Nutrient table · IFCT 2017 · ICMR-NIN 2020

Folate (vitamin B9) content of Indian foods

Per 100 g, chicken liver is by far the richest folate source in IFCT 2017 at 1,032 µg. Pulses lead the vegetarian foods: moth bean gives 349 µg, rajma 316 µg, soya bean 297 µg and dry field bean 291 µg, with parsley at 197 µg and spinach at 142 µg. ICMR-NIN 2020 recommends 300 µg of folate daily for men and 220 µg for women.

01The nutrient

What folate (vitamin b9) does, and where Indian diets stand

Folate, vitamin B9, is needed to make DNA and new cells, so it matters most where cells divide fastest: in the bone marrow making red blood cells, and in a baby's developing spine and brain in the first weeks of pregnancy. A shortfall causes a type of anaemia with large, immature red cells, and low folate early in pregnancy raises the risk of neural tube defects.

Indian diets can supply folate well through dal, chana, rajma and leafy greens, but the vitamin is fragile. It dissolves in water and breaks down with heat, so long boiling and throwing away cooking water lose a good share. Doctors advise women planning a pregnancy to take folic acid, the tablet form, because the need begins before most women know they are pregnant.

This table ranks the 197 foods in IFCT 2017 with a folate value, in micrograms per 100 g. Chicken liver stands far above everything else. Then come the pulses, from moth bean and rajma to cowpea, chana and horse gram, followed by leafy greens such as parsley, colocasia leaves, spinach, agathi and mustard leaves, and quinoa among the grains.

02The full table

All 197 foods ranked by folate (vitamin b9)

Per 100 g of the edible portion, highest first. The last two columns show the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers.

