Calculator
Free tool · 10 seconds
How much folate do you actually need?
Your daily folate target changes with your life stage. Pick yours to see the number — and what it looks like on a plate.
1 Choose your life stage
Where these targets come from
Folate needs rise during the teen years and especially around pregnancy, when folate builds the baby's brain and spine in the first few weeks — often before a pregnancy is even known. That's why preconception and pregnancy targets are highest.
Targets are shown in µg DFE (Dietary Folate Equivalents). International guidance (NIH ODS) sets the adult target at 400 µg DFE; ICMR-NIN 2020 cites a lower adult RDA of about 300 µg. We show both rather than hide the difference.
Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, ICMR-NIN 2020, IFCT 2017 (NIN).
This is general educational information, not medical advice. Your personal target can differ with your health, medication and history. If you're pregnant, planning a pregnancy, breastfeeding, or have a medical condition, please confirm with your healthcare professional.
Free tool · 30 seconds
Are you getting enough folate?
A quick, honest estimate from your everyday diet — it'll even tell you if you're already fine.
1 Your life stage
2 How often do you eat these? Tap a frequency · pick how it's cooked
Fine-tune (optional)
Note: folic acid is converted using a ×1.7 DFE factor. Q6 uses methylfolate (5-MTHF), the already-active form that skips that conversion.
How we calculate this
We estimate your daily folate from how often you eat each food, a typical Indian portion, the food's raw folate value, and how cooking affects it:
daily ≈ (servings ÷ 7) × portion × folate/100g × cooking-retention
Food folate is shown in µg DFE (food folate ≈ 1:1; folic-acid supplements use ×1.7). Targets follow NIH ODS DFE values; ICMR-NIN cites a lower adult RDA (~300 µg), which we note in the result.
Sources: IFCT 2017 (NIN), USDA folate & nutrient-retention tables, NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, and published cooking-retention studies.
✻ Some food values are provisional, pending nutritionist sign-off.
This is an educational estimate, not a diagnosis, and it can't measure what's actually in your blood. A serum folate / B12 test confirms your status. If you're pregnant, planning a pregnancy, breastfeeding, or have a medical condition, please talk to your healthcare professional.
Did you know?
How much folate does cooking cost you?
Even healthy eaters lose folate to the pot. See what happens to your food.
Where these numbers come from
Folate is water-soluble and heat-sensitive — boiling lets it leach into the water, while steaming and quick cooking keep more of it. We apply published retention factors to a typical portion's raw folate value.
Sources: USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, IFCT 2017 (NIN), and peer-reviewed cooking-retention studies.
✻ Some food values are provisional, pending nutritionist sign-off. Figures are estimates for general guidance.
Test, don't guess
An estimate is a start — a blood test is the proof.
Use the result above to have a sharper conversation with your doctor.