BreakfastTrying to conceive
Porridge with ground linseed and walnuts
Warming porridge topped with ground linseed and chopped walnuts, plant sources of omega-3, ready in under 10 minutes.
- 8 min total
- 1 portion
- Vegetarian
- Omega-3-containing
- Fibre-rich
Trying to Conceive Recipes
Nourish While Trying to Conceive
Everyday meal ideas for anyone hoping to conceive, based on trusted UK guidance.
These recipes are written for the trying-to-conceive stage, whether you are just starting to plan, have been trying for a while, or are preparing for fertility treatment. They are for anyone hoping to conceive, including partners. Each recipe includes allergen information, food-safety notes, storage guidance and approximate nutrition per portion. Food alone cannot treat fertility problems, and no recipe here claims to.
Supplements and drinks
- The NHS advises taking a 400 microgram folic acid supplement every day while trying for a baby and until you are 12 weeks pregnant. Folate-containing foods do not replace that supplement. Some people are advised to take a higher dose — ask your GP.
- The NHS advises considering a daily 10 microgram vitamin D supplement, particularly between October and early March.
- The NHS advises avoiding alcohol if you could become pregnant, and limiting caffeine to 200mg a day in pregnancy. Recipes here contain no alcohol.
For both partners
These recipes are written for anyone hoping to conceive, including partners. General healthy-eating advice applies to both partners; talk to a GP about any specific concerns.
If you are having fertility treatment, follow the food, drink and supplement advice given by your clinic — it takes priority over general guidance.
40 recipes available
BreakfastTrying to conceive
Spinach and egg muffins
Baked egg muffins with wilted spinach and cheese, a folate-containing, batch-friendly breakfast cooked through until fully set.
- 30 min total
- 2 portions
- Vegetarian
- High-protein
- Folate-containing
BreakfastTrying to conceive
Baked beans on wholemeal toast
A budget-friendly, fibre-rich classic of hot baked beans on wholemeal toast, made in minutes.
- 7 min total
- 1 portion
- Vegan
- Fibre-rich
- Budget-friendly
BreakfastTrying to conceive
Overnight oats with chia and berries
Fridge oats made the night before with chia seeds and fortified milk, topped with washed berries, ready to grab on a busy morning.
- 5 min total
- 1 portion
- Vegan
- Fibre-rich
- Quick and easy
BreakfastTrying to conceive
Scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast
Soft scrambled British Lion eggs on wholemeal toast, a quick, protein-rich breakfast cooked through until fully set.
- 10 min total
- 1 portion
- Vegetarian
- High-protein
- Quick and easy
BreakfastTrying to conceive
Fortified wholegrain cereal with fruit
A no-cook bowl of fortified wholegrain cereal with milk and washed fruit, an iron and folate-containing breakfast ready in under 5 minutes.
- 3 min total
- 1 portion
- Vegetarian
- Iron-containing
- Folate-containing
BreakfastTrying to conceive
Vegan tofu scramble with turmeric
A plant-based scramble of crumbled tofu, turmeric and spinach, served on wholemeal toast, cooked through until piping hot.
- 13 min total
- 2 portions
- Vegan
- High-protein
- Iron-containing
BreakfastTrying to conceive
Greek yoghurt with walnuts and fruit
A calcium-containing bowl of Greek yoghurt with walnuts and washed fruit, an omega-3-containing breakfast ready in minutes.
- 4 min total
- 1 portion
- Vegetarian
- Calcium-containing
- Omega-3-containing
LunchTrying to conceive
Lentil and spinach salad jar
A layered jar of puy lentils, spinach, roasted peppers and a lemon dressing that includes folate-containing foods, easy to pack for a working day.
- 15 min total
- 2 portions
- Vegan
- Fibre-rich
- Folate-containing
LunchTrying to conceive
Jacket potato with mackerel and yoghurt slaw
A baked jacket potato topped with tinned mackerel and a light yoghurt slaw — an easy, budget-friendly lunch that includes oily fish within weekly limits.
