Fertility & FODMAP-Friendly Spaghetti & Meatballs

It’s hard to pick a favorite meal (or even my top 3) but I would rank spaghetti and meatballs up there! I don’t even have any Italian ancestry but I grew up on Long Island with a lot of Italian-American friends so maybe that’s why I love it so much?

In the past few years, I’ve started adding canned lentils to my meatballs. They boost plant-based protein and fiber, add a nice texture, and are a very affordable way to stretch out a pound of meat. Plus beans and lentils are staple foods in the Mediterranean diet, which has been associated with increased chance of live birth for couples undergoing IVF. And pairing the meatballs with whole grain spaghetti is a tasty way to include whole grains, which have been associated with improved fertility treatment outcomes, and marinara provides lycopene, an antioxidant that has been linked to improved sperm quality.

As someone who doesn’t tolerate larger amount of beans or lentils (thanks IBS), adding canned lentils to recipes is a low FODMAP way for me to incorporate plant-based proteins without the GI side effects. Canned lentils can be harder to find than canned beans, but I usually find Westbrae canned lentils at my local Whole Foods and Simple Truth canned lentils at Mariano’s (a Kroger supermarket).

Note: This is how I usually make them. Let me know if you try the recipe and how they turn out!

For more fertility-friendly recipe ideas and lots more evidence-based guidance on supporting fertility with nutrition, check out my fertility nutrition course!

Spaghetti & (Chicken-Lentil) Meatballs

Serves 4

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound ground chicken

1 cup canned lentils (rinsed & drained)

1 egg

1/4 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs (such as Ian’s)

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp garlic scape powder (available at Gourmend Foods, or use garlic powder if you tolerate it!)

1/2 tsp iodized sea salt (use more or less to taste)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 jar (24oz) marinara sauce

1 box (12 oz) dried whole grain spaghetti, cooked

Directions

Mix the ingredients until incorporated, then form into about 15 meatballs.

Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper and line up the meatballs close to each other on the sheet pan in two to three rows.

Bake at 375F for about 15 min. Pour a half cup of marinara over the top of the meatballs, then continue to bake for another 5 min until they reach 165F with a food thermometer.

Serve over your preferred pasta with extra marinara + optional parmesan cheese🍝. (I love Jovial’s gluten-free brown rice pasta line and Rao’s Sensitive or Fody Marinara for garlic- and onion-free pasta sauces that still taste really good!)

Updated May 23, 2023