Fertility Foods, Part 3: Meat, Healthy Fats & the Keto Question — Nourishing Blood and Balancing Hormones
Fertility Foods, Part 3: Meat, Healthy Fats & the Keto Question — Nourishing Blood and Balancing Hormones
Welcome back to our Fertility Foods series. So far we've celebrated the plant world — [the earlier parts of this series] covered nuts, seeds, berries, and fruits. Now we turn to the other half of the plate: the animal foods and healthy fats that build Blood, steady hormones, and fuel fertility. If you've heard about keto for PCOS, or Dr. Kiltz's high-fat approach, or you're simply wondering whether meat belongs in a fertility diet — this one's for you.
Why Meat & Fat Deserve a Place at the Fertility Table
For years, "healthy eating" often meant low-fat everything. But when it comes to fertility, both modern research and ancient medicine tell a different story: your hormones are built from fat and cholesterol, and your Blood is built from nutrient-dense animal foods.
Every reproductive hormone — estrogen, progesterone, testosterone — is made from cholesterol. The fat-soluble vitamins that support fertility (A, D, E, and K) need dietary fat to be absorbed. And some of the most fertility-critical nutrients — B12, heme iron, choline, zinc, and preformed vitamin A — are found most abundantly, or only, in animal foods.
So this isn't about choosing meat over plants. It's about recognizing what quality animal foods and fats bring to the table that plants alone can't — and weaving them into a nourishing whole.
The Keto Connection: Insulin, PCOS & Inflammation
Here's where the science gets genuinely compelling — especially for PCOS, one of the most common causes of infertility.
PCOS is tightly linked to insulin resistance: when insulin runs high, it can suppress ovulation and drive up androgens (male hormones), throwing cycles off track. This is exactly the lever a low-carb or ketogenic diet pulls. By reducing the carbohydrate load, you lower insulin — and research suggests the downstream effects can be real.
Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses have found that ketogenic and low-carb diets in women with PCOS are associated with improved insulin sensitivity, lower fasting insulin, higher SHBG (which helps balance androgens), weight loss, and more regular ovulation — with some studies reporting improved pregnancy rates. Researchers have also found that lowering carbs can reduce inflammatory markers like CRP, TNF-α, and IL-6 — which matters because chronic inflammation is hard on egg quality, and may play a role in some autoimmune conditions too.
This is where Dr. Robert Kiltz comes in. A board-certified fertility specialist and founder of CNY Fertility, Dr. Kiltz has become one of the most vocal advocates of a high-fat, low-carb, animal-based approach to fertility. His view, laid out in the Keto for Fertility cookbook (co-authored with nutritionist Maria Emmerich) and his "Kiltz Method," is that our modern high-sugar, high-carb diet drives the inflammation and insulin resistance underlying so much infertility — and that nutrient-dense animal foods and healthy fats help reverse it.
A little honesty here: Dr. Kiltz's fuller approach — leaning all the way toward carnivore eating — goes beyond current mainstream consensus, and the research on ketogenic diets for fertility, while promising, still comes mostly from small, short-term studies. The strongest, best-supported takeaway is this: lowering refined carbs and sugar to improve insulin and inflammation is a well-founded strategy, especially for PCOS. Whether you go fully keto or simply lower-carb is a personal decision best made with your care team.
Meat as Blood Medicine: The Chinese Medicine View
Long before "insulin resistance" entered the conversation, Chinese medicine understood animal foods as some of the most powerful Blood-building foods available.
In TCM, healthy fertility depends on abundant Blood — it nourishes the uterine lining, supports egg and sperm quality, and quite literally builds new life. And the classic texts are direct about how to build it: the foods that build Blood best are meats, poultry, and especially stocks and soups made from bones. Bone-marrow broths, red meat, and liver (a premier Liver-Blood tonic) are treasured for rapidly nourishing Blood, while eggs nourish Blood, Qi, and Yin, and lamb warms and tonifies Kidney Yang — wonderful for those who run cold.
