Folate: where to find it in our kitchen

Folate is the natural form of vitamin B9. Your body needs it for cell division and for the healthy development of your baby's neural tube in the first weeks of pregnancy.

The good news is that Uzbek cooking is full of folate-rich foods.

• Herbs and greens: spinach, dill, coriander, parsley and spring onions. Add a handful to salads, soups and plov.
• Pulses: mung beans, lentils, chickpeas and beans. Mashkhurda and lentil soup are excellent choices.
• Vegetables: cabbage, broccoli and beetroot.
• Oranges, mandarins and eggs.

Folate is destroyed by long cooking, so eat herbs fresh or add them at the very end.

There is one important catch, though: even with a perfect diet it is hard to get as much folate as early pregnancy demands. That is why folic acid tablets are taken as prescribed by your doctor, usually before conception and through the first trimester. Food and the tablet don't replace each other — they work together.

Which dish with mung beans or fresh herbs is a favourite in your family?