When you’re trying to conceive, it can be challenging to find things to eat that will support that goal. Many of my fertility acupuncture patients tell me that they’re tired of eating the same things constantly. In order to make things easier for you, I’ve compiled a collection of fertility friendly snacks that will be sure to satisfy.
Every snack in this post is gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, and vegan. Many of these snacks are rich in protein as well. Keeping your protein intake up when trying to conceive can help balance hormones and blood sugar levels.
Managing blood sugar balance in fertility is important for egg and sperm health, as well as for hormone balance. It can also help manage immune concerns in cases where immune causes have been identified to contribute to fertility challenges, or in cases of “unexplained infertility”.
9 Fertility Friendly Snacks That Are Sugar Free
Roasted Chickpeas
Roasted chickpeas are a protein-rich way to get the salty crunch you may be missing in fertility friendly snacks. They can be seasoned with pretty much anything you have in your spice cabinet, which makes them versatile.
Lemon Garlic Kale Chips
Kale is a good source of fertility supporting antioxidants. Additionally, as a cruciferous vegetables, it complements the liver’s hormone balancing efforts. Kale chips are another snack that can be flavoured in a variety of ways. The lemon in this recipe helps cut the bitterness that kale can sometimes have.
Zucchini Fritters
These zucchini fritters use chickpea flour as a binding agent. They help boost your intake of vegetables and protein without sacrificing on flavour. You can make these ahead in a larger quantity and eat a few when you feel peckish.
Curry Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc, an antioxidant which is particularly helpful for sperm health. They also provide a good source of healthy fats which are essential for hormone balance and managing inflammation levels in the body. Just like many of the other recipes in this post, you can spice these pumpkin seeds to your liking.
Hummus
Hummus can easily be store bought, but if you’d like to have control over what goes into your food, you can which this up at home in no time. Scoop your hummus with carrots, cucumbers, or seed crackers to help round out the snack. Fibre is a key component of a fertility diet to help balance the microbiome, blood sugar balance, and keep hormone levels in check.
Probiotic Sauerkraut
Freshly made fermented sauerkraut helps provide gut-balancing probiotics. Because microbiome concerns can commonly be involved in fertility challenges, finding natural ways to balance your gut flora can help improve your fertility. I’m not the biggest fan of the taste of sauerkraut so I balance the taste by dishing out a serving with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of black pepper. Make sure to avoid cooking your sauerkraut in order to retain its probiotic properties.
Easy Tapenade
Olives are loaded with healthy fats that can help balance hormones. They’re also a key component of healthy cells, which can help improve egg and sperm quality. When I talk to patients about fertility nutrition, one of the things that’s the most often missing is a good daily intake of healthy fats.
Spicy Sweet Potato Fries with Curry Dipping Sauce
Cooking fats at high temperatures in the oven can turn the fats into an inflammatory food. Luckily, these sweet potato fries don’t need any oil to become both soft and crispy. And since antioxidants can be found in produce of all colours of the rainbow, these fries are absolutely a fertility friendly snack. You can make the curry dipping sauce with full fat coconut milk or eat them straight up.
Falafel patties
If you like falafel but you don’t want to deal with taking out and cleaning the food processor, these falafel patties are a nice substitute. They use chickpea flour, which makes them come together much more easily than when using whole chickpeas. They also don’t need to be deep fried, which makes them a healthier alternative. Dip them in tahini sauce to boost your intake of healthy fats.
Want more fertility friendly nutrition support?
You’ve been told that in order to boost your fertility, you need to relax. But if you’re also juggling a list of supplements, remembering where you are in your cycle, and keeping track of when you need to go for testing, it can feel hard to quiet your mind.
Let me take the weight of picking fertility supporting meals off your shoulders. Get the 7-Day Fertility Meal Plan today!