There's even a classic observation here: practitioners have long noted that women who adopt strict vegetarianism can, over time, develop scanty periods and low energy — a sign of Blood deficiency — and that adding back even small amounts of red meat or bone broth often restores both.
But — and this is the balancing wisdom — TCM has never advocated unlimited meat. Traditionally, meat is treated as a concentrated tonic, eaten in moderate amounts, well-cooked (think stews and broths), and alongside vegetables for balance and digestion. Chinese medicine also notes that overly rich, greasy, or heavy foods can aggravate "Damp-Phlegm" in some constitutions — a reminder that the right approach is always individual.
The Best Fertility Meats & Fats
Here are the animal foods and fats worth prioritizing — with both lenses in mind.
🥩 Grass-Fed Red Meat (Beef, Lamb, Bison)
The premier Blood-and-Qi builder in TCM, and a rich source of heme iron, B12, zinc, and protein. Lamb is especially warming — a gift for those who feel cold and depleted.
🫀 Liver & Organ Meats
The original multivitamin. Liver is extraordinarily dense in preformed vitamin A, B12, folate, choline, and iron, and in Chinese medicine it's a direct Liver-Blood tonic. A little goes a long way — even once a week makes a difference.
🦴 Bone Broth
Deeply nourishing and gentle, bone broth delivers collagen, gelatin, and minerals, and in TCM it tonifies Kidney Jing (Essence) and Blood. The easiest fertility habit on this list — sip it warm.
🥚 Eggs (Especially the Yolks)
A fertility superfood: choline for healthy development, plus protein, B12, and fat-soluble vitamins concentrated in the yolk. In TCM, eggs nourish Blood, Qi, and Yin.
🐟 Wild-Caught Fatty Fish (Salmon, Sardines, Mackerel)
Rich in omega-3 DHA, vitamin D, and selenium — anti-inflammatory support for egg and sperm quality.
🧈 Quality Fats (Butter, Ghee, Tallow, Olive & Avocado Oil)
The vehicles for hormone production and fat-soluble vitamin absorption. Whole-fat dairy is worth a mention: research has associated full-fat dairy with lower ovulatory infertility compared with low-fat versions — though, as Chinese medicine notes, dairy doesn't suit every constitution.
Finding Your Balance (Please Read)
This is the honest, important part. A meat-and-fat-forward, lower-carb approach can be genuinely powerful for fertility — and it isn't one-size-fits-all:
Low-carb is a spectrum. You don't have to go fully keto to benefit. For many people, simply cutting refined sugar and processed carbs — while keeping some quality whole-food carbs — improves insulin and inflammation beautifully.
It's not for everyone. Some people feel and cycle better with more carbohydrate. Individual response varies, and Chinese medicine would say it depends on your constitution.
A pregnancy note: very-low-carb and ketogenic diets are not generally recommended during pregnancy, and adequate folate and carbohydrate matter once you conceive. If you're trying, plan any major dietary shift — and your transition once pregnant — with your OB or fertility team.
If you have a history of disordered eating, please approach any restrictive plan gently and with professional support.
Quality matters more than dogma: grass-fed and pasture-raised where you can, plenty of vegetables alongside, and well-cooked, warming preparations.
The goal isn't a rigid rulebook. It's a nourishing way of eating that steadies your hormones and builds your Blood — shaped to you.
🔪 New to Cooking Meat? Start Here
If you didn't grow up cooking meat, it can feel intimidating — all those unfamiliar cuts and worries about getting it "right." Good news: it comes down to a few simple principles. Learn these and you'll cook with confidence.
The One Rule That Explains Everything: Tender vs. Tough Cuts
Almost everything about cooking meat flows from a single idea — where the cut came from on the animal:
Tender cuts come from muscles that don't work hard (the back and loin): steaks, chops, tenderloin. Cook these fast and hot — a quick sear or pan-fry, a few minutes per side.
