Folate Intake Checker
Folate is the nutrient where "might be pregnant" changes everything: the neural tube closes in the first weeks, before most people know. Age and pregnancy status in, your DFE target out — with the per-serving table and the DFE conversion that most lists quietly skip.
Daily folate target
—
Where the number lives — biggest folate doses per serving
| Food | Folate per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Edamame (cooked) | 482 mcg | 311 mcg / 100 g |
| Lentils (cooked) | 358 mcg | 181 mcg / 100 g |
| Cheerios (plain) | 335 mcg | 1198 mcg / 100 g |
| Pinto beans (cooked) | 294 mcg | 172 mcg / 100 g |
| Chickpeas (cooked) | 282 mcg | 172 mcg / 100 g |
| Black beans (cooked) | 256 mcg | 149 mcg / 100 g |
| Navy beans (cooked) | 255 mcg | 140 mcg / 100 g |
| Whopper | 235 mcg | 87 mcg / 100 g |
| Nutritional yeast | 234 mcg | 2340 mcg / 100 g |
| Kidney beans (cooked) | 230 mcg | 130 mcg / 100 g |
| White rice (cooked) | 215 mcg | 136 mcg / 100 g |
| Rice Krispies | 200 mcg | 500 mcg / 100 g |
Common questions
How much folate do I need?
400 mcg DFE a day for most adults; 600 during pregnancy and 500 while breastfeeding. The tolerable upper limit applies to synthetic folic acid (1,000 mcg), not to folate from food.
Why DFE?
Folic acid (supplements, fortified flour) absorbs about 1.7 times better than natural folate, so labels convert everything to Dietary Folate Equivalents: mcg DFE = food folate + folic acid × 1.7. Every number on this page is already DFE.
Do I need a supplement if I might get pregnant?
That's the one case guidance is unanimous on: 400 mcg of folic acid daily starting at least a month before conception, because the neural tube closes before a test can tell you you're pregnant. Food folate is the base; the supplement is the insurance.
Method
Targets follow the National Academies RDAs in Dietary Folate Equivalents: 400 mcg DFE adults, 600 pregnancy, 500 lactation; the 1,000 mcg upper limit is for synthetic folic acid only. Food values are USDA FoodData Central per-entry syncs. Spinach, legumes and fortified grains carry most of the table — and cooking cuts folate noticeably, so raw-versus-cooked matters here more than in most nutrient tables.
Pregnancy's other numbers: caffeine limit · iron (needs rise too) · calcium