A Bigger Breakfast for Fertility Benefits

If you’re trying for a baby, your breakfast must provide key nutrients. Breakfast can have fertility benefits, too! Read on to find out how.

Research shows us that eating more calories for breakfast can actually increase your chances of conceiving, by regulating certain hormones and increasing your intake of certain nutrients. You’ll need to be strategic about what you consume in the first meal of the day; key nutrients such as healthy fats, iron, vitamin D and vitamin C should all be included for maximum fertility benefits. Read below to find out exactly what to eat for breakfast to make sure you have the best chances of conceiving a little one.

Why eating breakfast packs added fertility benefits

Research has proven that eating a bigger breakfast especially helps women who struggle with PCOS, a disorder that can make it exceptionally difficult to get pregnant. However, you don’t need to live with PCOS to reap the benefits of eating like a queen when you first wake up in the morning.

Eat a large breakfast, a moderate-sized lunch and a small dinner. This will reduce both your insulin levels and your testosterone levels; research tells us that high levels of either of these can worsen struggles with infertility.

The key here is to eat a breakfast that contains half of all of the calories you’ll eat throughout the day for peak insulin and testosterone reduction benefits. At the same time, though, you don’t want to eat hundreds of calories of just anything. Below, we’ll get into the perfect foods and nutrients for you to consume if you want the best fertility benefits.

Iron-rich foods

Iron has been shown to improve ovulatory regularity, which will boost fertility and make you more likely to get pregnant. So, be sure to consume a good amount of iron with your breakfast.

You may want to try iron-rich cereals; check the nutrition facts of your favorite cereals to find one that provides a good dose of iron. Blending leafy greens such as spinach or kale into a breakfast smoothie is another way to get more iron in your morning meal. In addition, peanut butter has a good amount of iron; try peanut butter toast in the morning, if you like.

Healthy fats

First things first: If you consume any dairy products, such as milk or yogurt, at breakfast, make sure you’re eating the full-fat variety. Science tells us that women who consume low-fat dairy products are more likely to struggle with infertility than women who consume full-fat options.

Secondly, you’ll receive added fertility benefits if you consume healthy fats with your breakfast—not trans fats. Healthy fats (rather than trans fats) can help your body control its insulin levels, which, in turn, helps to moderate testosterone levels. For a dose of healthy fats in the morning, try spreading avocado on toast!

Vitamin C

We already mentioned that iron is great for regulating your ovulation. However, your body needs vitamin C to absorb iron, so make sure you’re getting enough of that vitamin, too!

For best fertility benefits, eat a citrus fruit such as an orange with your breakfast to help your body absorb as much iron as it needs. Alternatively, you may even try squeezing lemon juice into your water to sip on that vitamin C throughout your day.

Vitamin D

Finally, science has proven that it’s absolutely vital to get enough vitamin D, both when you’re trying to get pregnant and during your pregnancy. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to get enough vitamin D at breakfast to walk away with peak fertility benefits.

First off, you may try eating eggs with your breakfast; you might even layer them over your avocado toast! Try them scrambled, fried or boiled—however you prefer. Eggs are loaded with vitamin D!

In addition, salmon contains loads of vitamin D, healthy fats and other nutritious benefits as well. Try adding salmon to any meal of the day to increase your fertility.