Tough cuts come from hard-working muscles (shoulder, leg, shank): chuck roast, brisket, short ribs, stew meat, shanks. Cook these low and slow with liquid — braising, stewing, or a slow cooker — and they turn meltingly tender over a few hours.
Ground meat is the easy all-rounder: quick, forgiving, and endlessly versatile.
The rule of thumb: fast-cook the tender cuts, slow-cook the tough ones. Match the cut to the method and you almost can't go wrong.
A Quick Cut Cheat-Sheet
Beef — Quick/tender: ribeye, sirloin, filet. Slow/tough: chuck, brisket, short ribs, shank, stew meat. Everyday: ground beef.
Lamb — Quick: chops, loin. Slow: shoulder, leg, shanks.
Pork — Quick: chops, tenderloin. Slow: shoulder (for pulled pork), belly.
Chicken — Forgiving & flavorful: thighs (bone-in especially). Lean & quick (dries out easily): breast. Best value: a whole chicken — and save the bones for broth.
Liver & organ meats — quick-cooking; a brief sear keeps them tender (overcooking makes them tough).
Fish — fillets cook in just minutes.
Match the Method to the Cut
🔥 Sear / pan-fry (a few minutes per side): steaks, chops, fish, liver, burgers
🍗 Roast (oven, moderate heat): whole chicken, larger tender cuts
🍲 Braise / stew / slow-cook (hours, with liquid): the tough cuts — chuck, short ribs, shanks, stew meat
🥣 Simmer (gently, in water): bones for broth, chicken for soup
How to Know When It's Done (Get a Thermometer!)
The single best purchase for a nervous cook is a cheap instant-read meat thermometer — it removes all the guesswork. Aim for:
Chicken & poultry: 165°F
Ground meat (beef, lamb, pork): 160°F
Pork chops & tenderloin: 145°F, then rest
Beef & lamb steaks/chops: cook to taste — about 130–135°F for medium-rare, 140°F for medium (the USDA suggests 145°F; whole cuts of beef and lamb are commonly enjoyed a touch rarer)
Fish: 145°F, or when it flakes easily with a fork
Then always rest the meat 5 minutes before cutting — the juices settle back in instead of running out.
Small Tips, Big Difference
🧂 Season generously — salt well, ideally 20–40 minutes ahead (or the night before for large cuts).
🧻 Pat it dry before searing — dry meat browns beautifully; wet meat just steams.
🌡️ Let it warm up — take meat out of the fridge 20–30 minutes before cooking so it cooks evenly.
🍳 Don't crowd the pan — give each piece space, or it steams instead of browning.
🔪 Slice against the grain — cut across the muscle lines you can see, for a far more tender bite.
🥩 Fattier is more forgiving — well-marbled cuts are much harder to overcook and dry out than lean ones.
Where to Start (The Foolproof First Steps)
Brand new? Begin with these — they're nearly impossible to ruin:
The slow cooker is your best friend. Add a chuck roast or stew meat with broth and vegetables, set it, and walk away → the Slow-Cooker Beef & Bone Broth Stew below is the perfect first recipe.
Chicken thighs are the most forgiving poultry (hard to dry out) → try the Chicken & Goji Soup.
Ground beef is quick and easy for any weeknight.
Bone broth is just simmering — no skill required at all.
Build your confidence with these, then work up to a perfectly seared steak (with your new thermometer in hand).
A Word on Buying
Quality matters — but so does your budget and your real life:
"Grass-fed" and "pasture-raised" mean the animal ate its natural diet — often more nutritious, and worth it when you can swing it.
Budget-friendly and nutrient-dense: ground meat, tougher cuts (chuck, shanks), organ meats, and bones for broth are usually the cheapest — and among the most nourishing.
The butcher or meat counter is a free resource — tell them what you're making and they'll point you to the right cut.
Frozen, local farms, and online delivery all work beautifully — buy whatever fits your life.
🍳 10 Easy Fertility Recipes (Meat & Fat Forward)
Simple, nourishing, and mostly low-carb — with a Chinese-medicine touch woven throughout.
