[Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure here.]
[Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical practitioner. Any medical information is strictly my opinion based on research and personal experience, and not to be taken as advice. Always seek the advice of a licensed physician for your medical needs. Read my full disclaimer here.]
After finding the best fertility diet according to research (if you care about the research and why these recipes are good for fertility, check out the research here!), I put together the best fertility diet meal plan + recipes. First, here is a short recap of the keys to the best fertility diet:
Lots of..
–Monounsaturated fats (avocados, olive oil, etc.)…that helps with implantation. See this post.
–Fruits and veggies (if you are trying to follow traditional TCM, cook them first so you are eating “warming” foods)
–Plant-based protein (nuts, seeds, beans, legumes)
–Seafood (low in mercury, like salmon)
In moderation…
–High-fat dairy
–Whole grains instead of refined
Not much of (or no)…
–Animal-based protein
–Fast food/saturated fat
Read below for the meal plan + recipes! (And when you’re done, be sure to check out my fertility shopping list + list of meal ideas!)
The meals + recipes
Breakfast options:
1. My favorite: Steel-cut oats. Topping options: fruit like blueberries and raspberries, flaxseeds, and nuts.
I also add a little 2% milk (whole milk would be even better!). I buy the Quaker steel-cut oats. There are regular ones and instant ones—personally, I like the regular ones slightly better, but they take 25 minutes. If you don’t have that kind of time, the quick ones only take 3. Add a slice of multigrain bread with almond butter if you want or a banana.
2. Full-fat Greek yogurt (my dietician recommended Siggi’s!) topped with this homemade granola, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries (really whatever fruit you want) + flaxseeds (+any nuts you want too!)
Turns out homemade granola is really not hard to make…and then you can add in whatever nuts + seeds you want!
3. Special K Protein (Honey Almond/Ancient Grains) with 2% or whole milk + topped with fruit.
I used to only eat cereal for breakfast…and it’s still the easiest and quickest breakfast option for me when I’m in a hurry, even if it’s not the best option. One day I sat in the cereal aisle for a half hour reading the nutrition facts on cereal boxes, and I determined that this Special K is the best option for cereals when you are trying to get protein. So for those rushed mornings when you only have time to just pour yourself a quick bowl of cereal, try Special K + Protein (with full fat dairy milk and fruit)!
4. Smashed avocado + egg toast.
Use multigrain toast + organic, free-range eggs (prepared however you want — you could even do hard-boiled slices). My dietician recently clued me into just how important eggs are for reproductive health — she insisted I start eating several servings a week! Eat with a side of fruit.
5. Smoothies.
I experiment all the time with different combinations/amounts, but here are the things I add: spinach, liquid (I use milk, water, or orange juice), small scoop of almond butter, chia seeds, flaxseeds, frozen fruit combination (bananas, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and/or mango), + ice. The keys to a great smoothie are having an awesome blender (like this Ninja I have — it’s awesome) + making sure it’s super cold (hence the frozen fruit and ice). My dietician also recommended I add a scoop of these Collagen peptides for egg quality (the powder is tasteless and also includes protein). *Subscribe at the bottom of this page to get my favorite smoothie recipe delivered to your inbox!
Also: Ginger tea + lemon water.
I drink lemon (+ mint, sometimes) water throughout the day, but a lot at breakfast. I also make my own homemade ginger tea by smashing ginger and adding it to boiling water. Sometimes I add a bag of turmeric tea too.
Snack options (for whenever you want):
1. My favorite: Handful of nuts.
I keep a big jar of my own mixed nut blend on the kitchen table to grab a handful when I walk by — almonds, walnuts, and brazil nuts.
2. Hard boiled egg
3. Fresh fruit
4. Vegetables (with hummus if you want)
5. String cheese
Lunch options:
1. My favorite: Salmon chopped salad
This chopped salad is the ultimate fertility super salad — seafood, leafy greens, olive oil, and avocados! (And it’s delicious!) I add spinach to the romaine blend + use the recipe for the salmon that you can find below in my dinner options, although I’m sure the one listed here is delicious too. Find the recipe here: Salmon chopped salad
2. Indian vegetable curry sliders (aka Pav Bahji)
This C+C original recipe packs a delightful blend of anti-inflammatory herbs and spices: ginger, garlic, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon. Did I mention it’s delicious?
3. High-protein vegan salad
This made just enough for my husband + I for almost the whole week! Even though this is a salad, the quinoa, chickpeas, and seeds leave you feeling full. Find the recipe here: High-protein vegan salad
4. Sweet potato burrito bowls
Disclaimer: this isn’t 100% fertility-diet perfect (there are some canned veggies — buy organic when you can or use fresh!). And I cheat a little and still use white rice…or you could swap out the white rice for brown + then totally skip the broth. I often will make a big batch of these on Sunday and put in containers for easy take-and-go lunches for the whole week! Find the recipe here: Sweet potato burrito bowls
**Update: Although I still like the previous recipe, I recently made this similar recipe with my new cast iron skillet…it was amazing and even more fertility friendly! (Instead of the rice in the previous recipe, you get chicken — even better! And if you don’t have a cast iron skillet, it’s worth buying one for this!!)
5. Baja grain bowls
Panera-inspired, gluten free, super simple grain bowls that are great for meal prep! (If you’re cooking-challenged, you can do these!) Find the C+C original recipe here.
Bonus (obvious) idea: Any of your dinner leftovers
The easiest meal prep!
Dinner options:
1. My favorite: Grilled salmon with steamed broccoli + brown rice
Another salmon recipe…but it’s so good! If you don’t think you like fish or seafood, try it anyway — I didn’t think I did until I tried this recipe. I use the salmon marinade here. I usually steam the broccoli (if you don’t have a basket steamer, you need one) or roast it in the oven (though maybe a little less healthy than steaming, this is the BEST roasted broccoli recipe!). Serve with brown rice or quinoa.
2. Whitefish tacos with pineapple salsa + avocado crema
Again, if you don’t usually like fish, I challenge you to try this C+C original recipe.
3. Vegetarian chili
This recipe is DELISH. For real. I’m not going back to chili with meat!
4. Homemade pesto pasta + side salad
More like a big salad + side of pasta! Use either chickpea pasta, whole grain pasta, or pasta + protein (I have tried all three — pasta + protein is definitely the best in terms of flavor but chickpea in terms of healthiness — try that at your own risk!) To make homemade pesto, I follow this recipe. Add extra olive oil! It’s awesome. Don’t forget a giant salad…with a healthy dressing like this homemade lemon, italian, or balsamic vinaigrette.
5. Detox turmeric lentil soup
The turmeric in this recipe helps reduce inflammation…and again, lentils are an awesome source of protein! I was afraid this soup would be too turmeric-y for me (I just added 1 Tb. of turmeric)…but not at all! Find the recipe here: Turmeric lentil soup
*Don’t forget to check out my fertility shopping list + list of meal ideas!
I have an odd question – I am allergic to all seafood (both finned and shellfish) so I can’t consume any of it without my throat closing up. Is there anything else that can replace seafood?
Great question — although I don’t have any personal experience with this, I have heard that flax seeds are also a great source of Omega-3s!