Eat Foods that are Rich in Folic Acid
Whether you’re trying to conceive or you’re already pregnant, it’s important that that you eat foods that are rich in folic acid. (Take an additional folic acid supplement or a prenatal multivitamin to ensure that you’re getting at least 400 micrograms of folic acid each day.) A lack of enough folic acid can lead to serious birth defects of the brain and spinal cord.
Foods that are high in folic acid include enriched cereals and other grain products, asparagus, broccoli, spinach and other leafy green vegetables, dried beans, orange juice, peas, peanuts, strawberries, and bananas. If you have a bowl of cereal each day, choose a cereal that is high in folic acid. (Check the Nutrition Facts panel to find out the daily percentage of folic acid in the cereal you’re eating.)
Getting more folic acid into your diet is pretty simple. In the morning, choose a breakfast cereal that is high in folic acid (also called folate). Drink a glass of 100 percent orange juice with your breakfast. You may want to cut some strawberries or a banana into your cereal for an added dose of folic acid. For lunch, you may want to eat a healthy salad with a combination of leafy green vegetables ““ like romaine lettuce and raw spinach. If you’re not allergic, toss some peanuts into your salad. Cut up orange sections or add strawberry slices to your salad for an even tastier treat.
Folic acid is a water-soluble B-vitamin, which means that it’s not toxic at high doses. Whatever folate is not absorbed into your blood stream will be excreted out of the body.
Easy Folic Acid Recipes
Strawberry and Melon Fruit Salad
1/2 cup of sliced strawberries
1/2 cup of melon chunks (any type of melon)
1/2 cup of orange chunks
1/2 cup of grapes