Fertility diet meal plan, plant protein first.
A Mediterranean-style week with beans, whole grains, olive oil and low-mercury fish, at about 2,000 to 2,250 calories a day. The research behind it is observational. Alma can fit it to your goal.
Built from Harvard Nutrition research and CDC advice.
The rules
Three habits do most of the work
Plant protein takes the lead
Beans, lentils, nuts and seeds most days, with fish and eggs in support.
Unsaturated fats and slow carbs
Olive oil, nuts and seeds in place of trans fats, with whole grains and beans for carbs.
Folic acid every day
400 mcg of folic acid daily if you could become pregnant.
Sample week
Seven days of fertility diet meals
About 2,025 to 2,236 calories a day, 35 to 41 g of fiber. Scale portions to your needs. Find your number
Talk with a clinician before you try to conceive, especially with diabetes, thyroid conditions or PCOS. Food changes sit alongside medical care, not in place of it.
Day 1Monday
BreakfastSteel-cut oats with apple and walnuts1 cup cooked steel-cut oats, 1 apple, 1 tbsp walnuts, 1 tbsp ground flaxseed, 1 cup 2% milk, cinnamon
LunchFrench lentil bowl with roasted squash½ cup cooked lentils, 1 cup roasted butternut squash, 1 cup kale, 1 oz feta, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 slice sourdough
SnackYogurt with pomegranate and pumpkin seeds1 cup 2% Greek yogurt, ½ cup pomegranate seeds, 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds, 2 whole-grain crispbreads
DinnerRoast trout with new potatoes and spinach4 oz rainbow trout, 1 cup boiled new potatoes, 2 cups wilted spinach, 1 tbsp olive oil, lemon, 1 whole-grain roll
About 2,050 kcal105 g protein40 g fiber
Day 2Tuesday
- BreakfastScrambled eggs with mushrooms and toast2 eggs scrambled in 1 tsp olive oil with mushrooms, 2 slices whole-grain toast, 1 orange
- LunchFarro salad with white beans, egg and feta¾ cup cooked farro, ½ cup white beans, arugula and tomato, 1 hard-cooked egg, 1 oz feta, 1 tbsp olive oil, lemon
- SnackCottage cheese with strawberries and almonds¾ cup low-fat cottage cheese, 1 cup strawberries, 1 tbsp almonds, 1 slice sourdough toast
- DinnerChicken and chickpea tagine with couscous4 oz chicken thigh, ½ cup chickpeas, 1 cup cooked couscous, carrots and zucchini, 1 tbsp olive oil, cumin
About 2,030 kcal121 g protein40 g fiber
Day 3Wednesday
- BreakfastMuesli with yogurt, apple and seeds½ cup muesli, 1 cup plain yogurt, 1 apple, 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
- LunchGrilled chicken with bulgur and tahini4 oz grilled chicken, 1 cup cooked bulgur, cucumber and tomato, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp tahini, lemon
- SnackPear with almond butter and milk1 pear, 1½ tbsp almond butter, 1 cup 2% milk
- DinnerChicken and soba noodles with edamame4 oz chicken breast, 1½ cups cooked soba, 2 cups broccoli and peppers, ½ cup edamame, 1 tbsp sesame oil, ginger
About 2,150 kcal123 g protein40 g fiber
Day 4Thursday
- BreakfastYogurt bowl with berries, oats and flax1 cup 2% Greek yogurt, ⅓ cup rolled oats, 1 cup mixed berries, 1 tbsp ground flaxseed, 1 tsp honey
- LunchChickpea and spinach curry with rice¾ cup chickpeas, 1 cup spinach, ½ cup tomatoes, ½ cup cooked brown rice, ½ cup plain yogurt, 1 tbsp olive oil, curry spices, 1 slice sourdough
- SnackRoasted chickpeas with an orange½ cup roasted chickpeas, 1 orange, 1½ oz pistachios
- DinnerRoast salmon with sweet potato and kale4 oz salmon, 1 large sweet potato, 2 cups kale, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 slice sourdough
About 2,100 kcal106 g protein41 g fiber
Day 5Friday
- BreakfastSpinach and feta frittata with toast2 eggs baked with 1 oz feta, spinach and tomato, 1 slice sourdough, ½ cup plain yogurt, 1 orange
- LunchChicken, potato and green bean salad3 oz chicken breast, 1 cup boiled potatoes, 1 cup green beans, 1 tbsp olive oil, lemon and capers, 1 slice sourdough
- SnackApple with peanut butter and milk1 apple, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 cup 2% milk
- DinnerPork tenderloin with barley and roots4 oz pork tenderloin, 1 cup cooked barley, 1½ cups roasted carrots and parsnips, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 slice whole-grain bread
About 2,240 kcal128 g protein35 g fiber
Day 6Saturday
