"Trying to conceive" is a phrase I hear often in my practice, usually followed by a flood of conflicting advice from social media, wellness blogs and well-meaning friends. Fertility nutrition doesn't need to be complicated or restrictive — small, consistent changes to how you eat can support your body's reproductive health, whether you're just starting to think about starting a family or have been trying for a while.
Diet is only one piece of a much bigger picture, but it's one of the few pieces you have everyday control over.
How diet supports fertility
Fertility is influenced by age, underlying health conditions and genetics as well as diet, but nutrition plays a genuine, evidence-based role in supporting hormone regulation, egg and sperm quality, and a healthy body weight. This is especially relevant for the roughly 1 in 10 women in the UK living with PCOS, one of the most common causes of ovulatory infertility, where diet is one of the most effective tools for managing symptoms alongside medical care. Blood sugar balance matters here too — repeated spikes and crashes can disrupt the hormones involved in ovulation, which is one of the first things I look at with clients who are trying to conceive.
Foods that support female fertility and egg quality
Egg quality naturally declines with age, but a nutrient-dense diet can help support the environment your eggs develop in. In my practice, I encourage clients to focus on antioxidant-rich foods — berries, leafy greens and colourful vegetables — which help protect cells from oxidative stress. Oily fish, walnuts and chia seeds provide omega-3 fatty acids that support hormone balance, while wholegrains and pulses help keep blood sugar stable, which matters even more if you're managing PCOS or insulin resistance.
Folate deserves a special mention. The NHS advises anyone trying to conceive to take a folic acid supplement, alongside eating folate-rich foods such as spinach, broccoli, chickpeas and fortified breakfast cereals, since adequate folate intake before and during early pregnancy helps reduce the risk of neural tube defects. It's one of the few pieces of fertility nutrition advice with genuinely universal agreement, so it's always worth checking in with your GP or pharmacist about a suitable supplement before you start trying.
Male fertility: foods that matter too
Male fertility gets far less attention in most nutrition content, but sperm health is just as diet-responsive as egg health — sperm regenerate roughly every three months, so dietary changes can have a real, measurable impact within a few cycles. In my practice, I find men are often surprised by how much their own diet can influence sperm quality, not just their partner's.
Zinc-rich foods such as pumpkin seeds, shellfish and lean meat support healthy testosterone production and sperm formation, while selenium from brazil nuts and lycopene from cooked tomatoes have both been linked to improved sperm motility in research. Vitamin C and E, found in citrus fruit, berries, nuts and seeds, help protect sperm from oxidative damage, and folate — the same nutrient I mentioned for women above, found in leafy greens, lentils and fortified cereals — also plays a role in sperm DNA integrity, so it's worth both partners paying attention to it.
Lifestyle factors sit alongside diet here too: maintaining a healthy weight, moderating alcohol and stopping smoking are all linked to better sperm count and quality. If a couple is referred for fertility investigations, this usually includes a semen analysis for the male partner as standard, so it's worth men seeing their GP as well, rather than assuming any difficulty sits with their partner — fertility is very much a two-person picture.
Practical steps to support your fertility through food
Small, sustainable changes tend to work better than a complete diet overhaul. A few places I typically start with clients:
- Aim for at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, prioritising variety and colour
- Swap refined carbohydrates for wholegrain versions to help keep blood sugar stable
- Include a source of healthy fat — oily fish, nuts, seeds or olive oil — at most meals
- Limit alcohol and cut back on caffeine, in line with NHS pre-conception guidance
- Work towards a healthy weight range where relevant — both being underweight and living with excess weight can affect fertility, and my weight loss support can help if that's part of your picture
When to seek extra support
If you have a diagnosed condition such as PCOS or endometriosis, or you're undergoing fertility treatment such as IVF, I'd always recommend discussing any dietary changes with your GP, fertility specialist or a registered dietitian alongside the general nutrition guidance I offer — clinical management of fertility treatment sits outside my scope as a nutritionist. What I can do is help you build sustainable, evidence-based eating habits that support your overall reproductive health.
If you would like personalised support with fertility nutrition, I offer one-to-one online consultations. View my consultation packages or book a free discovery call to discuss how I can help.