Fertility
Fertility food diaries – a week in the TRB founder’s kitchen
Emma Harpham & Eloise Edington in partnership with Foodhak | 24 Jul 2023
As a busy working mum of three, mealtimes can often be hectic for The Ribbon Box founder and CEO Eloise Edington. Convenient and speedy dishes that don’t compromise on health and nutrition are a top priority for her – especially as she’s currently prepping for her fifth cycle of IVF (more on this later) and seeking out fertility-boosting foods wherever she can.
Foodhak create fresh, ready-to-eat plant-based dishes, and deliver them straight to your doorstep across the UK. With a whole host of delicious meals plus pre-set plans to choose from, Foodhak chefs prepare your chosen dishes for you, so by the time they arrive, all you have to do is pour, heat and eat.
No-prep meals with a difference
With her health, fertility and well-being goals top of mind, Eloise incorporated Foodhak meals into her weekly eats, whilst on the move.
From Monday to Friday – here are her food diary faves.
Healthy fats and fibre for breakfast
If I’m honest, I often don’t have time for breakfast – my mornings are taken up with getting the kids ready to go and hurrying myself into the office! I started to incorporate Foodhak’s Homemade granola into my breakfast on Monday (a day when I’m usually feeling extra exhausted) along with full-fat Greek yoghurt and a sprinkling of nuts and berries that I added in myself. So speedy and supportive for my body – and I didn’t find myself snacking at 11am!
Ashwagandha – a new favourite
On Wednesday I switched out my breakfast granola for something a little more sweet – the Ashwagandha and cocoa granola comes with toasted coconut clusters of oat flakes with cocoa. As well as being delicious, ashwagandha is known for its stress-relieving properties so it was fantastic to be able to add this into my daily eats so simply.
Fresh salads became a weekly lunch staple
I’m a huge fan of salads at lunchtime as they don’t leave me feeling too full or bloated – but it’s hard to get the balance of energy that I need. The Vegan Burrata Salad got this so right! The creamy ball of vegan burrata gave me just that little bit more oomph to get through a busy Tuesday afternoon of calls and meetings.
Equally, I rounded off the week with a Quinoa and Chickpea Salad with Tarragon and Dill Dressing for lunch on Friday – it was packed with superfood quinoa and fresh green veggies. So great as it’s summer right now! It left me feeling full and balanced.
Comfort meals are so important
I LOVE healthy comfort foods as I find they make it easier to nourish yourself when life get a bit stressful and overwhelming – and on a rainy Thursday night a Courgette, Pea and Mint Risotto with Foccacia left me feeling supported after a busy day. Also, I realized I was saving heaps of time by not having to prep fresh evening meals from scratch – I just had to pour out each pouch, warm and enjoy.
Powerful food swaps are key for me
I always keep an eye out for key nutrient swaps that can make my meals healthier. Wednesday evening’s dinner was an Aromatic Thai curry with mushrooms, carrots, baby corn, tofu and bamboo shoots. You can really tell that it was prepared by a chef with high quality ingredients and this one tasted fantastic. As a side, we added Kale and Spirulina Bhajis, and I love adding spirulina into my diet in different ways because it’s a powerful antioxidant and great for your overall health.
Mushrooms are not only naturally high in protein and folate, but they also contain vitamin D, all of which are fab boosts for fertility and overall health. I especially loved the Mushroom Stroganoff and Mushroom, Leek and Rosemary Soup for this exact reason.
Fertility-friendly snacks hit the spot
The Seeded Omega and Millet Crackers made with Chia, Sunflower and Pumpkin seeds, paired with Mezze dips made for the perfect evening pick-me-up throughout the week. Pumpkin seeds are a powerhouse of fertility food, too!
I’ve also got a major sweet tooth and love something sweet in the afternoons, so it was great that the Ashwagandha Millet Brownie (made with sweet potato, high-fibre millet and yummy raw cacao) and my absolute favourite Ashwagandha Choc Chip Cookies supported my body, too.
Hop over to part two, where we’ll be covering all things prenatal meal plans, and diving deeper into the key nutrition behind Eloise’s favourite fertility-friendly foods.
Keen to try out Foodhak yourself? Check out their range of anti-inflammatory, plant-based and gluten free meals – delivered straight to your door. Get 45% off your first box (on orders over £50) with code RIBBON45.
