Food & recipes

Healthy, simple supper: folate-rich kale pasta

Discover why so many of us aren’t getting enough folate in our diets and the simple tweaks you can make to reach your RDA naturally

Most of us are careful to keep the right levels of things like iron, calcium and zinc in our diets, but it seems that one vitamin in particular, is going under the radar: folate. A survey by Discover Great Veg revealed that despite the nutrient’s importance to our wellbeing, 75 percent of Brits don’t know folate is found naturally in food. And, 1 in 5 think it’s only pregnant women who need to consume it at all.

But that just isn’t the case. Folate matters to us all – from anaemia to cardiovascular disease and even mental health, not eating enough folate (otherwise known as Vitamin B9) can lead to a range of health problems.

The tell-tale signs you’re not eating enough folate can include:

Tiredness
Depression and anxiety
Swollen tongue
Mouth sores
Premature grey hair
Reduced sense of taste
Growth problems

Luckily, folate is one vitamin that is easy to get enough of by making the right food choices. Folate is found naturally in a wide range of everyday foods including green leafy veg like kale and spinach, chickpeas and kidney beans, as well as liver.

With 194ug and 141ug folate per 100g respectively, spinach and kale are two of the best sources of folate available – as well as being two of the most versatile vegetables.

Discover Great Veg teamed up with nutritionist Jenny Tschiesche to create nourishing, folate-rich recipes, like Kale Pasta Sauce. It’s a delicious alternative to classic pesto pasta. The recipe is quick, easy and budget-friendly, plus it contains at least 30 percent of your RDA for folate per portion.

Folate-rich kale pasta sauce

Ingredients:

500g pasta

1 tbsp olive oil

280g kale

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

3 tbsp. water

90g grated parmesan

240ml vegetable stock

180g cream cheese

Method:

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the kale and garlic and fry for about 1-2 minutes, until the leaves start to wilt a little then add the water and keep stirring for a further couple of minutes.
Transfer the kale and garlic to a food processor and blend for a few minutes then add the grated parmesan, vegetable stock and cream cheese. Blend at full speed until you have a bright green and creamy texture.
Stir this in to your cooked pasta then warm through gently before serving.