If you’ve been trying to get pregnant for a while you’ll know that there is a lot of waiting involved. Waiting for your fertile window, waiting to ovulate, waiting to test. And you can feel a bit helpless through all this waiting. But did you know that what you eat can have a massive impact on your fertility? So a good way to regain a sense of control through all that waiting is to focus on eating a fertility-friendly diet. Not sure where to start? Eat these 5 foods to get pregnant faster.
Did you know that eating fish might help you get pregnant faster? One study found that when both partners ate approximately two serves of fish or seafood per week they had a 61% greater chance of conceiving than those who ate none!
So why does fish help fertility? Well, it seems that the omega-3 fats (DHA and EPA) in fish improve our egg health and help prevent anovulation.
Go for: Low mercury fatty fish like anchovies or sardines.
Sure all veggies are great. For your health in general and your fertility. But there is a special place on your fertility plate for leafy greens. This includes spinach, rocket, kale, bok choy, cabbage and broccoli. Ideally, you should be having a serving of at least one of these twice a day.
Why? They are high in folate (the number one prenatal vitamin that you NEED for fertility), are anti-inflammatory not to mention rich in vitamins such a vitamins K, A and C.
Go for: Something different than what you usually have for added plant diversity (this helps keep your gut bug happy and healthy!) Try chard, mustard greens or watercress.
You need fat for fertility. Both on your body and on your plate. If you don’t have enough body fat your body doesn’t think it’s a good time to reproduce (pregnancy takes a lot of energy so your body needs to know there is enough food available to sustain it!) And not only is fat the building block for our hormones it’s also the way to get in fat-soluble vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamin A, E, D and K – all essential for fertility.
Nuts are one of my favourite sources of fat. Most nuts are also a good source of some of the most important fertility minerals: zinc, selenium and magnesium.
Go for: Almond or cashews. They’re easy to find and can be used for both sweet and savoury dishes or just snacked on by the handful.
Some people worry about the sugar in fruit when TTC (and yes, a high sugar diet does affect fertility.) But whole fruit is a great fertility food– especially berries which are rich in nutrients and fibre.
One study showed that up to three serves of fruit per day decreased time to pregnancy by 19% (compared to those who ate very little fruit!)
Ps. Fruit and fruit juice are not the same! Fruit juice misses the fibre – one of the best parts of fruit. And makes your blood sugars shoot up, which messes with your reproductive hormones (and then ovulation and fertility.)
Go for: Frozen berries. They’re cheaper, last longer, you’ll always have them when you need them and since most are flash-frozen, just as nutritious as fresh.
Fact: You probably don’t eat enough legumes. This group of fibre and nutrient-rich plants includes beans, peas, lentils and peanuts and they are fertility powerhouses!
Like leafy greens, they are very high in folate. They’re also great for our gut health as they high in fibre. Plus they’re known to be anti-inflammatory.
All legumes are a great source of plant-based protein. Beans and lentils, also contain carbohydrates but release them slowly so they are low GI. Garden peas and edamame are higher in protein but lower in carbs and peanuts are high in both fats and proteins.
Try to include some legumes in your diet every single day.
Go for: Any! Seriously they are all amazing. (And yes, peanut butter counts!)
Want to know how you can start incorporating more of these foods to get pregnant faster in your diet? Downloading one of our Recipe Books.
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@foodbabyfertility
Fertility dietitian, ovulation expert, lover of food and squishy newborn baby cuddles. I help people get pregnant (fast) and have the healthiest pregnancies possible.