Rich Food Sources of Folate

Food Group	Serving Size	Amount in micrograms	% Daily Value
Fortified Grain Products
Macaroni, spaghetti	1 cup cooked (2 oz. dry)	100	25%
Ready-to-eat cereals	1/2 - 1 1/2 cup	100 - 400	25 - 100%
Legumes
Lentils	1/2 cup	180	45%
Chick peas	1/2 cup	140	35%
Black beans	1/2 cup	130	33%
Nuts & Seeds
Sunflower seeds	1/2 cup	135	34%
Peanuts	1/2 cup	80	20%
Fruits & Vegetables
Asparagus, cooked	1/2 cup	130	33%
Avocado	1 medium	125	31%
Orange juice from concentrate	1 cup	110	28%
Spinach, cooked	1/2 cup	100	25%

Pasta is a good food choice for adding folic acid to the diet. Combine pasta with other folate-rich foods -- certain legumes, nuts, fruits, and vegetables -- and you are well on your way to meeting your daily dietary needs.

Pasta 1 cup cooked	Vegetable/fruit 1/2 cup	Legumes 1/2 cup Nuts, 1/4 cup	Amount of folate in micrograms	% Daily Value
Rotini	broccoli	garbanzo beans	280mcg	70%
Shells	spinach	black beans	325mcg	81%
Penne	asparagus	navy beans	353mcg	88%
Linguine	orange	peanuts, dry roasted	222mcg	56%

Pasta meal combinations

The best way to get the right combination and amounts of nutrients is through the foods we eat. Learning to build meals around foods like pasta that are already enriched or fortified with essential nutrients is a quick, easy way to eat healthfully and come close to meeting recommended folate levels.

NUTRIENTS	Enriched Macaroni	Egg Noodles	Tricolor Macaroni
Calories	211	217	209
Protein g	7.28	7.99	7.49
Total Fat g	0.9	2.4	0.59
Total Carbohydrate g	42	43	42.68
Crude Fiber g	0.15	0.19	N/A
Dietary Fiber	2.4	2.7	4.3
MINERALS
Calcium mg	10	17	20
Iron mg	2.20	2.58	2.44
Magnesium mg	27	34	26
Phosphorus mg	85	122	66
Potassium mg	92	133	163
Sodium mg	4	12	25
Zinc* mg	0.69	0.91	0.43
Copper* mg	0.14	0.17	0.114
Manganese* mg	0.40	0.40	2.192
VITAMINS
Ascorbic Acid mg	0	0	0
Thiamin mg	0.59	0.60	0.588
Riboflavin mg	0.25	0.273	0.299
Niacin mg	4.28	4.578	4.177
Pantothenic Acid* mg	0.246	0.40	0.429
B-6* mg	0.061	0.069	0.074
Folacin* mg	10	17	10
B-12* mg	0	0.23	0
Vitamin A iu	0	35	91
Cholesterol mg	0	54	0
*Expanded Nutrients in Revised Handbook Dietary Fiber Values in Appendix Are Limited

Food	Fat (grams)	Sodium (mg)	Cholesterol (mg)
Macaroni (1/2 cup, cooked)	0.4	0.7	0
Chicken Breast (3 oz., skinless, roasted)	6.6	60.4	71.4
Turkey (White Meat Only) (3 oz., skinless, roasted)	1	47.6	72.9
Ham (3 oz., extra lean)	4.2	1215	40
Ground Beef Patty (3 oz., extra lean, broiled)	13.5	69.7	84.2
Yogurt, Plain (1 cup, low-fat)	3.8	172	14.9
Cottage Cheese (1 cup)	9.5	851	31.3

The American Dietetic Association/National Center for Nutrition and Dietetics
For food and nutrition information and a referral to a registered dietitian in your area, call the Consumer Nutrition Hot Line at 800/366-1655. For customized answers to your nutrition questions, call 900/CALL-AN-RD (900/225-5267). Cost is $1.95 for the first minute, $.95 for each additional minute. Visit ADA on the World Wide Web at: http://www.eatright.org.