Henry Family Blog

The other day my mom asked me whether or not the baby was getting enough folic acid.  (This was before I had the baby.)  I said yes and told her that I took folic acid pills everyday.  She actually meant the “other” baby, you know, James.  James was sitting at the table eating lunch at the time.  She is always wondering whether her grand-kids are getting enough nutrients and/or vitamins.  You know how grandmothers are…

I told her not to worry and that he ate a wide variety of foods.  We started to discuss folic acidand really couldn’t think of many foods that we were sure had folic acid in them.  So, now I have a list and some of the foods were surprising to me…

-ready to eat breakfast cereals

-enriched bread and cereal grain products….e.g. rolls, cornmeal, grits, flour, macaroni, noodles & rice

-whole grain bread & wheat germ….e.g. bagels, muffins & wheat germ

-citrus fruits & juices….e.g. oranges, orange juice, pineapple juice, avocados, honeydew melon & mangos

-green leafy & other vegetables….e.g. asparagus, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, bok-choy, greens, cauliflower, corn, peas, parsnips, romaine lettuce and spinach.

-cooked dry beans & peas….e.g. baked beans, lima beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, split peas and roasted soybeans.

-cooked liver & giblets….e.g. liver from beef, pork & poultry.

-nuts & seeds…e.g. almonds, cashews, mixed nuts, peanuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.

-other foods…e.g. slice of pizza, a burrito w/beans, an enchilada w/beans & cheese, & chili

So there you have it.  Folic acid is an important part of everone’s diet.  It is a B-vitamin that everyone needs for good health.  It is in more foods than you probably thought.  So when your mother starts inquiring about your child’s diet, tell her you ordered a pizza and some burritos for dinner and she should be happy. 

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