Indian foods ranked by folate (vitamin b9) per 100 g
Rank	Food	Group	Per 100 g	Man's daily need	Woman's daily need
1	Chicken liver and gizzard	Meat, poultry and eggs	1,032 µg	344%	469%
2	Moth bean (matki)	Pulses and legumes	349 µg	116%	159%
3	Rajma (red kidney beans)	Pulses and legumes	316 µg	105%	144%
4	Soya bean	Pulses and legumes	297 µg	99%	135%
5	Field bean (dry)	Pulses and legumes	291 µg	97%	132%
6	Cowpea (lobia)	Pulses and legumes	231 µg	77%	105%
7	Parsley	Green leafy vegetables	197 µg	66%	90%
8	Bengal gram (chana)	Pulses and legumes	182 µg	61%	83%
9	Quinoa	Cereals and millets	173 µg	58%	79%
10	Horse gram (kulthi)	Pulses and legumes	163 µg	54%	74%
11	Colocasia leaves (arbi patta)	Green leafy vegetables	159 µg	53%	72%
12	Spinach	Green leafy vegetables	142 µg	47%	65%
13	Niger seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	140 µg	47%	64%
14	Whole masoor (lentil)	Pulses and legumes	132 µg	44%	60%
15	Sesame seeds (til)	Nuts and oilseeds	127 µg	42%	58%
16	Field beans (fresh pods)	Vegetables and mushrooms	123 µg	41%	56%
17	Rice bean	Pulses and legumes	122 µg	41%	55%
18	Agathi leaves	Green leafy vegetables	120 µg	40%	55%
19	Curry leaves	Spices, herbs and condiments	117 µg	39%	53%
20	Dried peas	Pulses and legumes	110 µg	37%	50%
21	Mustard leaves (sarson)	Green leafy vegetables	110 µg	37%	50%
22	Red gram (toor or arhar)	Pulses and legumes	108 µg	36%	49%
23	Mint leaves	Spices, herbs and condiments	106 µg	35%	48%
24	Pak Choi leaves	Green leafy vegetables	98 µg	33%	45%
25	Beet root	Roots and tubers	97 µg	32%	44%
26	Mustard seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	95 µg	32%	43%
27	Khoa (mawa)	Milk and dairy	94 µg	31%	43%
28	Tender red gram (fresh toor)	Vegetables and mushrooms	94 µg	31%	43%
29	Paneer	Milk and dairy	93 µg	31%	42%
30	Green gram (moong)	Pulses and legumes	92 µg	31%	42%
31	Tamarind leaves	Green leafy vegetables	92 µg	31%	42%
32	Peanuts (groundnut)	Nuts and oilseeds	91 µg	30%	41%
33	Basella leaves	Green leafy vegetables	90 µg	30%	41%
34	Black gram (urad)	Pulses and legumes	89 µg	30%	40%
35	Flaxseeds (alsi)	Nuts and oilseeds	86 µg	29%	39%
36	Garlic	Spices, herbs and condiments	86 µg	29%	39%
37	Brussels sprouts	Green leafy vegetables	85 µg	28%	39%
38	Mango	Fruits	82 µg	27%	37%
39	Safflower seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	82 µg	27%	37%
40	Sunflower seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	82 µg	27%	37%
41	Poppy seeds	Spices, herbs and condiments	79 µg	26%	36%
42	Fenugreek leaves (methi)	Green leafy vegetables	75 µg	25%	34%
43	Gongura (gogu) leaves	Green leafy vegetables	75 µg	25%	34%
44	Nutmeg	Spices, herbs and condiments	75 µg	25%	34%
45	Amaranth leaves (chaulai)	Green leafy vegetables	70 µg	23%	32%
46	Avocado	Fruits	67 µg	22%	30%
47	Pippali (long pepper)	Spices, herbs and condiments	66 µg	22%	30%
48	Pistachio	Nuts and oilseeds	65 µg	22%	30%
49	Okra (bhindi)	Vegetables and mushrooms	64 µg	21%	29%
50	Chow chow (chayote)	Vegetables and mushrooms	63 µg	21%	29%
51	Drumstick (moringa pods)	Vegetables and mushrooms	63 µg	21%	29%
52	Papaya	Fruits	61 µg	20%	28%
53	Bitter gourd (karela)	Vegetables and mushrooms	60 µg	20%	27%
54	Garden cress leaves	Green leafy vegetables	58 µg	19%	26%
55	Spring onion	Vegetables and mushrooms	58 µg	19%	26%
56	Walnut	Nuts and oilseeds	58 µg	19%	26%
57	Bael	Fruits	55 µg	18%	25%
58	Green peas (fresh)	Vegetables and mushrooms	55 µg	18%	25%