- 70 min total
- 2 portions
- Gluten-free
- High-protein
- Omega-3-containing
LunchTrying to conceive
Chickpea and halloumi flatbread
Griddled halloumi and warm spiced chickpeas piled onto a wholemeal flatbread with salad — a quick lunch that includes calcium-containing foods.
- 25 min total
- 2 portions
- Vegetarian
- High-protein
- Calcium-containing
LunchTrying to conceive
Egg and avocado wholemeal bagel
A fully cooked egg mashed with avocado on a toasted wholemeal bagel — a simple, quick lunch that includes folate-containing foods.
- 20 min total
- 2 portions
- Vegetarian
- Quick and easy
- Folate-containing
LunchTrying to conceive
Mediterranean bean and vegetable bowl
A mediterranean-style bowl of butter beans, roasted vegetables, olives and a lemon dressing — a colourful, plant-based packed lunch.
- 40 min total
- 2 portions
- Vegan
- Mediterranean-style
- Fibre-rich
LunchTrying to conceive
Sardine and tomato wholemeal toast
Tinned sardines mashed with tomato and lemon on wholemeal toast — a quick, low-cost lunch that includes oily fish within weekly limits.
- 10 min total
- 1 portion
- Omega-3-containing
- Budget-friendly
- Quick and easy
LunchTrying to conceive
Vegan buddha bowl with marinated tofu
Baked marinated tofu, brown rice, edamame and roasted vegetables in one bowl — a plant-based lunch with notes on B12-containing foods.
- 45 min total
- 2 portions
- Vegan
- High-protein
- Fibre-rich
LunchTrying to conceive
Jacket potato with cottage cheese and baked beans
A store-cupboard jacket potato topped with cottage cheese and baked beans — a budget-friendly, filling lunch with calcium and fibre.
- 65 min total
- 2 portions
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
- Budget-friendly
Evening mealTrying to conceive
Baked salmon with new potatoes and greens
Oven-baked salmon fillets with new potatoes and steamed greens, an oily fish meal to enjoy within the recommended weekly limit.
- 30 min total
- 2 portions
- Omega-3-containing
- Gluten-free
- High-protein
Evening mealTrying to conceive
Grilled mackerel with tomato and bean salad
Quick grilled mackerel served with a Mediterranean-style tomato and butter bean salad, ready in 20 minutes.
- 20 min total
- 2 portions
- Omega-3-containing
- Gluten-free
- Quick and easy
Evening mealTrying to conceive
Chickpea and spinach curry
A vegan store-cupboard curry with chickpeas, spinach and tomatoes, including folate-containing leafy greens and pulses.
- 35 min total
- 4 portions
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Fibre-rich
Evening mealTrying to conceive
Lentil and vegetable bolognese
A vegan bolognese made with red lentils and vegetables served over wholemeal pasta, a budget-friendly batch-cooking meal.
- 40 min total
- 4 portions
- Vegan
- Fibre-rich
- Budget-friendly
Evening mealTrying to conceive
Halloumi and Mediterranean vegetable traybake
Roasted aubergine, courgette and peppers with halloumi, a vegetarian Mediterranean-style evening meal.
- 40 min total
- 2 portions
- Vegetarian
- Mediterranean-style
- Gluten-free
Evening mealTrying to conceive
Egg and vegetable frittata
A quick vegetarian frittata with spinach, peas and cherry tomatoes, ready in 20 minutes and folate-containing.
- 20 min total
- 2 portions
- Vegetarian
- Quick and easy
- Gluten-free
Evening mealTrying to conceive
Lemon chicken with wholegrain couscous
Pan-fried lemon and garlic chicken breast served with wholegrain couscous and roasted vegetables.
- 35 min total
- 2 portions
- High-protein
- Mediterranean-style
Evening mealTrying to conceive
Lean beef and spinach stir-fry
A quick lean beef stir-fry with spinach, peppers and brown rice, an iron-containing evening meal ready in 20 minutes.
- 20 min total
- 2 portions
- Iron-containing
- High-protein
- Quick and easy
Evening mealTrying to conceive
Tofu and vegetable noodles
A vegan rice noodle stir-fry with tofu, mixed vegetables and sesame, ready in under 20 minutes.