- BreakfastEggs with avocado on rye2 eggs, ½ avocado, 2 slices rye bread, sliced tomato, 1 cup 2% milk
- LunchLentil soup with sourdough and cheddar2 cups lentil and vegetable soup, 1 slice sourdough, 1 oz cheddar
- SnackYogurt with berries and walnuts¾ cup plain yogurt, 1 cup mixed berries, 1 tbsp walnuts, 1 slice whole-grain toast
- DinnerChicken traybake with new potatoes5 oz chicken thigh without skin, 1 cup new potatoes, 2 cups zucchini and peppers, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 whole-wheat roll
About 2,130 kcal125 g protein36 g fiber
Day 7Sunday
- BreakfastOatmeal with peanut butter and pear1 cup cooked rolled oats, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 pear, 1 cup 2% milk
- LunchWhite bean and kale soup with toast1 cup white bean and kale soup, 1 slice sourdough, 1 oz Parmesan, 1 hard-cooked egg
- SnackHummus with carrots and almonds⅓ cup hummus, carrot and cucumber sticks, 1 oz almonds
- DinnerGrilled mackerel with beet and farro salad4 oz Atlantic mackerel, ¾ cup cooked farro, ½ cup roasted beets, arugula, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 slice whole-grain bread
About 2,160 kcal106 g protein40 g fiber
Shopping list
What to buy
Most days
Dairy and eggsPlain yogurt, milk, cottage cheese, cheddar, feta, eggsgreek yogurtcottage cheeseegg
Now and then
This week has 3 fish servings of 4 oz, within the FDA's 2 to 3 a week. Frozen fish and vegetables cost less.
Make it yours
This week is a sample. Alma builds yours.
- Meals fit to your goal and the foods you like
- Log a meal by photo, voice or text in about 10 seconds
- Every meal gets an Alma Score from 0 to 100
Questions
What people ask
What is the fertility diet?
It comes from Harvard research on the Nurses' Health Study II. The pattern scored more protein from plants than animals, unsaturated fat in place of trans fat, low glycemic carbohydrates, high-fat dairy, iron from plants and supplements, and a multivitamin. This week turns the plant, fat and carb parts of that pattern into meals.
Does diet affect fertility?
The evidence is observational and comes from a cohort study. It links a pattern with lower risk of ovulatory disorder infertility; it does not show that any one diet leads to a pregnancy. Women in the top fifth of the pattern score had about a third the risk of the bottom fifth. Other causes of infertility are not addressed by diet.
How much folic acid should you take when trying to conceive?
The CDC recommends 400 micrograms of folic acid a day for anyone who could become pregnant, starting at least a month before conception and continuing through early pregnancy. That is a public health recommendation for a supplement, and it is separate from the folate in food. Ask your clinician if you need a different amount.
How many calories is this meal plan?
About 2,025 to 2,236 calories a day, with 35 to 41 grams of fiber and 14 to 49 grams of protein at each meal. Your needs depend on your size and activity, so scale portions up or down.
Should you cut out carbs or go gluten-free to conceive?
No. The research pattern favored low glycemic carbohydrates, not fewer carbs, and gluten-free eating is not part of it. Unless you have celiac disease or a sensitivity your clinician has confirmed, whole-grain bread, oats, farro and barley fit this plan.
Should your partner eat this way too?
The meals suit most adults, and a Mediterranean-style pattern is a reasonable default for anyone. The evidence on diet and male fertility is thinner than the evidence for women. Ask a clinician about anything specific to your partner's health.
How does Alma help when you are trying to conceive?
Log a meal by photo, voice or text in about 10 seconds, and Alma estimates the fiber, protein and calories on the plate. Each meal gets an Alma Score from 0 to 100, drawing on Harvard's Alternate Healthy Eating Index, which rewards the same plant, whole-grain and olive oil pattern this week is built on.
Sources
Written by Alma from the sources below and reviewed October 28, 2026. Calories and protein are estimates. This is general information, not medical advice. If you manage a health condition or take medication, check changes with your clinician. Editorial standards
Get a week built around you.
Tell Alma your goal and the foods you like. It plans the meals and scores each one.