Got Baby Fever? Eat These 6 Foods

Preparing for a baby is just like conditioning your body for fitness. You have a specific goal and you make all the best decisions to get there from actively pursuing a healthy diet to getting the appropriate amount of sleep. This time, your goal is to get pregnant and just like when you’re working towards a toned body, you need to make sure you’re eating the best foods to fuel your fertility. Not only do certain foods help or hurt fertility, but also an unhealthy body mass index (BMI) can affect whether or not you get the answer you’re looking for, so a healthy diet is even more important. To boost the likeliness of pregnancy, add these foods to your diet.

1. Yogurt:

Dairy products can increase your potential for getting pregnant. More specifically, consuming at least one serving of full-fat dairy can fight infertility. According to Parents, removing the fat can affect the balance of sex hormones and in turn, negatively affect fertility.

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2. Lean animal protein:

Lean turkey, chicken and beef provide an abundance of iron, a vital ingredient in the diet to increase fertility. Don’t go overboard, though! Too much meat can have the adverse effect so don’t eat over three servings. Consider replacing one serving with plant protein like beans or tofu. (via Everyday Health)

>> Read more: How Much Protein Should You Eat?

3. Beans:

Stay away from refined carbs and load up on the complex variety. Digesting refined carbs like white bread and rice, refined cereal and other sugary treats can disrupt reproductive hormones. Add foods like beans, veggies and whole grain bread to your diet to promote regular ovulation and mitigate increased insulin levels that disrupt reproduction.

4. Wild Salmon:

Salmon provides omega-3 fatty acids, which increases blood flow to reproductive organs and regulates hormones. Flax seed, almonds and pumpkin seeds are also full of omega-3 fatty acids. Try Skinny Mom’s recipe for Pan-Seared Salmon Citrus Salad for two awesome pregnancy-promoting ingredients.

5. Oysters:

Aside from heating things up between you and your spouse, oysters provides loads of zinc, which is super important for conception. If you aren’t consuming enough zinc, your menstrual cycle can be irregular and the production of good eggs slower. You can find smaller quantities of zinc in beef, poultry, legumes and nuts. (via Everyday Health)

>> Read more: 7 Foods for Hotter Sex

6. Citrus:

Citrus foods like oranges, lemons and grapefruits are important to get the proper amount of folic acid each day. According to Fit Pregnancy, you should be consuming between 400 and 600 milligrams every day prior to conception and then 800 milligrams after you get the good news. You can also find folic acid in fortified whole grains and cereals to ensure a healthy pregnancy and mitigate the risk of birth defects.

Whether you’re thinking about trying to get pregnant or you’ve been trying for some time now, it’s important that you find the healthiest ways to increase the chance of conception. Your diet is one of the best starting points, especially considering that being overweight or underweight can reduce the likelihood of pregnancy. Check out Skinny Mom’s recipes to find ways to make delicious, healthy meals with these key ingredients.