There are so many good reasons why your body needs the right amount of folic acid or also called vitamin B9. This helps your perform different essential functions such as DNA repair and synthesis, nucleotide biosynthesis in cells, prevention of anemia, and red blood cell creation.

The good news is that there are many foods that are considered as naturally rich vitamin B9 sources. A properly planned diet can give your body a sufficient amount of this vitamin.

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Spinach

Of course, you don’t have to be told how important it is for your diet to include dark leafy greens. A cup of raw spinach has around 58 mcg of folate or about 15% of the daily suggested levels.

This vegetable is also rich in phytochemicals such as lutein and beta carotene that help protect you from different forms of cancers. You can kick start your day with a morning spinach smoothie by blending one cup of spinach leaves, one tablespoon of peanut butter, half frozen banana, 1 ½ cups milk and one tablespoon of chia seeds until it is smooth and creamy.

Pulses

The umbrella term pulses include chickpeas, lentils, beans, and dry peas. These are some of the bets natural sources of folic acid. A half- cup serving is rich in folate, fiber, protein, iron, and complex carbohydrates while being low on glycemic index and almost fat free.

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A half cup serving of lentils packs 179 mcg or 45% of the suggested daily value. You can add cooked lentils to ground beef that make them a great alternative for chili and tacos. Every can of chickpeas have an impressive 121 mcg so you might want to garnish your salad with chickpeas instead of croutons or enjoy your favorite hummus. You can also go for a half cup of black eyed peas that offers 26% of daily recommended value. These also taste great if you toss them in vegetable wraps and soups.

Asparagus

Every cup of this low calorie veggie contains 70 mcg of folic acid together with vitamins C, K, and A. You can roast one batch of asparagus perfect for easy meal preparation for the week. Asparagus also tastes great when folded into scrambled eggs, mixed with brown rice and chicken in your grain bowl, or chopped in salads.

Video: 12 Major Benefits of Asparagus

Broccoli

A genuine superfood, this crunchy vegetable contains antioxidants that fight off free radical damage as well as fiber that aids digestion. You can get 84 mcg of folate in every half cup of cooked broccoli. You can toss it with enriched pasta, as toppings for pizza, or enjoy it on its own for a folate boost.

Eggs

Dense in nutrients, eggs supply lots of nutrition with low calorie count. Eggs are great sources of protein containing almost all essential vitamins such as 24 mcg of folic in every large egg. Hard boiled eggs are perfect as snacks or you can also add poached egg to avocado toast to get double dose of folic acid.

Make sure you add these foods to your diet to load up on your folic acid consumption every day.