The recommended daily dose of folic acid for all women is 400 micrograms (mcg) a day. Adding a folic acid supplement is the easiest way to reach the daily recommendation.
However, you can also add folic acid to your diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires the addition of folic acid to certain foods including cereals, breads, pastas and others.
To help you start a folic acid-friendly diet, we’ve found three healthy and folate-rich recipes:
Start your day with a serving of Coco-Nutty Granola (Nourished Kitchen: http://bit.ly/1pc8KxZ)
Ingredients
•3 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
•2 cups almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds roughly chopped
•2 tablespoons chia seeds
•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•5-7 tablespoons coconut oil or butter, melted
•3 tablespoons brown rice syrup
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F and line a baking tray with baking paper. Combine all the ingredients, then spread evenly on a tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden, turning halfway through the cooking time. I like to bake mine until quite dark—the darker it is, the crunchier. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then eat while it’s still crispy.
For lunch, we’re going with an Asparagus, Artichoke and Grape Tomato Salad with Cottage Cheese (Delicious.com: http://bit.ly/2tChVRz)
Ingredients
•1 tbs olive oil
•2 tbs white wine vinegar
•1 tsp Dijon mustard
•¼ cup roughly chopped chives
•2 bunches asparagus, trimmed, blanched in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, refreshed, halved lengthways
•200g grape tomatoes, sliced lengthways
•8 artichoke hearts in brine, drained, halved
•1 butter lettuce, leaves separated
•½ cup (100g) low-fat cottage cheese
Instructions
Whisk the oil, vinegar, and mustard in a large bowl and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the chives, asparagus, tomato and artichokes, then toss well to combine. Divide lettuce leaves among plates, scatter over the salad mixture and top with cottage cheese.
Finally, for dinner we suggest Seared Scallops with Watercress and Asparagus (Delicious.com: http://bit.ly/2sZoTlN)
Ingredients
•16 scallops, roe removed
•Juice of 1 small lemon, plus wedges to serve
•Splash of champagne vinegar or white whine vinegar
•1 tbs finely chopped eschalot
•1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil
•12 asparagus spears, trimmed
•1 bunch watercress
•Large handful of sugar snap peas, cut into 1cm pieces (1 cup)
•55g unsalted butter
Instructions
Dry your scallops well with a paper towel, then generously season. Combine the lemon juice, vinegar, eschalot, and 1 tbs oil in a large bowl.Using a peeler, shave four of the asparagus spears into strips. Add to the bowl with the watercress. Cut the remaining eight asparagus spears into 1cm pieces and set aside. Heat one tbs oil in a large frypan over medium-high heat. Add the sugar snap peas and asparagus pieces, season, and cook for 1-2 minutes until just cooked. Add to the bowl with the watercress and toss to combine. Return pan to medium-high heat with remaining 2 tbs oil. Add the scallops, and cook (on one side only) for 3-5 minutes until very crispy and almost cooked through. Turn scallops, reduce the heat to low and add the butter (the butter will immediately sizzle and start to turn brown). Turn off the heat (the residual heat will finish cooking the scallops). Finally, divide the salad among four plates, top with seared scallops and drizzle over brown butter. Serve with lemon wedges on the side, if desired.
