Pregnancy Nutrition · Free Tool
Pregnancy Folate Calculator
Are you meeting your folate needs in pregnancy? Add today’s foods and instantly see your intake against your pregnancy or breastfeeding target, folate is critical for your baby’s neural tube development in the earliest weeks.
Folate is essential for your baby’s neural tube development in the earliest weeks of pregnancy, often before you know you’re pregnant, which is why the recommended folic acid supplement starts before conception. This free tool, built by our Accredited Practising Dietitians, gives you a quick, private snapshot of your day’s folate against your pregnancy or breastfeeding target, plus easy meal ideas to help you top up.
How to use this calculator
- Choose your life stage, pregnant or breastfeeding, to set the right target.
- Enter how many servings of each food you’ve had today (halves and quarters are fine).
- Watch your running total and the percentage of your target update instantly.
- Not at 100%? Try the meal ideas below, or print your summary to bring to your next appointment.
Check your folate intake
Total folate: 0 µg DFE (0% of your 600 µg/day target)
Not at your target? Everyone's needs, tastes and dietary requirements are different. An Accredited Practising Dietitian can build a plan that fits you. See the booking options below.
Not there yet? Find recipes to boost your folate →
Liver is one of the richest natural folate sources, but Australian pregnancy guidelines recommend avoiding or strictly limiting liver in pregnancy because of its very high vitamin A content, so it isn't included in the food list below.
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Clinical-grade. Private by design.
Built by Accredited Practising Dietitians, and every calculation runs privately in your browser.
Why folate matters in pregnancy
Folate is needed to form your baby’s neural tube, the earliest structure that becomes the brain and spinal cord, in the first few weeks of pregnancy. This is why folic acid supplementation is recommended before conception, not just after a positive test. The Australian NHMRC sets a Recommended Dietary Intake of 600 µg DFE per day in pregnancy and 500 µg DFE per day while breastfeeding, the targets this calculator measures you against. Guidelines recommend a 500 µg folic acid supplement from at least one month before conception through the first trimester, food alone rarely covers pregnancy needs at this stage.
Good sources of folate
Leafy greens like spinach, and vegetables like asparagus and broccoli, are excellent sources, alongside legumes (lentils, chickpeas), fortified breakfast cereal and folate-fortified bread (mandatory in Australia since 2009). A few simple, folate-rich meals spread across the day add up quickly:
- Breakfast, fortified cereal with fruit: a folate-fortified cereal (check the label) with an orange adds a solid morning boost.
- Lunch, lentil or chickpea salad: a cup of cooked lentils (~358 µg) with spinach and avocado covers most of a day’s target on its own.
- Dinner, greens on the side: a cup of asparagus or broccoli alongside your main meal is an easy, consistent top-up.
- Simple snacks: peanuts or a piece of fruit each add a useful amount without much effort.
Liver is naturally very high in folate, but Australian pregnancy guidelines recommend avoiding or strictly limiting it due to its high vitamin A content, so it isn’t included in the calculator’s food list.
Prefer a plan tailored to your tastes, budget and any dietary needs or allergies? Our pregnancy nutrition dietitians can help, in clinic or via telehealth. Get in touch or book online.
Folate figures are approximate, drawn from AUSNUT and USDA food-composition data.
Frequently asked questions
How much folate do I need, and does it change in pregnancy?
Yes. The NHMRC Recommended Dietary Intake is 600 µg DFE/day in pregnancy and 500 µg DFE/day while breastfeeding. Choose your stage at the top of the calculator to measure yourself against the right target.
Should I take a folic acid supplement even if I eat well?
Yes, this is different from most nutrients on this site. Guidelines recommend a 500 µg folic acid supplement from at least one month before conception through the first trimester, because food alone typically can’t reliably close the gap in time to protect the neural tube, which forms in the first few weeks.
Which foods are highest in folate?
Leafy greens, legumes, asparagus, broccoli, and fortified breakfast cereal and bread. See the meal ideas above for easy ways to include more. Note that liver, while very high in folate, isn’t included here due to the pregnancy vitamin A caution.
Does this calculator store my information?
No. Every calculation runs entirely in your browser. We don’t store, send or see your food selections or any personal or health information. Only anonymous, aggregate usage counts, with no identifying data, help us improve the tool.
Is this a substitute for advice from a dietitian?
No, it’s an educational estimate to help you understand your intake, not medical or diagnostic advice. For a plan tailored to you, book with one of our Accredited Practising Dietitians.
Where do the values come from?
Food folate values are drawn from Australian and international food-composition data (AUSNUT and USDA FoodData Central) and the pregnancy target from the NHMRC Nutrient Reference Values, reviewed by our Accredited Practising Dietitians.