The short version
- In pregnancy the NIH sets 27 mg iron, 600 mcg DFE folate, 220 mcg iodine and 450 mg choline a day.
- Beans, lentils, fortified cereal and lean meat carry the most iron. Eat plant iron with vitamin C.
- Eggs are the easy choline food, and dairy, cod and iodized salt cover a lot of iodine.
- Most prenatal vitamins don't contain choline and only about half contain iodine. Which one you take is your prescriber's call.
Jump to a section
Pregnancy raises your need for a handful of nutrients. The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines name iron, folate and iodine as top priorities, and choline sits right beside them. Here’s how much of each the NIH suggests, and the everyday foods that carry the most.
How much do I need of each?
The NIH sets these daily amounts for pregnancy.
Iron jumps the most, from 18 mg before pregnancy to 27 mg. Folate rises from 400 to 600 mcg DFE, iodine from 150 to 220 mcg, and choline from 425 to 450 mg.
Which foods are high in iron?
Beans, lentils, fortified cereal, tofu, spinach and lean red meat.
Rounded USDA FoodData Central values. Check the label on fortified foods, since brands vary.
| Food | Portion | Iron |
|---|---|---|
| Instant oats, fortified, plain | 1 packet (28 g) | 6.9 mg |
| Lentils, cooked | 1 cup | 6.6 mg |
| Kidney beans, cooked | 1 cup | 5.2 mg |
| Chickpeas, cooked | 1 cup | 4.7 mg |
| Tofu, firm | 1/2 cup | 3.4 mg |
| Spinach, cooked | 1/2 cup | 3.2 mg |
| Ground beef, 95% lean, cooked | 3 oz | 2.7 mg |
For a longer list, see iron-rich foods.
How do I absorb more iron from plant foods?
Eat them with vitamin C or alongside a little meat, poultry or seafood.
The NIH explains that iron from plants is absorbed less well than iron from animal foods. Pairing helps. Try lentil soup with tomatoes, beans with peppers, or fortified oats with strawberries. ACOG adds oranges, grapefruit and broccoli to the list.
ACOG also notes your blood will be checked for anemia during pregnancy. If it’s low, your OB may suggest more iron.
Where do I find folate?
Leafy greens, beans, fortified grains and orange juice.
ACOG says it’s hard to get enough folic acid from food alone, which is why prenatal vitamins carry it. Food still counts toward the total. Values from the NIH:
| Food | Portion | Folate |
|---|---|---|
| Spinach, boiled | 1/2 cup | 131 mcg DFE |
| Black-eyed peas, boiled | 1/2 cup | 105 mcg DFE |
| Breakfast cereal, fortified with 25% DV | 1 serving | 100 mcg DFE |
| White rice, enriched, cooked | 1/2 cup | 90 mcg DFE |
| Asparagus, boiled | 4 spears | 89 mcg DFE |
| Avocado, sliced | 1/2 cup | 59 mcg DFE |
| Kidney beans, canned | 1/2 cup | 46 mcg DFE |
| Orange juice | 3/4 cup | 35 mcg DFE |
Where do I find iodine?
Seafood, dairy, eggs and iodized salt.
Values from the NIH:
| Food | Portion | Iodine |
|---|---|---|
| Cod, baked | 3 oz | 146 mcg |
| Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat | 3/4 cup | 87 mcg |
| Milk, nonfat | 1 cup | 84 mcg |
| Iodized table salt | 1/4 tsp | 78 mcg |
| Egg, hard-boiled | 1 large | 31 mcg |
| Cheddar | 1 oz | 14 mcg |
Two things catch people out. Sea salt, kosher salt and Himalayan salt usually aren’t iodized. And processed foods almost never use iodized salt. The NIH also notes only about half of US prenatal vitamins contain iodine, so it’s worth asking your OB to check yours.
Where do I find choline?
Eggs, meat, fish, soy and dairy.
The NIH says most people get less than the recommended amount, and pregnant women are one of the groups most likely to fall short. ACOG adds that choline isn’t in most prenatal vitamins, so food matters here. Values from the NIH:
| Food | Portion | Choline |
|---|---|---|
| Egg, hard-boiled | 1 large | 147 mg |
| Beef top round, braised | 3 oz | 117 mg |
| Soybeans, roasted | 1/2 cup | 107 mg |
| Chicken breast, roasted | 3 oz | 72 mg |
| Cod, cooked | 3 oz | 71 mg |
| Kidney beans, canned | 1/2 cup | 45 mg |
| Milk, 1% | 1 cup | 43 mg |
| Broccoli, boiled | 1/2 cup | 31 mg |
What does a day with all four look like?
A mix of eggs, beans, greens, dairy and fish covers a lot of ground.
- Breakfast: fortified oats made with milk, strawberries on top, and a hard-boiled egg
- Lunch: lentil soup with tomatoes and a spinach salad
- Snack: Greek yogurt with orange slices
- Dinner: baked cod with rice and broccoli
Keep eggs fully cooked and fish to low-mercury choices. See foods to avoid while pregnant.
How does Imi help?
Imi tracks folate, iron, iodine, choline and caffeine every day, and keeps your trimester, folate and iron at the top of Home.
Turn on the pregnancy focus and Imi plans meals toward these targets from food you like. You can also ask it for “iron-rich dinners that aren’t liver.” Foods to skip stay off your plan, with the reason on the recipe. Calories step up at weeks 14 and 28, and weight loss and GLP-1 support switch off.
If your OB or midwife gives you different numbers, enter theirs and Imi uses them. See how Imi plans for pregnancy or browse iron-rich foods.
Sources (10)
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Iron
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Folate
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Folate, health professional fact sheet (food table)
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Iodine
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Iodine, health professional fact sheet (food table)
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Choline
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Choline, health professional fact sheet (food table)
- ACOG: Healthy eating during pregnancy (FAQ001)
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
- USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy): lentils, cooked, boiled