1. Steak & Eggs with Avocado (Breakfast)
Fertility note: A Blood-building breakfast of champions. Beef builds Blood and Qi, eggs add choline and nourish Yin, and avocado brings the healthy fat that steadies hormones.
Ingredients
1 small steak (sirloin or ribeye)
2 eggs
1/2 avocado, sliced
Butter or tallow, salt, and pepper
Instructions
Sear the steak in butter to your liking; rest 5 minutes.
Fry the eggs in the same pan.
Plate with sliced avocado, salt, and pepper.
✨ Blood, Qi, and good fat on one plate — a steady, savory start.
2. Nourishing Bone Broth (Warm Sipper)
Fertility note: The gentlest tonic here. Bone broth nourishes Kidney Jing (Essence) and Blood, delivering collagen and minerals — a splash of vinegar helps draw them out.
Ingredients
2–3 lbs beef or chicken bones (marrow bones are ideal)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks
Water to cover, salt
Instructions
Add everything to a large pot or slow cooker; cover with water.
Simmer gently 12–24 hours (slow cooker is easiest).
Strain, salt to taste, and sip warm — or use as a soup base.
✨ Slow-simmered gold — Essence and Blood in a warm mug.
3. Simple Chicken Liver Pâté (Snack)
Fertility note: The most nutrient-dense bite on this list. Liver is a direct Liver-Blood tonic, loaded with folate, B12, choline, and iron. Rich, so a little is plenty.
Ingredients
1/2 lb chicken livers
4 tbsp butter
1 small shallot + 1 garlic clove
Salt, pepper, pinch of thyme
Instructions
Sauté shallot and garlic in butter until soft.
Add livers and cook through (no pink inside).
Blend with remaining butter until smooth; season. Chill and spread on veggie sticks or seed crackers.
✨ A little jar of deep nourishment — Blood medicine you can spread.
4. Salmon & Avocado Power Bowl (Lunch)
Fertility note: Anti-inflammatory and satisfying. Salmon brings omega-3 DHA and vitamin D; avocado and olive oil add fertility-supporting fats.
Ingredients
1 salmon fillet
1/2 avocado, sliced
2 cups leafy greens
Cucumber, olive oil, lemon, salt
Instructions
Pan-sear or bake the salmon (12 minutes at 400°F).
Build a bowl with greens, cucumber, and avocado.
Flake the salmon on top; dress with olive oil and lemon.
✨ Omega-3s and green freshness — nourishment that feels light.
5. Classic Deviled Eggs (Snack)
Fertility note: Portable Blood-and-Yin nourishment. Eggs deliver choline and protein in the perfect grab-and-go form.
Ingredients
6 eggs, hard-boiled
3 tbsp mayonnaise (avocado-oil based)
1 tsp mustard
Salt, paprika
Instructions
Halve the eggs; scoop yolks into a bowl.
Mash yolks with mayo, mustard, and salt.
Spoon back into the whites; dust with paprika.
✨ Little golden bites — Blood and Qi, ready when you are.
6. Slow-Cooker Beef & Bone Broth Stew (Dinner)
Fertility note: The ultimate Blood-builder, and pure comfort. Beef and bone broth together deeply nourish Blood and warm the body — exactly the well-cooked, warming preparation TCM prizes. Root vegetables keep it balanced.
Ingredients
1.5 lbs beef stew meat
4 cups bone broth
2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 onion
2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp thyme
Salt, pepper, splash of balsamic
Instructions
Add everything to a slow cooker.
Cook on low 7–8 hours, until the beef is tender.
Season and serve warm.
✨ A pot of warmth and Blood — the most nourishing kind of easy.
7. Rosemary-Garlic Lamb Chops (Dinner)
Fertility note: For those who run cold and depleted. Lamb warms and tonifies Kidney Yang, and pairs beautifully with a side of greens for balance.
