A Couple’s Guide to Starting a Fertility-Boosting Diet 

The right diet can help with conception. These foods and a sample meal plan are the perfect fertility-boosting diet.

If you’re ready to get serious about having kids, it starts with taking control of your lifestyle. A proper commitment to diet and exercise will help your health and make you ready for raising little ones. More importantly, a fertility-boosting diet is often the essential ingredient to successfully getting pregnant in the first place.

General Health

For men and women, a generally healthy body is key to fertility. Being overweight introduces stressors and fat deposits that can interfere with conception, so avoid trans fats and plan a diet that will help you maintain a healthy weight. Conversely, being too thin can slow cell production that reduces the chances of having a baby, so avoid crash diets and fasting. A rounded, balanced diet paired with regular exercise should be plenty to get you into a target weight that will maximize the chances of having a baby. On that same note, regular exercise improves hormone production that also contributes to fertility.

Comparing Foods

There is some overlap of foods that boost fertility in both genders. For men and women, avoid raw fish and an excessively fish-heavy diet (a little salmon or cooked fish is fine) as the mercury content can hurt your chances of conceiving. It is also dangerous to developing babies and children and should be avoided by pregnant and nursing moms. Caffeine is another problem. Both partners should reduce or even cut caffeine intake entirely. Replacing coffee and sodas with water is the best way to go.

For women, managing fat intake is important. A study from Harvard School of Public Health has been found that low-fat dairy can contribute to ovular infertility. This means whole milk and full-fat products are better than their low-fat alternatives. It doesn’t mean you should stock up on fats to the exclusion of other foods, but when balancing dairy into your diet, whole milk is the way to go. For similar reasons, replacing some of your animal protein with plant protein (like beans and nuts) can also battle infertility. They have healthier fat content and are more calorie efficient sources of protein.

In men, fertility boosting mostly comes down to vitamins and minerals. Vitamins C and E are good supplements. Zinc and folic acid are also important for healthy sperm production. If you can’t easily fit these into your diet, a once-a-day vitamin is perfectly acceptable.

Sample Fertility-Boosting Diet

Here’s a sample menu to get you started.

Monday:

Breakfast – veggie and cheese omelet
Lunch – grilled chicken sandwich with steamed broccoli
Dinner – tofu stir fry with mixed veggies

Tuesday:

Breakfast – whole milk yogurt, add nuts and/or berries
Lunch – spinach salad
Dinner – homemade tacos

Wednesday:

Breakfast – soaked oatmeal
Lunch – taco salad made from leftovers
Dinner – Meatloaf or hamburger with sweet potato fries

Thursday:

Breakfast – scrambled eggs, add spinach and/or cheese
Lunch – grilled chicken salad, include spinach leaves
Dinner – grilled steak with steamed veggies

Friday:

Breakfast – fruit smoothie with whole milk
Lunch – grilled veggie pizza
Dinner – grilled salmon with baked potatoes

Saturday:

Breakfast – whole grain pancakes with fruit topping
Lunch – tofu pita pockets
Dinner – roast chicken with steamed veggies and butter

Sunday:

Breakfast – fried eggs and whole wheat toast
Lunch – broccoli cheese soup
Dinner – chicken casserole