Feast, Fuel, Fertility Challenge – Part 4: Fish for fertility – which is best? (Hint, make this Asparagus and Salmon with Garlic Lemon & Butter Sauce)

Fish for fertility – from which types to portions per week – can get pretty confusing. There’s plenty of strong evidence to suggest that having a certain amount of fish in your diet can benefit fertility. But the flip-side of this is that research also suggests that eating too much fish – or types associated with heavy metal toxicity – can have a negative impact. 

Our go-tos for fertility nutrition meal-planning – plus all of the delicious recipes across our Feast, Fuel, Fertility 6 Week Challenge, are the team at Gyna. We wanted to know, how can we strike the right balance with fish for fertility, and which are the best options to focus on, to get bang for our buck? 

Over to Gyna for all the info, plus a yummy recipe to have saved or pinned to your fridge, for packing in high-quality, fertility-boosting fish. Looking for more? Take the Gyna quiz and unpack a library of delicious meal ideas and recipes, all designed to boost your fertility. From an orange and salmon skillet and poke bowels gorgeous saltfish fritters (so yum!) it’s all here. 

Before you dig in, the recipe shared here and information originally appeared on Gyna.co as part of the recipe collection. For more recipes, 101 nutritional support and bite-size course steps and detail, head to Gyna to get started with their free fertility quiz.

Fish and fertility – what’s the deal?

Fish are a tip-top source of protein, and also deliver impressive levels over those all-important omega 3 fatty acids, plus iodine and a little vitamin D. Check out this study for lots of exciting evidence supporting fish consumption for a shorter time to conception. 

We’re not just talking about female fertility here, either. Male fertility can also really benefit from tweaking dietary choices, including adding a couple of portions of high quality fish to weekly meal-planning. 

What fish are good for fertility?

Team Gyna 101

Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, anchovies and tuna are incredibly rich in omega-3 fats and vitamin D, nutrients that have been shown to help reduce stress levels and improve mood. 

Omega-3s are essential for brain health and mood, plus they may also help your body handle stress. In fact, low omega-3 intake is linked to increased anxiety and depression in Western populations. 

What’s more, omega-3 fatty acids also help support your reproductive system. Vitamin D (did you know, we can find 97 per cent of the daily recommended value in just 3 ounces of salmon?) also plays a critical role in mental health and stress regulation. Low levels are associated with an increased risk of anxiety and depression, as well as with poor fertility in both women and men.

Asparagus and Salmon with Garlic Lemon & Butter Sauce

Gyna says, “This dinner is all about making a satisfying, healthy meal with minimal effort. The entire process takes only 22 minutes, and all the ingredients get wrapped up together in an easy little foil “pouch”. We love this approach because unlike other cookware, you can simply toss the foil in the trash when you’re finished cooking!”

This recipe is gluten-free (and you can switch out the butter to make it dairy-free, too!)

Prep time: 12 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 2 salmon fillets
• 2 tbsp vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 1 ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• 1 tbsp of your favorite hot sauce (we used Sriracha)
• 4 tsp minced garlic (4 cloves)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 tbsp butter, diced into small cubes (or ghee) (or substitute 3 tbsp olive oil)
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley or cilantro
• 1 lb (450g) medium-thick asparagus, woody ends trimmed

Instructions

1. To prepare the oven-baked salmon in foil packs: Preheat your oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Cut 2 sheets of 14 by 12-inch (35 x 30 cm) heavy-duty aluminum foil then lay each piece separately on the countertop. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the garlic butter sauce: broth, lemon juice, and hot sauce.
2. Season both sides of the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and divide salmon onto the aluminum foil near the center then place trimmed asparagus to one side of the salmon, following the long direction of the foil.
3. You can adjust salmon fillets seasoning with more salt and pepper, then sprinkle garlic on top. Drizzle the garlic butter sauce generously over the salmon fillets and asparagus.
4. Divide butter pieces evenly among the foil packets, layering them over the salmon fillet and asparagus.
5. Wrap salmon foil packets in and crimp edges together then wrap ends up. Don’t wrap too tight – keep a little extra space inside for heat to circulate.
6. Transfer the salmon foil packs to a baking sheet and bake salmon in the oven, sealed side upward until salmon has cooked through, about 9 – 12 minutes.
7. Carefully unwrap the baked salmon in foil packets then drizzle with more lemon juice and garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro and a slice of lemon. Enjoy!

Keep up with the Feast, Fuel, Fertility Challenge

Watch out for part 5, where we’ll be covering the next must-eat on our fertility foods list. Plus, head to Gyna for tons more information on fertility superfoods, and a personalized plan to help you get pregnant, faster.