- 20 min total
- 2 portions
- Vegan
- Quick and easy
- Gluten-free
Evening mealTrying to conceive
Lamb and chickpea stew
A slow-simmered Mediterranean-style lamb and chickpea stew with tomatoes and cumin, suitable for batch cooking and freezing.
- 75 min total
- 4 portions
- Iron-containing
- Mediterranean-style
- Fibre-rich
SnacksTrying to conceive
Hummus with vegetable sticks
A simple chickpea hummus with washed vegetable sticks, offering fibre and folate as part of a varied diet.
- 10 min total
- 4 portions
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
SnacksTrying to conceive
Oat and walnut energy bites
No-bake oat bites with walnuts, dates and a little cinnamon, easy to make ahead as a portable snack.
- 15 min total
- 10 portions
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
SnacksTrying to conceive
Cheese and wholemeal crackers
A simple calcium-containing snack of hard cheese with wholemeal crackers and washed apple.
- 5 min total
- 1 portion
- Vegetarian
- Calcium-containing
- Quick and easy
SnacksTrying to conceive
Roasted spiced chickpeas
Crunchy oven-roasted chickpeas seasoned with cumin and paprika, a fibre-rich savoury snack.
- 35 min total
- 4 portions
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
SnacksTrying to conceive
Yoghurt, oat and linseed pot
Layers of pasteurised yoghurt, washed berries, oats and ground linseed, a calcium-containing snack ready in minutes.
- 5 min total
- 1 portion
- Vegetarian
- Calcium-containing
- Quick and easy
Smoothies & drinksTrying to conceive
Banana, oat and milk smoothie
A filling, caffeine-free smoothie made with pasteurised milk, banana and oats, ready in minutes.
- 5 min total
- 1 portion
- Vegetarian
- Quick and easy
- Calcium-containing
Smoothies & drinksTrying to conceive
Mango, spinach and orange smoothie
A caffeine-free smoothie combining mango, washed spinach and freshly squeezed orange juice.
- 5 min total
- 1 portion
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
SoupsTrying to conceive
Red lentil and spinach soup
A simple, budget-friendly soup made from red lentils and spinach, useful as an easy, make-ahead meal for weeks when time or energy is short.
- 35 min total
- 5 portions
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Budget-friendly
SoupsTrying to conceive
Tomato and bean soup
A quick store-cupboard soup made from tinned tomatoes and mixed beans, giving a fibre-rich, easy meal that keeps well in the fridge or freezer.
- 35 min total
- 4 portions
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Budget-friendly
SoupsTrying to conceive
Gentle chicken and vegetable soup
A light, high-protein chicken and vegetable soup, written as an easy meal to prepare ahead and reheat around clinic appointments or busy days.
- 50 min total
- 6 portions
- High-protein
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Batch cookingTrying to conceive
Black bean and vegetable chilli
A budget-friendly, fibre-rich vegan chilli made with black beans and peppers, easy to batch cook into portions for a full week.
- 50 min total
- 6 portions
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Budget-friendly
Batch cookingTrying to conceive
Mediterranean chickpea and vegetable bake
A vegan, mediterranean-style tray bake of chickpeas, peppers and courgette in a tomato sauce, easy to make in a large batch for the freezer.
- 55 min total
- 6 portions
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Fibre-rich
Batch cookingTrying to conceive
Turkey and vegetable bolognese base
A high-protein tomato and turkey mince sauce, lower in saturated fat than a beef version, batch cooked in advance and frozen in single portions.
- 55 min total
- 6 portions
- High-protein
- Iron-containing
- Lower in saturated fat
Batch cookingTrying to conceive
Vegan lentil and vegetable hotpot
A simple, dairy-free lentil and vegetable hotpot with sliced potato topping, designed as a gentle, easy-to-reheat batch meal for treatment weeks.
- 70 min total
- 6 portions
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Fibre-rich
Trusted sources
- Planning your pregnancy — NHS
- Vitamins, supplements and nutrition in pregnancy — folic acid — NHS
- The Eatwell Guide — NHS
- Vitamins and minerals — Vitamin D — NHS
- Fertility problems: assessment and treatment (CG156) — NICE
- Fertility and diet — Food Fact Sheet — British Dietetic Association