Foods High in Folate, B12 and Iron

Folate, vitamin B-12 and iron can be lacking in restrictive diets. You need folate and vitamin B-12 for forming DNA and both vitamin B-12 and iron for forming red blood cells. Since vitamin B-12 is only found in animal products and fortified foods, the list of foods high in all three of these nutrients is relatively short.

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Best Options

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Fortified cereals can have up to 100 percent of the daily value for all of these nutrients or more in each serving, but the amount varies in different cereals. A 3-ounce serving of beef liver provides 54 percent of the DV for folate, 1,178 percent of the DV for vitamin B-12 and 117 percent of the DV for iron; and 3 ounces of crab has about 9 percent of the DV for folate, 163 percent of the DV for vitamin B-12 and 4 percent of the DV for iron.

Foods High in Individual Nutrients

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You'll most likely want to get your folate, vitamin B-12 and iron from other foods, as well. The best sources of folate include beans, lentils, asparagus, green leafy vegetables, avocado, broccoli, oranges, bread, mango, papaya and pomegranate. To increase your vitamin B-12, eat seafood, fortified soy products, beef, lamb, dairy products and eggs. Iron-rich foods include seafood, nuts, seeds, beef, lamb, beans, whole grains, tofu, dark leafy greens and cocoa powder.