Following a fertility or trying to conceive (TTC) friendly diet can seem overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be! Our friends at Nouri, a meal delivery service company that focuses on nourishing parents at any stage of the journey, helps to handle the guesswork for you. Their culinary Director, Jennifer Jolorte Doro took to our blog to highlight some easy-to-find fertility-friendly foods and how to use them. 

Here is a foundation of things to consider when preparing the body for this period:

Consider removing:

• Processed, refined foods from the diet. Examples include reduced fat or low fat labeled foods, vegetable oils – corn, canola, or soy, any preservatives, additives, or artificial sweeteners that can be found in many shelf-stable items. 

Consider adding:

• Supportive healthy fats including avocado oil, coconut oil, ghee, Butter, and whole eggs including the yolk! 
• Fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, and kombucha as they are full of necessary probiotics which are extremely helpful for overall gut microbiome health, effective digestion, and proper absorption of nutrients. 
• Mostly plants but also fish. Omega 3s – DHAs come from wild fish such as salmon and cod. These are also mercury-free options. You may supplement with cod liver oil or fish oil. 

With this information, here is a grocery list of foods with the foundation philosophy in mind. 

The simple grocery list:

• Kombucha, any brand with low sugar content and any suitable flavor. I highly recommend Pilot Kombucha, a local NY brand 
• Kimchi, Mother in Law’s Kimchi 
• Eggs – any brand that is organic, free-range 
• Avocados 
• Nuts: Cashews, Walnuts, Almonds, Peanuts or their nut butter equivalents 
• Coconut Oil and coconut flakes
• Butter – Kerrygold 
• Wild Cod or Salmon – aim for 3-4oz for a dinner portion 
• Folate rich greens – kale, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, arugula 
• Whole grains that are also gluten-free – quinoa, millet, brown rice, and buckwheat 
• Gluten-free bread – Meredith’s Bread has amazing gluten-free options 

Once you’ve obtained a few of these items, let’s chat about all the ways we can incorporate them into our diet! 

Avocado Toast

Toast a slice of bread, add butter while still warm. Top with mashed avocado, kimchi, arugula, soft boiled egg and drizzle with avocado oil 

Grain Bowls

The recipe for grain bowls is simple with many variations. Add 1 cup of grains, 1 cup of sauteed greens, a 3-4oz piece of fish with the option to add nuts, kimchi, and an extra egg. 

An easy snack

1 cup of almond butter, ½ cup of quinoa, 2 tbsp of coconut flakes. Mix all ingredients together and roll into small ball bites. Add to the freezer for one hour then enjoy! 

We hope you enjoyed this information, grocery list, and simple recipes!

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about Nouri and their services, you can click here.