Future fathers, listen up! Having a healthy baby is up to a father-to-be, too.

The notion that dad has anything to do with his child’s health before baby-making begins is relatively new to the pregnancy nutrition scene, but it’s garnering more attention. Expect the Best delves into what men should do to prepare for conceiving the healthiest, brightest baby possible. I was recently interviewed on Fox 25’s Morning News in Boston to discuss this very topic.

Now, there’s even more evidence to back up the claims that guys should prepare for pregnancy, too. A study published last month in Fertility and Sterility suggests that men who eat healthier diets may also have healthier sperm. In this study, the subjects were attending fertility clinics. Thirty men had poor sperm quality and 31 men had normal sperm. Those with poor quality sperm had low sperm counts and higher percentages of abnormally formed sperm.

Turns out, the men who ate more fiber, carbohydrate, folate, vitamin C, and lycopene (found in watermelons and tomatoes, for example), and less fat and protein had more normal sperm.

While this study is by no means conclusive, it never hurts to eat a healthy diet, especially if you’re planning on your first baby or your fourth. Balanced diets and regular physical activity helps prevent diabetes, and reduces the risk factors for heart disease, including elevated blood cholesterol concentrations, and high blood pressure.