59	Radish leaves	Green leafy vegetables	53 µg	18%	24%
60	Ajwain (carom seeds)	Spices, herbs and condiments	52 µg	17%	24%
61	Capsicum	Vegetables and mushrooms	52 µg	17%	24%
62	Coriander leaves	Spices, herbs and condiments	51 µg	17%	23%
63	Fenugreek seeds (methi dana)	Spices, herbs and condiments	51 µg	17%	23%
64	Masoor dal (red lentil)	Pulses and legumes	50 µg	17%	23%
65	Egg	Meat, poultry and eggs	49 µg	16%	22%
66	Ivy gourd (kundru)	Vegetables and mushrooms	49 µg	16%	22%
67	Ponnaganni	Green leafy vegetables	48 µg	16%	22%
68	French beans	Vegetables and mushrooms	47 µg	16%	21%
69	Baby corn	Vegetables and mushrooms	46 µg	15%	21%
70	Cabbage	Green leafy vegetables	46 µg	15%	21%
71	Cauliflower	Vegetables and mushrooms	46 µg	15%	21%
72	Scarlet runner bean	Vegetables and mushrooms	45 µg	15%	20%
73	Sugarcane	Sugars and natural drinks	45 µg	15%	20%
74	Bathua leaves	Green leafy vegetables	43 µg	14%	20%
75	Cauliflower leaves	Green leafy vegetables	43 µg	14%	20%
76	Drumstick leaves (moringa)	Green leafy vegetables	43 µg	14%	20%
77	Tinda (round gourd)	Vegetables and mushrooms	43 µg	14%	20%
78	Bottle gourd (lauki)	Vegetables and mushrooms	42 µg	14%	19%
79	Knol-khol leaves	Green leafy vegetables	42 µg	14%	19%
80	Amaranth spinosus	Green leafy vegetables	41 µg	14%	19%
81	Cluster beans (gawar)	Vegetables and mushrooms	41 µg	14%	19%
82	Rumex leaves	Green leafy vegetables	41 µg	14%	19%
83	Jowar (sorghum)	Cereals and millets	39 µg	13%	18%
84	Pomegranate	Fruits	39 µg	13%	18%
85	Varagu millet	Cereals and millets	39 µg	13%	18%
86	Raisins	Fruits	38 µg	13%	17%
87	Almond	Nuts and oilseeds	36 µg	12%	16%
88	Bajra (pearl millet)	Cereals and millets	36 µg	12%	16%
89	Raw jackfruit	Vegetables and mushrooms	36 µg	12%	16%
90	Samai (little millet)	Cereals and millets	36 µg	12%	16%
91	Ragi (finger millet)	Cereals and millets	35 µg	12%	16%
92	Brinjal (baingan)	Vegetables and mushrooms	34 µg	11%	15%
93	Pumpkin leaves	Green leafy vegetables	34 µg	11%	15%
94	Cloves	Spices, herbs and condiments	33 µg	11%	15%
95	Mace	Spices, herbs and condiments	33 µg	11%	15%
96	Barley	Cereals and millets	32 µg	11%	15%
97	Jackfruit (ripe)	Fruits	32 µg	11%	15%
98	Pine nuts (chilgoza)	Nuts and oilseeds	32 µg	11%	15%
99	Pumpkin	Vegetables and mushrooms	32 µg	11%	15%
100	Colocasia stem	Vegetables and mushrooms	31 µg	10%	14%
101	Garden cress seeds (halim)	Nuts and oilseeds	31 µg	10%	14%
102	Lettuce	Green leafy vegetables	31 µg	10%	14%
103	Guava	Fruits	30 µg	10%	14%
104	Raw papaya	Vegetables and mushrooms	30 µg	10%	14%
105	Wheat (whole, suji and dalia)	Cereals and millets	30 µg	10%	14%
106	Onion	Spices, herbs and condiments	29 µg	10%	13%
107	Ridge gourd (turai)	Vegetables and mushrooms	29 µg	10%	13%
108	Wheat flour (atta and maida)	Cereals and millets	29 µg	10%	13%
109	Cumin seeds	Spices, herbs and condiments	28 µg	9%	13%
110	Duck	Meat, poultry and eggs	28 µg	9%	13%
111	Amaranth seed (rajgira)	Cereals and millets	27 µg	9%	12%
112	Asafoetida (hing)	Spices, herbs and condiments	26 µg	9%	12%
113	Lotus root (kamal kakdi)	Roots and tubers	26 µg	9%	12%
114	Maize (corn)	Cereals and millets	26 µg	9%	12%
115	Raw mango	Vegetables and mushrooms	26 µg	9%	12%
116	Tapioca (cassava)	Roots and tubers	26 µg	9%	12%
117	Cashew nut	Nuts and oilseeds	25 µg	8%	11%
118	Chillies (green and red)	Spices, herbs and condiments	25 µg	8%	11%
119	Radish	Roots and tubers	25 µg	8%	11%
120	Carrot	Roots and tubers	24 µg	8%	11%
