List of Folate Enriched Foods

Folate is a B vitamin, and is found naturally in many foods, including leafy greens and many fruits. Folate plays a key role in the production and maintenance of cells, and is especially important in times of rapid cell growth in infants and during pregnancy. Beginning in 1996, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires the fortification of several food products with synthetic folate or folic acid.

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Breads

• Breads are one of the most widely consumed folate-enriched products, and represent the backbone of the FDA's folate enrichment program. Along with loaves of regular white bread, other items such as bagels, buns, rolls, flour tortillas, biscuits and muffins also contain folic acid. Consult the nutritional information on the product packaging for specific folic acid content.

Breakfast Cereals

• Some of the most widely supplemented foods include packaged breakfast cereals. From fruit-flavored to high-fiber varieties, many brands of breakfast cereal incorporate between 100 and 400 mg of folic acid per serving. Consuming ready-to-eat breakfast cereal provides up to 100 percent of the daily recommended intake of folate without taking a multi-vitamin,

Other Grain Products

• Many grain-based items produced within North America have been enriched with folic acid. Some of these products include white rice, white pasta, instant oatmeal and even certain brands of soy milk. Most types of flour are also fortified, along with any products made with the flour, such as crackers and cookies. If the label on the grain product displays the word "enriched," it will contain some level of folic acid.