Are you trying to conceive but unsure about the foods you should or shouldn’t be eating? Keeping track of the types of food you eat can play a role in your fertility and your overall health and wellbeing.
How food can impact fertility
Picking the right foods, providing your body with essential nutrients, and adopting clean eating habits can significantly enhance your overall wellbeing. These factors influence your fertility because eating healthily can lower your stress levels and improve your reproductive regulation, which greatly influences your fertility. It’s important to ensure your fertility diet maintains a healthy balance of critical nutrients.
What to include in your fertility meal plan
Optimising your diet while you’re trying to get pregnant is an important step. Consulting with your fertility team can help you understand the types of foods to prioritise. These are some of the best foods to eat when trying to conceive.
Leafy greens
Leafy greens help to strengthen your bones, create healthy muscles, and assist with nerve function and oxygen transport. Spinach, kale, and swiss chard are rich in fibre and also folate, which is essential for preventing birth defects and promoting overall reproductive health. It can be as easy as adding a handful of spinach into your egg scramble or smoothie!
Healthy fats
Nuts and seeds do wonders for your health! Almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds provide essential fatty acids and protein, promoting hormonal balance and supporting reproductive functions. Omega-3 fatty acids can also be found in olive oil, avocado, and seafood like salmon and sardines. These fats are crucial for reducing inflammation, encouraging blood flow to your reproductive organs, and protecting egg and sperm quality.
Fruits, especially berries
Blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries are high in fibre, vitamin C, and antioxidants, which help protect your eggs from damage and support overall fertility health. They also help prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, and lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Berries can be easily added into a yoghurt bowl for breakfast or as a snack on the side.
Lean proteins
Lean protein contains a lower amount of saturated fat and cholesterol. Including lean protein in your diet when trying to conceive is essential for creating and repairing all body tissues. Chicken, turkey, tofu, and lean cuts of beef are excellent sources of protein and iron, which are vital for ovulation and maintaining energy levels.
Wholegrains
To help prevent spikes and crashes in your blood sugar, eating brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, and whole wheat bread or cereals provides complex carbohydrates that help regulate blood sugar levels and maintain a healthy weight. If you’re trying to conceive, the extra fibre found in these foods naturally contains B vitamins, which are crucial for the development of a baby’s body.
Dairy products
Full-fat yoghurt, cheese, and milk can support fertility by providing calcium and vitamin D, which are important for reproductive health. Research suggests that women who eat full-fat dairy, over skim or reduced-fat, are more likely to get pregnant potentially due to the positive effects of these fats on ovulation.
Legumes
Lentils, beans, and chickpeas are great sources of protein, fibre, and iron, all of which are important for fertility and keep you feeling fuller for longer. They contain antioxidants and minerals such as folate and magnesium, great for a baby’s health.
What foods to avoid when trying to conceive
Unfortunately, there are a number of foods that can have a negative impact on your health and fertility. These are the foods you should try and avoid in your fertility diet plan.
- Trans Fats: Found in processed and fried foods, including most takeaway meals, as well as desserts like biscuits and cakes. While it is important to still enjoy what you eat, these should ideally be limited to promote a healthy pregnancy.
- Refined Carbohydrates and Sugar: White bread, pasta and sugary snacks can cause blood sugar spikes and prompt weight gain, which can disrupt fertility. It’s also healthy to avoid aspartame and other artificial sweeteners, which may interfere with hormone balance.
- Processed Meats: While lean meats are beneficial, processed meats and excessive amounts of red meat can negatively impact fertility. Avoid sausages, bacon and high-mercury fish, which contain additives and preservatives, and may harm foetal development.
- Excessive Caffeine and Alcohol: High caffeine consumption has been linked to decreased fertility and wellbeing. Additionally, it’s best to cut out alcohol when you decide to start trying, as it can affect your hormones and may have a negative impact on your baby if you are pregnant without realising.
Lifestyle tips for increasing fertility
As you go through the process of trying to conceive or waiting to become pregnant, it’s important to maintain a balanced lifestyle and ensure you are in good health to support the creation of a newborn baby.
- Have everything in moderation. As you are prepping meals and adding in daily movement, it’s important to keep it all in moderation. It’s not recommended to start doing high-intensity workouts or to completely limit your body to specific food groups. Instead, find a happy medium with your fertility nutrition that makes you feel great and keeps you healthy.
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water to support overall health and ensure that your body is functioning optimally. Females need about 8 cups (2 litres) of fluids a day.
- Maintain a healthy weight: Being underweight or overweight can affect hormone levels and ovulation. Try to aim for a balanced diet and regular exercise which will lead to a healthy weight.
- Take prenatal vitamins: Consider taking a prenatal vitamin that includes folic acid, iron, and other essential nutrients to support reproductive health. It’s recommended to start taking folic acid 3 months before becoming pregnant to make sure your body has healthy red blood cells.
Fertility diet recipes
With a good understanding of how to eat a balanced diet and maintain a good lifestyle, you are now ready to make a change and start living healthier. If you’re looking for fertility friendly recipes, here are ten of our favourites!
- Slow-Cooker Quinoa Salad with Arugula & Feta: A tasty balance of legumes, whole grains and fibre.
- Ful Mudammas: Hearty, creamy, and full of flavour.
- Easy Chilli Chicken: Lean meat, fresh veggies and deliciousness.
- Walnut-Rosemary Crusted Salmon: Protein-packed and low in saturated fat.
- Polenta with Roasted Vegetables: Fibre, iron and folate packed into this filling dish.
- Soft Scramble and Roasted Sweet Potato Plate: Sweet potatoes, avocados and eggs — a perfect balance!
- Cucumber and Tomato Salad: Fibre and healthy fats, all in under 5 minutes!
- Feta & Roasted Red Pepper Stuffed Chicken Breast: Filled with calcium from cheese and protein from the chicken.
- Garlic Tofu with Soy & Sesame: Plant-based lean protein to reduce unhealthy fats.
- Flaxseed Pudding: The perfect breakfast, snack or dessert.
Overall, the best fertility diet is the one you can comfortably stick to, while still prioritising the right nutritional elements. Have a chat to a doctor or fertility specialist for more fertility diet meal plan ideas and tips to give yourself the best chance of a healthy pregnancy.
