Beli Prenatals are HSA/FSA eligible!

Fertility Smoothie Recipe from the Founder of Bumpin Blends

Lisa Mastela from Bumpin Blends brings us today's guest post and fertility smoothie recipe.

While we all know certain foods can help support fertility, the idea of packing your diet with the full list of fertility-boosting foods is a bit, well, daunting. Ever Google “foods for fertility” and run down the top 10 only to find yourself imagining all ten foods crowded together on a plate? Somehow a black bean fruit salad topped with egg yolks doesn’t sound so appetizing…

Luckily for all of us, many of the best foods for supporting fertility taste amazing in a smoothie, especially when crowded together. Smoothies can pack a powerful (and delicious) punch when crafted thoughtfully, and this smoothie recipe is a fertility food powerhouse. Bonus? It benefits both men and women, as the ingredients support ovulation and embryo development, while also improving sperm count and motility. Scroll down to find my favorite fertility smoothie recipe. 

Making fertility smoothies every day feel like too much work? Bumpin Blends smoothie cubes have several flavors rich in fertility-boosting ingredients, and are delivered to your door ready to blend! Just pop 6 smoothie cubes into your blender, add your favorite liquid, and blend for a perfect dietitian-designed smoothie in seconds. 

Some of my go-to fertility boosting ingredients to “blend up” are: 

Sunflower seeds: Zinc, selenium, vitamin E, and folic acid are all very potent fertility-boosting nutrients, and sunflower seeds is packed with them. Zinc regulates menstruation hormones and can help eggs mature in women, and increases the quality, function, and level of sperm in men. Selenium is essential for sperm formation and helps clean up chromosome damage. Vitamin E has also demonstrated to improve fertility in women and improve sperm count and motility in men.

Walnuts: Walnuts are the only nut rich in omega-3s (the amazing brain boosting fat in salmon!), which helps to regulate hormones. There is also a study that shows men who eat walnuts regularly have better semen health.

Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt is rich in protein, fat, probiotics, calcium, and vitamin D - which all support a healthy ovulation cycle. The vitamin D in Greek yogurt can help the follicles in your ovaries mature, while the added healthy fat and protein help improve odds of conceiving. 

Chickpeas: Chickpeas are rich in natural estrogen! They are also a fantastic plant-based source of protein and fiber, which studies have shown can support ovulatory infertility. 

Berries: Berries are packed with anti-inflammatory phytonutrients and antioxidants like folate and zinc, which studies have shown can support fertility in women and men. All fruit can support fertility, but berries are particularly high in these fertility-boosting nutrients. They’re also lower in sugar than other fruits, and keeping sugar intake low can help fertility as well

The Go-To Fertility Smoothie

Ingredients: 

  • 3/4 cup cold plant-based milk
  • 4 dates (pitted)
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  • 2 tbsp walnuts 
  • 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup cup almond or cashew butter
  • 2 tbsp chickpeas (rinsed well) 
  • 2 frozen bananas (not frozen bananas are totally fine too, frozen just makes for a more icy smoothie texture!) 
  • 2 tsp cinnamon 
  • 1-2 tsp honey, if desired for taste

Directions: 

  1. Blend all ingredients and enjoy! 

Note: this smoothie is meant to be a meal replacement, as it’s large (easy to split with your partner!) and high in protein and healthy fats.

___

Lisa Mastela, MPH, RD is a registered dietitian with a masters in nutrition and public health. After getting pregnant herself, she realized how difficult nutrition for expecting and new mothers is, so she founded Bumpin Blends, a company that makes and delivers dietitian-designed smoothie cubes to support the many symptoms all women go through, from headaches and bloating to anxiety and trouble sleeping, with flavors for everything in between. Lisa lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two kids, and loves cooking, yoga, and movie nights in.

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