50 PCOS Recipes: Healthy Dinners You'll Love! (2024)

FAQs

What should I eat for dinner with PCOS? ›

Are Bananas Good for PCOS? Bananas, packed with nutrients, can be included in moderation in a PCOS diet. They provide vitamins, minerals, and natural sugars, but as with any fruit, moderation is key.

Eggs are great for women with PCOS trying to lose weight. They are full of protein that helps curb unhealthy cravings and have nutrients that improve PCOS symptoms.

Avoid red meat or any meat or fish that's fried or prepared with a lot of salt, butter, and/or oil. Lean cuts of poultry cooked without the skin are good picks. Eggs are another good choice. Avoid processed meats such as hot dogs, sausage, lunch meat, and bacon, which are high in sodium, trans fat, and additives.

Whole wheat Toast with Toppings: Whole wheat toast with healthy toppings like almond butter, helps in managing insulin levels and blood sugar, making it ideal for PCOS. Ingredients such as whole grain bread, almond butter, almonds, berries, seeds, and cinnamon possess a low glycemic index, beneficial for PCOS.

Foods with a high glycemic index, like potatoes and watermelon, can lead to rapid increases in blood sugar. These spikes may worsen insulin resistance and hormone imbalances in women with PCOS. Choose low glycemic index alternatives like sweet potatoes and berries to help maintain more stable blood sugar levels.

Foods which have saturated or hydrogenated fats in, include dairy products such as cream or cheese and fatty red meats, as well as processed or fried foods. These unhealthy fats can increase estrogen production, which can make your PCOS symptoms worse, and can lead to weight gain which can also worsen symptoms.

Lean protein sources like tofu, chicken, and fish don't provide fiber but are a very filling and nutritious dietary option for people with PCOS. Foods that help reduce inflammation may also be beneficial.

Which fruit is not good for PCOS? ›

The additional boost from coffee can potentially worsen PCOS symptoms, especially during periods of stress. Moreover, caffeine's appetite-suppressing properties can disrupt blood sugar control, a crucial aspect of managing PCOS.

Orlistat is as effective as metformin in reducing weight and achieves similar ovulation rates in obese PCOS patients. However, orlistat has minimal side-effects and is better tolerated compared with metformin.

Eat Healthy Fats:

Including a lot of healthy fats in your diet may help you combat weight loss and other PCOS symptoms while making you feel more content after meals. After eight weeks, the higher-fat diet shed more fat than the lower-fat diet, decreasing lean body mass, including belly fat.

Some studies suggest that non-fat dairy products cause an increase in androgen and insulin levels, which is already in abundance in women with PCOS. Thus consuming too much milk can further aggravate the symptoms of PCOS and can instigate the growth of acne, another commonly seen issue in women with PCOS.

“Women with PCOS should avoid saturated and trans fats which can be pro-inflammatory, especially in the gut,” Dr. Nodler says. Examples of fats to avoid on a PCOS diet include: Saturated fats (red and processed meats like fast food hamburgers)

“Yes, you may eat rice even if you have PCOS or diabetes, but you must recognise that portion management is essential. And your meal should include plenty of vegetables in the form of subzi and salad, as well as some dal, curd or non-veg for protein,” the expert started out saying.

Eating three full meals and one snack—and spacing them out four to six hours apart—is a good strategy to follow for PCOS, as it allows insulin levels to come down between meals. Most people with PCOS find that snacks can help them get through the time between meals, and it also helps prevent overeating.

Is skipping dinner good for PCOS? ›

Since PCOS can often cause weight gain, many women try to lose that weight by skipping meals — this can worsen PCOS symptoms.

The PCOS Diet is based around three good meals and one snack a day. You should try to evenly space these meals. Why? Grazing on food does not allow the two blood sugar balance hormones – insulin and glucagon – a chance to work effectively.