By Sarah Pashaie, UK & HK Registered Dietitian & Sharon Chen, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach from Eat Well Together (EWT)
A London-trained nutrition expert, Sarah Pashaie (eatwellwithsara.com) honed her skills across hospitals, clinics, and community centers—prioritizing sustainable health transformations over quick fixes. Now based in Hong Kong, she empowers individuals to achieve optimal health through science-based professional guidance and empathetic, sustainable lifestyle changes. Sharon Chen (sharonchen.net), a corporate strategist turned global wellness advocate, combines evidence-based nutrition with cultural storytelling. Certified as an INHC, she helps clients transform their health with whole-life strategies that pair mindful eating with stress resilience, energy optimization, and personalized habit design—showing that food-as-medicine thrives with mind-body alignment. Work with Sarah and Sharon: https://eatwelltogether.com/
Five Key Nutrients for Every Plate
The healthy plate systematically delivers all five nutrients. Fill half with non-starchy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, or cauliflower for folate and antioxidants. Use one-quarter for quality protein sources like salmon/chicken or vegetarian mix: pumpkin seeds, lentils, chickpeas, eggs, delivering omega-3s and zinc. Another quarter gets whole grains like quinoa for sustained energy without blood sugar spikes. Add healthy fats from avocado, unsalted nuts and seeds, and olive oil to support hormone synthesis. Eliminate alcohol completely to protect egg quality, sperm DNA, hormone balance. This simple, Mediterranean-inspired formula optimises all key fertility biomarkers through daily eating patterns.
Couples who embrace preconception nutrition gain confidence knowing they're giving their future baby the strongest possible start. This evidence-based roadmap—from top 5 nutrients to the healthy plate—delivers egg quality, sperm health, and hormone harmony through delicious, sustainable eating.
Sample Day Menu
You might be wondering what exactly a healthy plate looks like and how you can incorporate the top 5 nutrients into your daily eating. We’ve got you covered. Here is a sample day menu that’s designed to use functional foods to support ovulation at the midpoint of the menstrual cycle.
- Breakfast: Overnight Oats with Berries & Walnuts
- Snack 1: Lemon Dill Yogurt Dip & Cucumbers
- Lunch: One-Pan Chicken, Chickpeas & Broccoli
- Snack 2: Dark Chocolate & Walnuts
- Dinner: Couscous & Tuna Stuffed Peppers
References
Chavarro, J.E., Rich-Edwards, J.W., Rosner, B.A. and Willett, W.C. (2007) 'Diet and lifestyle in the prevention of ovulatory disorder infertility', Obstetrics & Gynecology, 110(5), pp. 1050-1058.
Gaskins, A.J., Nassan, F.L., Chiu, Y.H., Wright, D.L., Dimond, E., Turner, L., Levine, H., Carey, V.J., Chavarro, J.E. and Hauser, R. (2020) 'Diet in the preconception window and IVF outcomes in women with a history of ovulatory infertility', Fertility and Sterility, 114(6), pp. 1334-1344.
Homan, G., Norman, R. and Rodgers, R. (2018) 'The influence of diet on fertility and the implications for public health nutrition in the United States', Frontiers in Public Health, 6, p. 211.
Nassar, A.H., Usta, I.M., Rechdan, J.B. and Harb, T.S. (2024) 'Assessing the influence of preconception diet on male fertility: A systematic review', Andrology, 12(4), pp. 678-692.
Rocha, A.L., Oliveira, F.R., Azevedo, R.C., Silva, R.C., Sampaio, G.R., Silva, A.M.V. and Teixeira, D.M. (2017) 'Diet and fertility: A review', Einstein (São Paulo), 15(4), pp. 495-499.
UConn Fertility (2022) Feeding fertility: Using nutrition to support preconception health. Available at: https://uconnfertility.com/2022/06/feeding-fertility-using-nutrition-to-support-preconception-health/ (Accessed: 6 May 2026).
