Foods & Recipes
The best source of choline is choline-rich foods. Many prenatal vitamins do not currently contain choline. Beef liver*, chicken liver* and eggs are all excellent sources of choline which means that one serving provides 20 percent or more of the recommended amount of choline. According to the Institute of Medicine, adequate choline intake is 550 milligrams per day for men and breastfeeding women, 425 milligrams per day for women, and 450 milligrams per day for pregnant women.
* The March of Dimes recommends that pregnant women minimize their intake of liver due to its excessive vitamin A levels
Adequate Intake (AI) levels for choline are:
Population | Adequate Intake (AI) |
| Infants:
(0-6 months) | 125 milligrams 150 milligrams |
| Children:
(1-3 years) | 200 milligrams 250 milligrams 375 milligrams |
| Adolescents:
(14-18 years) | 400 milligrams (Females) 550 milligrams (Males) |
| Adults:
(19 and older) | 425 milligrams (Females) 550 milligrams (Males) |
| Pregnant women | 450 milligrams |
| Breastfeeding women | 550 milligrams |
In 2001, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowed anutrient content claim on
labels of foods that meet the following criteria to be termed “good” or “excellent” sources
of choline:
 |
Must contain at least 110 mg of choline per serving, (20% of the Daily Value for choline based on 550 mg reference) |
 |
Must contain at least 55 mg of choline per serving, (10% of the Daily Value for choline based on 550 mg reference) |
Click here to download the food comparison chart.
  
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