A convenient and general one-pot, two-step protocol to prepare both N-acyl-1,3-thiazolidines and N-acyl-1,3-oxazolidines from formaldehyde, fatty acyl chlorides, and natural α-amino acids has been performed for the peculiar case of formaldehyde. In the presence of triethylamine to promote both the ring-forming process and the amide bond formation, subsequent addition of the acyl donor proved to be efficient to trap the preformed stable formaldehyde-derived 1,3-thiazolidine or the transient 1,3-oxazolidine using an appropriate ratio of formaldehyde.