How to Build a Nutrient-Dense Salad to Support Fertility

Say goodbye to limp lettuce and a few lonely tomatoes! A nourishing, balanced salad can be so much more - a vibrant, satisfying dish that’s bursting with nutrients to support your health and fertility. With just a few key ingredients, you can create salads that are colourful, filling, and delicious. Follow this simple guide to build your perfect salad and discover combinations you truly enjoy.

🌱 1. Start with a nutrient-rich base

The base of your salad is the perfect place to pack in a variety of greens. These provide essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A, C and K, magnesium, folate and more. Folate, for example, helps reduce inflammation, supports hormone balance, and plays a role in managing oxidative stress.

Choose a mix of:

• Dark leafy greens: spinach, rocket, watercress, chard

• Bitter or colourful leaves: radicchio, endive, red leaf lettuce

• Microgreens and sprouts: broccoli sprouts, alfalfa

• Lightly cooked vegetables: steamed kale, tenderstem broccoli, roasted courgette

👉 Tip: Bitter leaves help stimulate digestion and bile flow — they don’t just look pretty!

🌈 2. Add colourful vegetables

The more colour, the better! Different colours provide different plant compounds (phytochemicals) that can support hormone balance, reduce inflammation, and feed a healthy gut.

Try:

• Cherry tomatoes

• Carrots (raw or roasted)

• Roasted butternut squash

• Beetroot

• Red, yellow or orange peppers

• Avocado

• Mushrooms (raw or sautéed)

• Fermented vegetables (e.g. sauerkraut, kimchi)

🍗 3. Include a protein source

Protein helps your body repair and grow, keeps blood sugar levels stable, and supports egg and sperm health. Aim for a palm-sized portion.

Options include:

• Chicken or turkey breast

• Oily fish: mackerel, sardines, anchovies, salmon

• Organic tofu or tempeh

• Lentils, beans, chickpeas (combine with a whole grain like quinoa for a complete protein)

• Boiled eggs

• Feta, goat’s or cottage cheese

🍠 4. Add complex carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates provide fibre, help keep you fuller for longer, and support digestion by feeding beneficial gut bacteria and helping to eliminate waste, including used hormones.

Good choices are:

• Roasted sweet potato or butternut squash

• Quinoa

• Brown, black or wild rice

• Buckwheat or millet

• Barley or freekeh

✨ 5. Pimp it up with extras

A handful of these extras can add flavour, texture, and even more nutrients:

• Nuts: walnuts, almonds, macadamia, hazelnuts

• Seeds: chia, flaxseed, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame

• Olives, capers, pickles

• Fresh herbs: parsley, coriander, mint, basil

• Citrus zest or pomegranate seeds for a pop of flavour

🥗 6. Dress it up

A good dressing brings it all together and helps your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K). Making your own is easy and avoids the added sugars often found in shop-bought options.

Try:

• Olive oil + balsamic vinegar

• Olive oil + lemon juice + wholegrain mustard

• Olive oil + apple cider vinegar + a drizzle of honey

👉 Tip: Taste as you go — you’re aiming for a balance of fat, acid, and flavour.

🌟 Recipe: Rainbow Fertility Salad

• Base: spinach + rocket + broccoli sprouts

• Extra veg: roasted beetroot, cherry tomatoes, grated carrot, avocado

• Protein: boiled egg + small portion of lentils

• Carbs: roasted sweet potato cubes

• Extras: pumpkin seeds, fresh parsley, black olives

• Dressing: olive oil, lemon juice, pinch of sea salt, black pepper

By following these principles, you’ll have everything you need to create nutrient-dense salads that support your health, digestion, and fertility - all while enjoying food that looks beautiful on your plate!

If you would like some personalised support with your fertility, contact me to find out about my 12 week Boost Your Fertility programme. Book your free discovery call to find out how I can help you.

Julia Young Nutrition T: 0771 589 0894 info@juliayoungnutrition.com www.juliayoungnutrition.com

Disclaimer: Nutritional Therapy is not a replacement for medical advice, practitioners always refer any client with ‘red flag’ signs or symptoms to their medical professional. The information provided here is general and is not intended to treat, diagnose, prevent or cure any diseases or conditions.