What to Eat When You Want to Get Pregnant: A Science-Based 4-Week Nutrition Program to Boost Your Fertility

by Nicole M. Avena

Making a healthy baby begins with healthy ingredients.

Dr. Nicole Avena--nutrition expert and author of What to Eat When You're Pregnant--presents the preface to that guide, new revolutionary research on how nutrition impacts the ability to conceive and offers a 4-week plan to get readers on the path to parenthood.

Joining the ranks with pregnancy experts such as Heidi Murkoff, Dr. Avena is back and here to help. Making a healthy baby begins with healthy ingredients. Learn how to hack your diet to increase fertility--getting your body into the best baby-making shape--in only four weeks!

The latest research reveals that by optimizing nutrition, you can boost your chances of conceiving and having a safe, healthy pregnancy and baby. But with so much information out there, how can you make sure you're getting the nutrients you need to maximize fertility and avoiding the seemingly healthy foods that could be interfering with fertility? In this comprehensive guide, diet and nutrition expert and research neuroscientist Dr. Nicole Avena offers revolutionary science-based advice for women and men who are either thinking about having a baby, already trying, or dealing with fertility issues. Dr. Avena pares down the research so that you can apply the new science to your real life, including valuable information such as:


- What nutrients are specifically tied to fertility and pregnancy, how much of each you need, why you need it, and which food sources are best
- Which plant-based protein sources promote pregnancy without disrupting hormone levels
- Why men's fertility is just as important as women's, and which foods can increase sperm motility and health
- How to add pregnancy-friendly fats to your diet
- The truth about the link between body weight and fertility

...and much more, including a 4-week plan to get you started on the path to parenthood. A psychologist and mother herself, Dr. Avena also offers practical advice, as well as 40 delicious, simple recipes that you can easily incorporate into your lifestyle to create the best environment for your baby-to-be--one that will positively impact the whole family, all while feeling better than you've ever felt.

Genres: Parenting, Health, Self Help, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

Published March 30, 2021

About the author

Dr. Nicole Avena is an Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, and a Visiting Professor of Health Psychology at Princeton University. She is a research neuroscientist and expert in the fields of nutrition, diet and addiction, with a special focus on nutrition during early life and pregnancy, and women’s health. She has done groundbreaking work developing models to characterize food addition and the dangers of excess sugar intake. Her research achievements have been honored by awards from several groups including the New York Academy of Sciences, the American Psychological Association, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. In addition to over 100 peer-reviewed scholarly publications, Dr. Avena has written several popular books, including Why Diets Fail: Because You’re Addicted to Sugar, What to Eat When You’re Pregnant, What to Feed Your Baby and Toddler and What to Eat When You Want to Get Pregnant. Her latest book, Sugarless, covers the latest science on sugar addiction and how to overcome it. It will be released in December, 2023, and it is available now for preorder. She frequently appears as a science expert in the media, including regular appearances on Good Day NY, The Doctors, and the former Dr. Oz Show as well as many news programs. Her work has been featured in Time Magazine, Bloomberg Business Week, The New York Times, and many other periodicals. Dr. Avena is a member of the Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau. She has the #2 most watched TED-ED Health talk, How Sugar Affects Your Brain, with over 17 million views and counting.
You can find her on social media @drnicoleavena IG, Facebook, LinkedIn

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So {real talk} my husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for over a year now. In the world of infertility that can feel like both a long time and no time at all. I wanted to share this book and why it's helped me on this journey.

Whether you've gone through it, are going through it, or are starting the journey to becoming a parent, I just want you to know you're not alone and that some days are just plain hard.

I like this book for a few reasons:
💖 I love the idea of preparing your body for a baby.
💖 In this journey you often don't get to feel in control, but the things we put into our body to nourish it, IS in our control. I feel like I'm doing something in the wait.
💖 Lots of simple, delicious and healthy recipes with fertility boosting tips!
💖 How to, research based book on how to optimize nutrition, be healthy and have a safe, healthy pregnancy.
💖 This is something achievable we can do during the wait and shares food that helps boost fertility for men and women!

🖤 As I say with all diet books, I believe is best used as a resource, one of many to help keep you healthy and find your best food routine. Of course talk with your doctor first bc diets are not one size fits all IMO.

I think this is great start if you're planning to start a family and can help on your wellness journey.

I pray it will happen for us and for all you mamas-in-wait. God is preparing us and I like the idea that we can prepare our bodies in the meantime.

TY to @netgalley @drnicoleavena @kensingtonbooks for this e-arc!

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[Devon H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very informative look at what nutrients your body needs to get pregnant, giving you lists of food to avoid and food to prioritize with reasons why. I enjoyed the recipes scattered throughout, as it helped me think about healthier ways to put meals together. Avena even gives her suggestion of a four week meal plan, and she does a good job of mixing up different types of meals so you're not eating the same thing all the time. This seems to be her strong suit, which makes sense as a nutritionist.

On the flip side of this, her writing didn't ever make me feel comfortable. Instead it felt at time preachy, at times condescending. She generalizes her information in such a way that many people are left out. She only once mentions same sex couples, and barely mentions how disordered eating could affect someone's ability to follow her guidelines.

While at times she does remind readers that too much change too quickly doesn't lead to lasting results, and that it's okay to pick and choose a few things to work on at a time, this is hardly comforting because of how she lays out all the dangers that you may or may not have control over. And as someone who's relatively middle class with a solid financial safety blanket, her assertions about the dangers around every corner made me overwhelmed and stressed out! I can imagine how people with fewer decisions available than I might feel reading that chapter!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had really high hopes for this book because the author has a Ph. D in neuroscience and psychology and has studied nutrition, diet, and addiction, and it is a book on fertility. All of these are fields I love and have dived into studying over the past seven or so plus years.

