The holiday season is all about gathering friends and family together, and what better way than over a fantastic meal.

This year, bring a dish loaded with nutrients, especially folic acid! The B vitamin is vital in the prevention of neural tube defects (NTDs) for children, but it can also provide benefits all through life!

Don’t just cook up something delicious for guests, this year, make it something chock-full of folic acid, too!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Garlic

This is a healthy and delicious side dish option courtesy of Gay Riley at NetNutritionist. Green vegetables, including asparagus, kale, broccoli, and of course Brussels sprouts, are loaded with folate, the natural form of folic acid.

Prep time: 10 min.
Cook time: 20 min.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound Brussels Sprouts, fresh and organic when possible
  • 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Organic Olive Oil
  • 30 Garlic Cloves, peeled and whole
  • 4 cups Kale, organic
  • 20 halves Walnuts, fresh, raw if possible
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While it’s warming up, thoroughly wash and dry Brussels sprouts and kale. Cut off the tops of Brussels sprouts and kale stems. Tear kale into 2-inch pieces.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While it’s warming up, thoroughly wash and dry Brussels sprouts and kale. Cut off the tops of Brussels sprouts and kale stems. Tear kale into 2-inch pieces.

Place Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet and toss with garlic and olive oil, then stick in the oven for 15 minutes.

Add the kale and walnuts then bake for another 5 minutes until the nuts are slightly brown and the kale is crispy.

Remove from the oven and squeeze a fresh small orange or sweet lemon on top. Plate and serve!

Orange and Thyme Roasted Carrots and Beetroot

Beets are loaded with folate, so why not pair them together with some delicious and healthy carrots in this recipe from delicious.com.

Prep time: 20 min.
Cook time: 35 min.

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch carrots, trimmed
  • 500g mixed baby beetroot, scrubbed, trimmed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • ½ bunch thyme

While the oven is preheating to 375 degrees, bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil, then boil the carrots for 5 minutes or until just tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool.

Add the beetroot to the saucepan and boil for 10-12 minutes until just tender, then remove and allow to cool. Once they’ve cooled, peel the beetroots, then place in a roasting pan with the carrots.

Drizzle with the olive oil, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, and honey, then toss well to combine. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then scatter with thyme sprigs. Bake for 20 minutes, turning once, until tender.

Banana Pancakes

If you’re hosting family overnight, or just looking for a new Christmas morning breakfast tradition, how about this recipe from NDTV Food. Bananas are a great source of folate so why not bake them into a delicious pancake breakfast?

Prep time: 10 min.
Cook time: 25 min.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 tsp white sugar
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 ½ cup milk
  • 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 banana, mashed
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp butter

Whisk eggs in a bowl and add butter, honey, and vanilla extract. Add the mashed banana to the bowl and continue to mix.

Sift flour and baking powder into the mixture and mix all the lumps out. Then add the milk while continuing to whisk until a smooth paste.

Pour or scoop the batter onto a hot pan or griddle and cook pancakes until golden brown on both sides.

Serve with your favorite topping, though we suggest sliced bananas and powdered sugar.