USDA-derived rankings
Vegetarian foods high in folate
Folate builds DNA and new cells, which is why needs jump in pregnancy; greens, beans and lentils are the classic sources.
Who this is for: Useful if you are planning a pregnancy, drink regularly (alcohol drains folate), or your greens intake is thin.
Reviewed 20 July 2026. Ranked per typical serving against the fixed adult reference of 200 µg a day.
The clear number one
Lentils (cooked)
One serving (198g) gives you 358 µg of folate, around 179% of the daily reference in one go.
See the full nutrition score for lentils (cooked)The ranking
Ranked by what a typical serving covers, because nobody eats 100g of everything. The badge shows per-100g density: high means at least 30% of the daily reference per 100g, source means at least 15%.
| # | Food | Per serving | Per 100g |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lentils (cooked) | 358 µg179% of daily reference | 181 µghigh |
| 2 | Chickpeas (cooked) | 282 µg141% of daily reference | 172 µghigh |
| 3 | Black Beans (cooked) | 256 µg128% of daily reference | 149 µghigh |
| 4 | Edamame | 249 µg124% of daily reference | 311 µghigh |
| 5 | Pinto Beans | 224 µg112% of daily reference | 172 µghigh |
| 6 | Pasta (cooked) | 204 µg102% of daily reference | 102 µghigh |
| 7 | Pizza (cheese) | 193 µg96% of daily reference | 90 µghigh |
| 8 | Kidney Beans | 169 µg85% of daily reference | 130 µghigh |
| 9 | Broccoli (cooked) | 168 µg84% of daily reference | 108 µghigh |
| 10 | Yeast Extract | 152 µg76% of daily reference | 3,790 µghigh |
| 11 | Beetroot | 148 µg74% of daily reference | 109 µghigh |
| 12 | Red Lentils | 122 µg61% of daily reference | 204 µghigh |
| 13 | Spinach | 116 µg58% of daily reference | 194 µghigh |
| 14 | Bagel | 111 µg56% of daily reference | 106 µghigh |
| 15 | Butter Beans | 108 µg54% of daily reference | 83 µghigh |
| 16 | Cannellini Beans | 105 µg53% of daily reference | 81 µghigh |
| 17 | Peas | 94 µg47% of daily reference | 65 µghigh |
| 18 | White Rice (cooked) | 92 µg46% of daily reference | 58 µgsource |
| 19 | Parsnip | 89 µg45% of daily reference | 67 µghigh |
| 20 | Artichoke | 87 µg44% of daily reference | 68 µghigh |
Meat and fish are excluded; eggs and dairy stay in.
Narrow it to your way of eating
How this list is built
Every number comes from Nutrigate's USDA-derived generic food table, the same data behind the food nutrition scores. The daily reference for folate is 200 µg, an evidence-based adult amount; the app personalises it to you. Serving sizes are typical household portions, shown in grams so you can judge them.