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Eat Your Vitamins A sure way to get 400 micrograms of the folic acid you need daily is to take a multivitamin containing this amount. Nevertheless, it would be better to get your folic acid from the foods you eat. Foods supply a variety of nutrients that your body needs, while giving you flavor enjoyment as well. Juicy-sweet strawberries are a case in point. Eight medium strawberries provide 20 percent of your Daily Value for folic acid. But that's not all. |
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Deliciously Simple Ways to Consume Folic Acid Some strawberry - good ideas are simple: You can add strawberries to your yogurt or cereal at breakfast. Or you can take a handful to work for a healthful, low-calorie snack. For dinner, toss strawberries into your green salad or fruit salad or serve them for dessert. Combine folic-acid-rich strawberries with other foods that are high in folic acid to simplify getting your daily requirement. More Great Ideas and Recipes Berry shakes Blend sliced strawberries with low-fat milk and plain yogurt. Sweeten with sugar or honey. Serve as a refreshing snack or for breakfast on the run. Cantaloupe Cups Fill cantaloupe halves with sliced strawberries. Top with scoop of frozen yogurt. |
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Zesty Bean Salad Combine a can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, with sliced radishes, sliced green onions and marinated artichoke hearts. Toss with Italian dressing spiked with hot pepper sauce.
Simply Salad Combine halved strawberries with chunks of other folic-acid-rich fruits, such as bananas, oranges and melons. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Serve with a dressing of plain yogurt seasoned with a little thawed frozen orange juice concentrate.
California Chef's Salad Arrange strips of sliced turkey or lean ham, halved strawberries, chunks of banana and orange slices on lettuce-lined plates. Drizzle with nonfat Italian dressing.
Tortilla To Go For a brown-bag lunch, spread a flour tortilla with canned refried beans and sprinkle with shredded Jack or Cheddar cheese and some chopped green onion. Roll and wrap in plastic wrap. Heat in a microwave oven before eating.
Strawberry - Yogurt Freeze
- 2 containers (8 ounces each) lowfat strawberry yogurt
- 1 pint basket California strawberries, stemmed
- 1 teaspoon grated orange peel (optional)
Mix strawberry yogurt if not pre-mixed. Spoon into ice cube tray. Freeze until completely frozen, 3 to 4 hours. Remove cubes from tray and place in bowl of electric food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add strawberries and orange peel. Process just until almost smooth. Serve immediately, or place in freezer and stir occasionally until firm enough to scoop, 1 to 2 hours. Makes 4 servings (about 3 cups).
Flavor variations:
Strawberry-Vanilla: Substitute vanilla yogurt for the strawberry yogurt; omit orange peel. Strawberry-Lemon: Substitute lemon yogurt for the strawberry yogurt; omit orange peel.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: 85 calories; 0g fat; 3mg cholesterol; 53mg sodium; 17g carbohydrate; 2g fiber; 5g protein; 57mcg folic acid.
Strawberry - Spinach Salad
- 4 cups spinach leaves, torn into bite-size pieces
- 1 pint basket California strawberries, stemmed and halved
- 1 small red onion, sliced and separated into rings
- 1/2 cup prepared non-fat honey-mustard
dressing
To assemble salads, line 4 individual serving plates with spinach. Arrange strawberries and onion rings, equally divided, on lettuce. Drizzle each salad with 2 tablespoons dressing. Makes 4 servings.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: 101 calories; 0g fat; 0mg cholesterol; 375mg sodium; 23g carbohydrate; 4g fiber; 3g protein; 168mcg folic acid.
Strawberries:
The heart-shaped fruit
that's also hearty-healthy
Not only do strawberries taste good, they're good for your heart, too! A recent Harvard Nurses' Health Study (NHS) showed a decreasing risk in coronary heart disease (CHD) associated with increasing levels of folic acid intake among over 80,000 women who participated in the study. Previous studies showed similar findings in men.
Folic acid works with vitamins B6 and B12 in the body to metabolize homocysteine and bring blood levels down to a safe range. When these vitamins are in short supply, homocysteine levels can build up and wreak havoc on the cardiovascular system by harming cells that line the heart and blood vessels, causing arteriosclerotic plaque that can ultimately lead to a heart attack. Although the study found folic acid from food or supplement sources to be equally effective, most nutrition professionals recommend food first. Sweetly delicious, strawberries are a recommended part of a heart-healthy diet. Not only are they high in folic acid and low in strawberries, they taste great, too!
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