Ingredients
4 lamb chops
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary
Olive oil, salt, pepper
Instructions
Rub chops with garlic, rosemary, oil, salt, and pepper.
Sear in a hot pan 3–4 minutes per side.
Rest 5 minutes; serve with sautéed greens.
✨ Warming and grounding — a Yang-nourishing plate for cold days.
8. Nourishing Chicken & Goji Soup (Dinner)
Fertility note: Inspired by the classic post-menstrual Blood-building soup. Chicken and broth nourish Qi and Blood, while goji and ginger add Yin-nourishing, warming support — a favorite in Chinese fertility tradition.
Ingredients
4 chicken thighs (bone-in)
6 cups water or broth
2 tbsp goji berries
4 slices fresh ginger
2 carrots, a handful of mushrooms, salt
Instructions
Simmer chicken, ginger, carrots, and mushrooms in the water 40 minutes.
Add goji in the last 10 minutes.
Season with salt and serve warm.
✨ A restoring bowl — Blood, Qi, and warmth in the old tradition.
9. Coconut-Cacao Fat Bombs (Dessert)
Fertility note: A low-sugar, healthy-fat treat. Coconut oil and butter provide the good fats that support hormones, with just a touch of sweetness.
Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut oil, softened
1/4 cup nut butter
2 tbsp cacao powder
1 tbsp honey or a keto sweetener
Pinch of salt
Instructions
Stir everything together until smooth.
Spoon into a silicone mold or mini muffin liners.
Freeze 20 minutes, until firm. Keep chilled.
✨ Rich, chocolatey, and kind to your blood sugar — dessert that nourishes.
10. Golden Milk with Ghee (Warm Drink)
Fertility note: A soothing, anti-inflammatory nightcap. Turmeric and ginger calm inflammation, ghee carries their fat-soluble goodness, and the warmth is gently supportive.
Ingredients
1 cup milk of choice
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ginger + pinch black pepper
1 tsp ghee
1 tsp honey
Instructions
Warm the milk gently in a small pot.
Whisk in turmeric, ginger, pepper, ghee, and honey.
Pour into a mug and sip slowly.
✨ Golden, warming, and calming — a soft close to the day.
How We Help You Eat for Your Fertility
Whether a lower-carb approach is right for you — and how low — depends entirely on your body. That's exactly what we help you figure out, and our program runs online, so you can work with us from anywhere: 🔬 Functional medicine testing (mailed to your door) to check the markers that matter most here — fasting insulin, HbA1c, thyroid, and inflammation — so your plan is based on data, not guesswork. 🌿 Personalized nutrition and Chinese-medicine guidance matched to your constitution — including whether meat, fat, and dairy suit you, and in what balance. 💊 Targeted supplements, shipped to you, coordinated with your care team. 🪡 Acupuncture and PCOS support to help regulate cycles and balance hormones — in person on the Upper West Side and via concierge in New Jersey and California.
💻 Book a consultation today — and let's build a nourishing, personalized plan for your body and your goals.
✨ A Closing Word
There's a reason both a modern fertility doctor and a two-thousand-year-old medical tradition arrive at the same quiet truth: nutrient-dense animal foods and healthy fats are deeply nourishing to fertility. They build the Blood that lines the womb, the fats that make our hormones, and the steady blood sugar that keeps our cycles on track.
The art is in the balance — quality over dogma, warmth over extremes, and above all, an approach shaped to your body. No single way of eating is a magic bullet, and none can override every other factor. But eating to nourish your Blood and steady your hormones is real, foundational care.
So simmer a pot of bone broth. Rediscover the humble egg. Let a warming bowl of soup feel like the medicine it is.
A few gentle notes: This is general education, not medical or nutrition advice. Any major dietary change — especially a ketogenic one — is best made with your care team, particularly if you have a medical condition, a history of disordered eating, or are pregnant or trying to conceive (very-low-carb diets aren't generally advised in pregnancy). Choose quality where you can, and listen to your body.
