We continually hear about the health benefits of eating more fruits and veggies every day for better health and a longer life.  And, now another new book by registered dietitians released this week addresses how a healthy diet, including lots of produce, may positively benefit women trying to conceive and boost fertility.

The new book titled, “Fertility Foods Cookbook,” by Elizabeth Shaw, RDN, MS, CLT and Sara Haas, Chef, RDN, LDN includes over 100 recipes featuring nutrition-packed foods that may help women achieve better fertility results.

It is understandable that women seeking to become pregnant or who are pregnant may have heightened concerns about what they eat and the safety of all foods.  However, study after study shows the benefits of pregnant women eating a diet rich in fruits and veggies.  Peer reviewed studies also clearly illustrate that both organic and conventional produce is safe and can be eaten with confidence.

“What I tell women routinely is all the data suggests you want to increase your intake (of fruits and vegetables) during pregnancy and for that matter before you even become pregnant to optimize your chance of having a healthy child,” says Dr. Carl Keen, Professor of Nutrition at the University of California, Davis whose research focuses on the influence of  the maternal diet on the risk for pregnancy complications.

And, author Elizabeth Shaw did some recent homework and joined the Alliance for Food and Farming’s (AFF) “Facts, Not Fears” Produce Safety Tour in August.   Touring fruit and vegetable fields and meeting with farmers in the Salinas Valley of California reinforced Elizabeth’s recommendation to eat more organic and conventional produce every day for improved women’s health.  (Read Elizabeth’s blog post about her tour experiences here.)

And, what does Elizabeth do:  “I purchase what’s in season which generally means what’s on sale. Sometimes it’s organic, sometimes it’s conventional, but at all times there are fruits and veggies in my cart.”

Elizabeth was joined on the AFF “Facts, Not Fears” tour by another RD who has also recently authored a new book on the benefits of healthy eating and including lots of fresh produce in your diet.  In August Toby Amidor’s book “The Healthy Meal Plan Cookbook,” was released.  Toby’s new book provides recipes and preparation tips to ensure busy families always have enough time to eat right and eat well. (Read Toby’s blog post about the AFF tour here.)

Read, learn, choose but eat more organic and conventional fruits and veggies every day.