Being a dietitian working with expectant parents, I’m often asked for quick and easy folate-rich foods. So thought I would share one of my favorite recipes.
During pregnancy, our body needs 600mcg of folate daily. It’s important for cell growth especially in the early weeks of pregnancy. Folate supports the extra blood production and helps with the growth of your baby.
Folate is mostly found in legumes (includes lentils, beans, peas, chickpeas, peanuts etc), dark green vegetables and some fruits. One serving (175ml) of cooked lentils contains 265mcg folate. You can use lentils to cook many different dishes–soup, curry, salad, muffins etc.
On hot summer days, let’s try this berry lentil smoothie:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup vanilla yogurt
- 1 cup canned split red lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup cold water or crushed ice
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup (optional)
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until very smooth.
- Pour into glasses and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings
Nutrition Information
Per serving: 150 calories, 1.5 g fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans-fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 80 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 8 g fibre, 15 g sugar, 7 g protein, 0% DV vitamin A, 30% DV vitamin C, 8% DV calcium, 15% DV iron.
