Foods for Fertility

The preconception time is SO underrated. There isn’t much emphasis placed on the couple’s health BEFORE trying to conceive, but should there be?

With rates of infertility rising, I think taking some time before starting to try should be standard practice at this point. While there are many different things you and your partner can do to prepare in advance, one of the simplest is focusing on your nutrition!

Today I’m going to focus on what to INCLUDE, but know there are also things you should probably EXCLUDE to optimize your health as well.

While the foods I’ll discuss below are great for any time of life, they contain some specific nutrients you really want to prioritize during the preconception period.

Here are some of my favorites:

Eggs: nature’s multivitamin that contains SO many nutrients including choline, B6, & fat soluble vitamins

Oysters: the best source of zinc there is! Also a good source of B12, Vitamin D, & omega 3s

Liver: One of the only things I would call a “superfood” because it contains SO may vital micronutrients that may be hard to get elsewhere. Especially high in Vitamin A, B6, B12, folate, & choline. Be sure you get it from a good source like @cartercountrymeats

Full fat dairy: especially raw dairy which contains fat soluble vitamins, zinc, iodine, & more!

Walnuts: ALA is a lesser talked about nutrient that is super important for fertility! They also contain small amounts of melatonin which is a powerful antioxidant helpful in protecting the egg

Pumpkin seeds: the only other non-animal product on the list, also contains ALA and zinc, among other micronutrients

Beef: another nutrient dense food that contains B vitamins, fat soluble vitamins, zinc, & so much more

Sardines: along with other wild caught fatty fish, contains omega 3, B12, Vitamin D, & iodine!

This is by no means an exhaustive list of foods that improve fertility, but a good place to start to ensure you’re getting the most bioavailable forms of these nutrients & building up your stores before or while you are TTC.

It’s also worth mentioning that even if you’re not actively TTC, this is something you can do 1-2 years before even thinking of getting pregnant! So if you’re unsure when that day will come, there’s no harm in starting to include these foods as a part of your normal routine anyway.

Want more preconception/pregnancy nutrition info? You can sign up for the program waitlist & you’ll be the first to know when it’s ready!

Let me know what other educational content you’d like around the preconception period!