Recipes for Fertility and Beyond: II
Maintaining a fulfilling and nutritious diet when you are trying to conceive or are already pregnant is paramount. And, since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, what better way to jumpstart your healthy lifestyle than with this fertility-friendly recipe from Dara Godfrey, MS, RD.
Egg Scramble with Avocados, Red Peppers & Pesto
2 servings
4 eggs (preferably from pasture raised chickens)
Splash of water
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
1 cup of organic red bell peppers chopped
1 tbsp pesto (I like the vegan pesto from Gotham Greens)
½ avocado sliced
- Beat 4 eggs in a bowl and add a splash of water and beat again. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add in peppers
- On the stovetop heat oil in a pan over medium high heat. When oil starts to dissipate, add in egg mixture and stir constantly until desired scramble texture
- Remove from stove top and add in pesto
- Serve with sliced avocado on top
Eggs are such a well-rounded food, especially for fertility and pregnancy. Not only are they a complete (and vegetarian) protein, but the yolks of eggs are a rich source of choline, a B-vitamin that is essential for a healthy developing brain and for neural tube defect prevention. Protein is literally the building blocks of human life and are essential for our bodies’ cells to thrive. Try to buy eggs from pasture-raised chickens as they are more nutrient-dense than conventionally-produced ones.
Red Bell Peppers are overall nutritious as they are a great source of fiber, folate and vitamin C. Vitamin C not only helps with iron absorption and help support immunity, but it may also be helpful for women with (link: https://www.fertstert.org/article/s0015-0282(0300657-5/fulltext text: luteal phase defect), which is characterized by lower progesterone levels. Try and find organic red bell peppers as their non-organic counterparts are more likely contaminated with pesticides than most vegetables.
Avocados are not only packed with an abundance of healthy monounsaturated fats, folate and fiber, but are also rich sources of vitamin E. Vitamin E may help improve (link: https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(0204579-X/fulltext text: cervical mucus) and uterine wall thickness and sperm function.