121	Coconut	Nuts and oilseeds	24 µg	8%	11%
122	Palm fruit (tadgola)	Fruits	24 µg	8%	11%
123	Black berry	Fruits	23 µg	8%	10%
124	Mango ginger (amba haldi)	Spices, herbs and condiments	23 µg	8%	10%
125	Phalsa	Fruits	23 µg	8%	10%
126	Black pepper	Spices, herbs and condiments	22 µg	7%	10%
127	Celery stalk	Vegetables and mushrooms	22 µg	7%	10%
128	Coriander seeds	Spices, herbs and condiments	22 µg	7%	10%
129	Muskmelon	Fruits	22 µg	7%	10%
130	Yam (suran)	Roots and tubers	21 µg	7%	10%
131	Broad beans	Vegetables and mushrooms	20 µg	7%	9%
132	Colocasia root (arbi)	Roots and tubers	20 µg	7%	9%
133	Pointed gourd (parwal)	Vegetables and mushrooms	20 µg	7%	9%
134	Dates	Fruits	19 µg	6%	9%
135	Orange	Fruits	19 µg	6%	9%
136	Plantain (raw banana)	Vegetables and mushrooms	19 µg	6%	9%
137	Tomato	Vegetables and mushrooms	19 µg	6%	9%
138	Zucchini	Vegetables and mushrooms	19 µg	6%	9%
139	Pineapple	Fruits	18 µg	6%	8%
140	Snake gourd	Vegetables and mushrooms	18 µg	6%	8%
141	Bamboo shoot	Vegetables and mushrooms	17 µg	6%	8%
142	Banana	Fruits	17 µg	6%	8%
143	Cucumber	Vegetables and mushrooms	17 µg	6%	8%
144	Betel leaves	Green leafy vegetables	16 µg	5%	7%
145	Litchi	Fruits	16 µg	5%	7%
146	Potato	Roots and tubers	16 µg	5%	7%
147	Sweet potato	Roots and tubers	16 µg	5%	7%
148	Knol-khol (kohlrabi)	Vegetables and mushrooms	15 µg	5%	7%
149	Sweet lime (mosambi)	Fruits	15 µg	5%	7%
150	Ash gourd (petha)	Vegetables and mushrooms	14 µg	5%	6%
151	Fig	Fruits	14 µg	5%	6%
152	Jaggery	Sugars and natural drinks	14 µg	5%	6%
153	Mangosteen	Fruits	14 µg	5%	6%
154	Plum	Fruits	14 µg	5%	6%
155	Turmeric powder	Spices, herbs and condiments	14 µg	5%	6%
156	Pomelo	Fruits	13 µg	4%	6%
157	Beet greens	Green leafy vegetables	12 µg	4%	5%
158	Lemon (juice)	Fruits	12 µg	4%	5%
159	Chicken mushroom	Vegetables and mushrooms	11 µg	4%	5%
160	Chikoo (sapota)	Fruits	11 µg	4%	5%
161	Coconut water	Sugars and natural drinks	11 µg	4%	5%
162	Ginger	Spices, herbs and condiments	11 µg	4%	5%
163	Shiitake mushroom	Vegetables and mushrooms	11 µg	4%	5%
164	Apricot (dried and processed)	Fruits	10 µg	3%	5%
165	Chicken (broiler)	Meat, poultry and eggs	10 µg	3%	5%
166	Oyster mushroom (dried)	Vegetables and mushrooms	10 µg	3%	5%
167	Tamarind	Fruits	10 µg	3%	5%
168	Water Chestnut	Roots and tubers	10 µg	3%	5%
169	Grapes	Fruits	9 µg	3%	4%
170	Karonda	Fruits	9 µg	3%	4%
171	Quail	Meat, poultry and eggs	9 µg	3%	4%
172	Rice	Cereals and millets	9 µg	3%	4%
173	Strawberry	Fruits	9 µg	3%	4%
174	Turkey	Meat, poultry and eggs	9 µg	3%	4%
175	Amla (Indian gooseberry)	Fruits	8 µg	3%	4%
176	Button mushroom	Vegetables and mushrooms	8 µg	3%	4%
177	Country chicken (desi)	Meat, poultry and eggs	8 µg	3%	4%
178	Currants	Fruits	8 µg	3%	4%
179	Custard apple (sitaphal)	Fruits	8 µg	3%	4%
180	Jamun	Fruits	8 µg	3%	4%
181	Pigeon	Meat, poultry and eggs	8 µg	3%	4%
182	Poha (rice flakes)	Cereals and millets	8 µg	3%	4%
183	Star fruit	Fruits	8 µg	3%	4%
184	Emu	Meat, poultry and eggs	7 µg	2%	3%
185	Milk	Milk and dairy	7 µg	2%	3%
186	Rambutan	Fruits	7 µg	2%	3%
187	Wood apple (kaitha)	Fruits	7 µg	2%	3%
188	Ber (Indian jujube)	Fruits	6 µg	2%	3%
189	Guinea fowl	Meat, poultry and eggs	6 µg	2%	3%
190	Peach	Fruits	6 µg	2%	3%
191	Soursop	Fruits	6 µg	2%	3%
192	Watermelon	Fruits	6 µg	2%	3%
193	Cherries	Fruits	5 µg	2%	2%
194	Pear	Fruits	5 µg	2%	2%
195	Manila tamarind (jungle jalebi)	Fruits	4 µg	1%	2%
196	Apple	Fruits	3 µg	1%	1%
197	Cardamom	Spices, herbs and condiments	3 µg	1%	1%

Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily needs: ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (brief note).

Cite this page

NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Folate (vitamin B9) content of Indian foods. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/nutrients/folate/

03Vegetarian sources

The top vegetarian sources of folate (vitamin b9)

Top vegetarian sources of folate (vitamin b9) per 100 g
Food	Group	Per 100 g
Moth bean (matki)	Pulses and legumes	349 µg
Rajma (red kidney beans)	Pulses and legumes	316 µg
Soya bean	Pulses and legumes	297 µg
Field bean (dry)	Pulses and legumes	291 µg
Cowpea (lobia)	Pulses and legumes	231 µg
Parsley	Green leafy vegetables	197 µg
Bengal gram (chana)	Pulses and legumes	182 µg
Quinoa	Cereals and millets	173 µg
Horse gram (kulthi)	Pulses and legumes	163 µg
Colocasia leaves (arbi patta)	Green leafy vegetables	159 µg
Spinach	Green leafy vegetables	142 µg
Niger seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	140 µg
Whole masoor (lentil)	Pulses and legumes	132 µg
Sesame seeds (til)	Nuts and oilseeds	127 µg
Field beans (fresh pods)	Vegetables and mushrooms	123 µg

04How much you need

Folate (vitamin B9) requirements for Indians

ICMR-NIN 2020 sets the recommended folate intake at 300 µg a day for a 65 kg man and 220 µg a day for a 55 kg woman. The estimated average requirements for folate are 250 µg and 180 µg. Needs rise considerably in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and the doctor caring for a pregnancy will advise on folic acid tablets.

Folic acid from tablets and fortified foods is absorbed more readily than the natural folate in food, so the two are not counted as equal. For everyone outside pregnancy planning, food remains the everyday foundation.

05Using the table

From a table to a plate

Values are in micrograms per 100 g of raw food. Dried pulses are weighed dry, so a katori of cooked rajma carries less per 100 g than the figure shows, though cooking liquid eaten as part of the dish keeps much of the folate. Leafy greens lose folate when boiled for long or when their water is thrown away. Liver is very rich in folate but also very high in vitamin A, so pregnant women should eat it only occasionally.

Eat a whole pulse every day, such as rajma, chole, lobia or moth bean usal.
Add raw or lightly cooked greens to meals, such as spinach in raita or parsley and coriander in salads.
Cook dal and greens in just enough water and keep that water in the dish rather than draining it.
Sprout moong, moth and chana for a simple, low-cost folate snack.
If you are planning a pregnancy, speak to a doctor about folic acid before conception, not after.
For non-vegetarians, a small serving of chicken liver now and then supplies a great deal of folate.

06Questions

What people ask about folate (vitamin b9)

Which Indian food has the most folate?

Chicken liver leads IFCT 2017 at 1,032 µg per 100 g, more than three times the adult man's daily requirement. Among vegetarian foods, moth bean at 349 µg, rajma at 316 µg and soya bean at 297 µg are the richest.

How much folate do adults need?

The ICMR-NIN 2020 folate figures are 300 µg a day for adult men and 220 µg for adult women, with average requirements of 250 µg and 180 µg. Pregnancy raises the need, and doctors usually prescribe folic acid then.

Which vegetables are rich in folate?

In IFCT 2017, parsley has 197 µg per 100 g, colocasia leaves 159 µg, spinach 142 µg, agathi leaves 120 µg and mustard leaves 110 µg. Fresh field bean pods give 123 µg. Light cooking keeps more of it.

What is the difference between folate and folic acid?

Folate is the natural form found in foods such as dal and greens. Folic acid is the man-made form used in tablets and fortified foods, and the body absorbs it more readily. Both are vitamin B9.

07Keep exploring

Folate (vitamin B9) content of Indian foods

What folate (vitamin b9) does, and where Indian diets stand

All 197 foods ranked by folate (vitamin b9)

The top vegetarian sources of folate (vitamin b9)

Folate (vitamin B9) requirements for Indians

From a table to a plate

What people ask about folate (vitamin b9)

Which Indian food has the most folate?

How much folate do adults need?

Which vegetables are rich in folate?

What is the difference between folate and folic acid?

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