While I thought there was some great information, I did not feel like it was enough. I'm not sure if it is because I have studied these fields so much, but I didn't learn anything new. Regardless of having former experience or not, I felt like the chapter on the psychology of eating and dealing with food addictions was way too short. It was only around ten pages, and repetitive at that. There was just not enough information to make any changes for the reader.

On the other hand, Nicole did discuss important nutrients for fertility quite adeptly. She indicated specific foods that are especially helpful for fertility, along with corresponding recipes, and foods that are harmful to fertility. A four week diet plan is also included, which utilizes the recipes that she includes in the book. None of the recipes have pictures or nutrition facts, so that part could use some work, but they do seem pretty simple, with easy to find ingredients. Her diet plan is nutritionally balanced, with an emphasis on whole foods.

I think this book would be informative for someone just learning about fertility and how diet can impact it. If you have already read some books on the topic, it isn't especially helpful. It doesn't really contain new information. It is a good, basic resource, it just lacks the spark I was looking for. I love reading about about these subjects, so I enjoyed the read, but I would have enjoyed learning something new. For me, I would rate it a 3 stars, but I'm going to go with 4, since there are not many books on the topic and some may find it more useful. It is far from perfect, but I appreciate the effort and holistic attitude towards improving fertility and health.

[J Messina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this books in exchange of an honest review. This book was very interesting as it provides detailed information about what nutrients are essential (some are somewhat less familiar), as well as what foods are the best sources. If you already have a healthy, balanced way of eating, it will be easy to choose the best foods to boost fertility. As a vegetarian, the meal plan is impossible to follow. Also, some of the fertility boosting foods are fish, dairy and chicken. While this book was written for the vast majority of women, a special advice section for vegetarians couldhave been included.

The chapter on the psychology of eating behaviors is somewhat lacking. It only deals with people who eat too much, have poor food choices, or a combination of those two aspects. As a person with a complete other type of eating disorder (orthorexia bordering on anorexia), I felt like undereating and strict dieting should be addressed, as it is rooted in psychology and included in the DSM.

I recommend this book for the first part, while the second part of the book could have included more.

[Delicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What to Eat When You Want to Get Pregnant by Nicole Avena is a book that provides a lot of information to the reader while also motivating. This piece is for women who have been trying to get pregnant for a long time but have not succeeded so far, and Nicole is trying to help them. But this book can also be useful for women who wants children in the future and are already doing their best for the health of their unborn child.

Nicole Avena simplifies unspeakable and complicated technical terms and explains the importance of nutrients to the fetus, as well as the mother.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and well written guide book for healthy eating to increase fertility and overall health of you and your partner if you want to get pregnant!

The timing of reading this was near perfect in that I requested the book and only read part of the book for about a week before I got pregnant. But still I appreciated how informative and helpful the information is, and I’ve used some of the yummy and healthy recipes in my early pregnancy.

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC so that I could read and review.

[Moni · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author is very knowledgeable on the subject of the book. The facts are, as humans who consume a Western diet, we are overwhelmed with readily available food that is loaded in SUGAR (bad!). This book gives information about nutrients that can lead you on a healthy path, even if you are not trying to get pregnant. The weekly diet plan is detailed, and the foods are easy to find in the grocer. There is no price you can place on the information within this book. I look forward to reading more of Dr. Avena's books.

[Miranda Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The good: succinct, informative, encouraging

The “no-brainer”: I feel the odds are high that if you’re reading this book in the first place, you’re already aware of, not practicing a lot of these recommendations (eat more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, while avoiding BPA’s and heavy metals, etc.)

The not-so-good: as someone with a history of disordered eating, I can see how the obsessive aspect is very easy to fall back into by following a meal plan

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was informative and especially for those who haven't read any prior infertility based books. I like how it lays out the good and bad foods for fertility, the 4 week meal plan (because meal planning is not fun!) and that it wasn't too lengthy. My only suggestion is to have all the recipes at the back with the other recipes rather than after each good food item.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great information and data. I told my husband plenty of "fun facts" from this book. The recipes are simple enough and the ones I've tried are filling and delicious. It took me some time to get through the book since it is dense with the data. I would have liked to see some additional storytelling to make it a bit of a more exciting read. Nonetheless, I did learn a lot and had many takeaways.

[Cozy Book Spot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative book about what foods to eat before getting pregnant, how much of each vitamin you need and what food you can get them from and there are recipes at the end. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly fast read and enjoyable

I enjoyed the break down of the science behind each macronutrient necessary for fertility, the optional recipes, meal plan and talks on how to avoid toxins and other fertility issues.

[Sarah Swaid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a very interesting read, I actually thought it was going to be only recipes but it was so pleasant to have so much background information and content to fill my brain as we get ready for this journey!

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Lien Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great info on health and nutrition for those trying to conceive!

[La Tedeschi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very useful list of recipes and healthy ingredients. So much to learn. We should be educated when we are young about that!

[Laura List · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read. I had to read it for a class since I’m a dietetics major. Has good, basic, easy to follow nutrition advice.

[Kaleigh Gibbons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly good information! Especially the chapters devoted to nutrients and fertility boosting (and reducing) foods. This book also forced me to face the reality that I have a food addiction, haha. 🫠

[Mahrya Q · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book with a lot of nutrition information and a ton of recipes. I didn't really care for the recipes, to be honest. Most seem bland and with too many carbs for my taste, but that's just me. It would have been tons more useful if the recipes listed the nutrition information (like total calories, fat content, vitamins etc) for each. It was a fairly short book as it was so it wouldn't have hurt. I did like that there was also a list of foods and toxins to avoid, most of which I avoid anyway.