in the whole or split form. It includes many other health benefits of eating lentils. It increases the energy in your body, reduces the risk of heart disease and also maintains the body weight and also make the digestive system healthy.
2.) Kidney Beans is Rich Source of Protein
Kidney beans are excellent source of protein. You can add boiled beans of kidney beans that provide 15 grams of protein. They contain all the amino acid, but they are short on methionine, a protein genic amino acid, which is not complete protein.
In Addition to protein, it is a good source of fiber, folate, magnesium, potassium, zinc and vitamins k and B6. It is very low in fat and cholesterol. But you need to soak the kidney beans for atleast 7 hours. Before cooking the kidney beans, first you need to drain the water, wash them with clean water and a boiled the beans for use throughout week. You can use these beans in salads, kidney beans soups, stews or casseroles. These healthy beans have many benefits like it is very helpful in weight loss, regular blood sugar, make your digestive system healthy and also prevent cardiovascular disease by reducing the cholesterol level.
3.) Greek Yogurt a Great Source of Protein
Greek yogurt is one of the best sources of the protein; it is most important source of protein. A typically 6 ounce cup of a Greek yogurt contains 15 to 20 grams of protein, which is much higher than the regular containing about 9 grams of protein. It is an amazing probiotic food that contains potassium, calcium, numerous vitamins, and minerals.
It is a wholesome, nutrition post workout snacks. You can add fresh fruits in it like nuts or honey. Due to its thick and creamy texture, you can make a substitute of Greek yogurt for other fats when making baked goods. It also becomes part of savory dishes, smoothies and vegetable dips.
Eating a rich protein helps to maintain a healthy digestive system and also boost the immune system. It also helps in weight loss and also prevents blood pressure. Greek yogurt helps in reducing the cholesterol and also cures the yeast infection.
4.) Tofu a Good Source of Protein
Tofu is another amazing source of protein, which is a product of soymilk. Just half cup of tofu, gives you 10 grams of protein. The tofu contains eight essential amino acids as well as good amount of iron and calcium. It is very rich in manganese, magnesium, copper, vitamin B1, selenium and zinc.
It is made from the soymilk by the process of curdling and draining. You can also buy tofu in a fresh fried or dry form. It is a staple ingredient in thai and chinese cuisine. It has very neutral taste that will add soak the flavor whatever you want it. You can use in the various dishes like baking, soaking, soups, stir-fry dishes, desserts, soups, shakes and salads. You can even lower the risk of obesity by adding tofu in your diet.
5.) Quinao to Get Protein
Quinao is a rich source of protein which is another good alternative non-animal source of protein. It is a complete protein which contains all nine amino acids. You should know that one cup of quinoa contains 8.14 grams of protein. This grain grain contains fiber, folate, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.
To make quinoa, you can add 1 part of quinoa to 2 parts of water and cooked into low flame for about 10 to 15 minutes. You make it delicious breakfast by add fruits and nuts in it. You can also eat chilled quinoa with other vegetables and fruits to make tasty salads.
Eating Quinoa daily can help you to reduce the inflammation and also decrease the risk of type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and colon cancer. It also improves the digestion and maintain a good healthy weight.
6.) Green Peas for Protein
Green pea is one of the vegetable from where you can get excess of vegetable protein. It also contain fibers, zinc, iron, magnesium, potassium, folate, Vitamin A, B, C, and K. Plus they are low in calories. You know one cup of peas provide about 8 to 10 grams of protein.
You can also enjoy green peas in fresh and frozen form. You can also add them into the dishes, soups and salads.
7.) Peanut Butter to Boost Protein
Just little spoonful peanut butter gives you quick and easy protein boost. This nut butter is a good source of monounsaturated fat and fiber. It is very rich in Vitamin E, B3, and B6, zinc, iron, folate and manganese. Just eat 2 tablespoon of peanut butter which contains 8 grams of protein.
Peanut butter is easy available in the market. You can eat peanut butter by spreading it on toast, stir it to stews or you can drink smoothies.
8.) Soy Milk to Take Protein
Soymilk is a great source and alternative for vegans and people who are lactose intolerant. It is produce by the soaking the dried soybeans and then grinding them in water. It is full of protein and contains vitamin A, D, and B12. Just 1 cup soymilk contains 8 grams of protein. You can easily get the soymilk in the market or you can also make it at home to fulfill your protein intake. Soymilk is very good for your cardiovascular and bone health. It can also reduce the type of 2 diabetes and obesity. These foods are very helpful for the entire vegetarian who looks protein in vegetables to complete the requirement of protein.
