When trying to conceive, you are advised to eat a healthy and balanced diet.
Infertility cannot be solved solely through your choice of food – however, following a healthy lifestyle is a great first step in improving your chances of conceiving, whether you’re doing so naturally or with the help of assisted reproductive technology (ART), such as IUI or IVF.
In this article, we’re sharing five delicious recipes by fertility nutritionists and fertility providers we follow that can support your fertility during this time.
Start your day with this energy-boosting smoothie by Coach Kela.
Fruits and vegetables are some of the most nutrient-rich foods you can add to your diet. Greens are high in chlorophyll, a natural compound that gives plants their green color. Chlorophyll helps decrease inflammation in your system, which may in turn increase egg production and quality, and eventually promote good implantation.
The greener the vegetable is, the higher its chlorophyll content. Try this recipe – if it’s Coach Kela’s ‘Favorite Green Smoothie’ then it has to be good!
The ingredients in this recipe are packed with nutrients that boost egg and sperm health – it’s also super colorful and tasty! Quinoa is gluten free and high in protein and folate. This whole grain supports your fertility diet as it digests slowly with a low glycemic index; it releases glucose slowly and steadily.
Salmon is rich in essential fatty acids and omega-3s, which have been shown to be beneficial to fertility in both men and women. It’s also a source of selenium for healthy sperm production and vitamin D. If possible, go for wild-caught salmon as it has lower levels of dioxins.
Try this amazing recipe by Registered Dietitian and Medical Nutrition Therapist, Theresa Maiorano from Live & Love Nutrition.
An easy-to-make one-pot soup to warm you up on cold winter nights, packed with anti-inflammatory foods to boost your and your partner’s fertility. Anti-inflammatory foods reduce inflammation in the body, and this is key to your fertility. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury or illness, but prolonged inflammation can lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can make it difficult to get pregnant.
When shopping for your veggies, try to opt for organic or non-gmo brands, to avoid unwanted pesticides in your body.
Discover this delicious recipe by Coach Crystal from Fertility Blooms (we absolutely love Crystal and all that she’s doing in the fertility community!). You can also learn more about holistic approaches to fertility (including clean beauty and skincare products) at fertilityblooms.com … and while you’re there, catch GoStork Founder Eran Amir talk all things fertility in this Conceiving with Crystal episode!
Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut (RMACT) Nutritionist Carolyn Gundell shares a lower fat recipe for guacamole that tastes as good as the original. Avocados are high in nutrients that are important when trying to conceive and during pregnancy: they’re dense with folate, healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamin C, K, additional B vitamins, potassium, other minerals and fiber.
As Carolyn Gundell notes, while healthy fat promotes estrogen production and reproductive hormonal balance, “we can eat too much of a good thing”. Depending on the type of avocado, it can have up to 365 calories! Adding avocados to a balanced diet helps your overall fertility health.
At RMACT, Carolyn educates and supports patients and intended parents with nutrition advice while trying to conceive and beyond. If you’ve been trying to conceive for a while and are looking for a fertility clinic to identify the next steps (beyond just a healthy diet), then look out for our fertility marketplace where intended parents and fertility patients will be able to easily find, compare and connect with fertility clinics – including RMACT and other leading options.
Until then, do try this recipe for a bowl of amazing guacamole!
Just because you’re following a fertility diet, doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all the goodies.
This “Fertility Pizza” by Zita West is full of fertility-boosting ingredients, laid out on a healthy spelt base, a perfect antidote to serious carb cravings. What is ‘spelt’ you may ask? An ancient grain, spelt is rich in soluble fiber, manganese and magnesium, and protein; nutrients you want to add in your fertility diet.
So, go ahead and beat those carb cravings while supporting your efforts while TTC with this delicious healthy pizza recipe.
A healthy diet provides you and your partner with all the nutrients you need for optimized fertility and overall good health.
Fertility treatment can be draining emotionally, and physically – nourishing your body with healthy food that also supports your TTC journey can potentially get you closer to your goals faster. We hope you find these recipes helpful and tasty, as you navigate through this season of life and beyond.
At GoStork, we’re here to support you as you research your options, connect with providers that may be your ideal match, and make your final decision about which to move forwards with. Join us today to keep learning about your fertility options, and to find the ideal providers to help you on your journey. Start by creating your account here.