Foods highest in Folate
Folate builds DNA and is critical very early in pregnancy to help prevent neural-tube defects.
Below are the whole foods with the most folate in a typical serving, straight from USDA FoodData Central, plus how much you need and how to keep track without doing any math.
What folate does
Folate builds DNA and is critical very early in pregnancy to help prevent neural-tube defects.
People who are pregnant or may become pregnant especially need enough, ideally before conception.
How much you need
The Daily Value used on food labels is 400 mcg a day for adults.
Your real target depends on your age, sex and body, Healthy Squirrel sets it for you from NIH / Institute of Medicine reference intakes, then shows every food against your number, not a generic one.
Foods highest in folate
| Food | Serving | Amount | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goose, liver, raw | 4 oz raw (113 g) | 834 mcg | 208% |
| Duck, domesticated, liver, raw | 4 oz raw (113 g) | 834 mcg | 208% |
| Turkey, all classes, liver, raw | 4 oz raw (113 g) | 765 mcg | 191% |
| Chicken, liver, all classes, raw | 4 oz raw (113 g) | 664 mcg | 166% |
| Edamame, frozen, prepared | 1 cup edamame (155 g) | 482 mcg | 121% |
| Chicken, capons, giblets, raw | 4 oz raw (113 g) | 445 mcg | 111% |
| Chicken, stewing, giblets, raw | 4 oz raw (113 g) | 396 mcg | 99% |
| Chicken, broilers or fryers, giblets, raw | 4 oz raw (113 g) | 390 mcg | 97% |
| Turkey, whole, giblets, raw | 4 oz raw (113 g) | 374 mcg | 94% |
| Lamb, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, pan-fried | 3 oz (85 g) | 340 mcg | 85% |
| Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw | 4 oz raw (113 g) | 328 mcg | 82% |
| Chicken, roasting, giblets, raw | 4 oz raw (113 g) | 312 mcg | 78% |
Per typical serving, using the reference amounts food labels are built on (3 oz of meat or fish, 1 tbsp of oil, 1 oz of nuts or cheese, 1 cup of milk), or the everyday size for whole fruit and vegetables. Whole foods from USDA FoodData Central, highest first. In the app, every amount scales to the serving you actually log.
Track folate free
Healthy Squirrel is a free food tracker that fills in Folate, and every other vitamin and mineral, automatically as you log meals, so you can see where your day actually lands. No account needed to start, no ads, nothing sold.
Open Healthy Squirrel and log a food to see your folate for the day.
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