Because eating for your fertility should feel like exactly what it is: an act of care. 💕
Frequently Asked Questions
Is keto good for fertility? For some people — especially those with PCOS and insulin resistance — research suggests a ketogenic or low-carb diet may improve insulin, hormone balance, and ovulation, and reduce inflammation. The evidence is promising but still comes mostly from small studies, and it isn't right for everyone. Lowering refined carbs and sugar is a well-founded first step; going fully keto is a personal decision for you and your care team.
Does a low-carb diet help with PCOS? Yes — this is one of the better-supported dietary strategies for PCOS. Because PCOS is closely tied to insulin resistance, reducing carbohydrates can lower insulin, improve androgen balance and SHBG, and help restore regular ovulation. Many people do well simply cutting refined carbs and sugar rather than going strictly keto.
Why is meat considered good for fertility in Chinese medicine? In Chinese medicine, fertility depends on abundant Blood, and meats, poultry, liver, and bone broths are considered the most powerful Blood-building foods. They're traditionally eaten in moderate amounts, well-cooked, and with vegetables — a concentrated tonic rather than the whole diet.
Can I eat high-fat and still be healthy for fertility? Healthy fats are essential for fertility — your hormones are literally made from cholesterol, and fat-soluble vitamins need fat to absorb. Research has even linked full-fat dairy with better ovulatory fertility than low-fat. Quality matters: prioritize whole-food fats like butter, ghee, olive and avocado oil, eggs, and fatty fish.
I've never cooked meat before — where should I start? Start with the most forgiving options: a slow cooker (add a chuck roast or stew meat with broth and vegetables, then walk away), chicken thighs (hard to dry out), and bone broth (just simmering). Buy an inexpensive instant-read thermometer to remove the guesswork, remember that tender cuts cook fast and hot while tough cuts cook low and slow, and always rest meat a few minutes before slicing. The "New to Cooking Meat?" section above is a full beginner's guide.
What does Dr. Kiltz recommend for fertility? Dr. Robert Kiltz, founder of CNY Fertility, advocates a high-fat, low-carb, animal-based ("keto" to "carnivore") approach, on the premise that modern high-sugar diets drive the inflammation and insulin resistance behind much infertility. His fuller carnivore stance goes beyond mainstream consensus, but the core idea — reducing sugar and refined carbs to improve metabolic health — is well supported.
Is keto safe during pregnancy? Very-low-carb and ketogenic diets are generally not recommended during pregnancy, when adequate carbohydrate and folate are important. If you're trying to conceive, plan your approach — and your transition once pregnant — with your OB or fertility team.
References
The effects of ketogenic diet on polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis. (2025). (On decreased HOMA-IR, reduced inflammation, and favorable reproductive effects with ketogenic diets in PCOS.)
Effects of the very low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: a systematic review with meta-analysis. British Journal of Nutrition (2025). (On lower insulin, reduced visceral fat, and rebalanced androgens — with a note that trials are short and variable.)
McGrice, M., & Porter, J. (2017). The Effect of Low Carbohydrate Diets on Fertility Hormones and Outcomes in Overweight and Obese Women: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. (On reduced insulin, improved ovulation, and pregnancy rates.)
Ketogenic Diet as a Possible Non-pharmacological Therapy in Main Endocrine Diseases of the Female Reproductive System. PMC. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10482777/
Kiltz, R., & Emmerich, M. Keto for Fertility Cookbook. (On the high-fat, low-carb approach to fertility.) See also https://ketoforfertility.co/ and the Kiltz Method at https://kiltzhealth.com/
Chavarro, J. E., et al. (2007). A prospective study of dairy foods intake and anovulatory infertility. Human Reproduction. (On full-fat dairy and ovulatory fertility.)
Lyttleton, J. Treatment of Infertility with Chinese Medicine; Betts, D. The Essential Guide to Acupuncture in Pregnancy and Birth; Flaws, B. Compendium. (On meats, liver, and bone-marrow broths as premier Blood-building foods, eaten in moderation.)