PCOS Meals: The Best and Worst Foods to Add to Your Plate When You Are Living With the Condition

Creating and maintaining a balanced diet isn’t always easy. If you struggle with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), it may prove to be even harder. However, nutrition does play an important role when it comes to managing your PCOS and your symptoms. That’s why making PCOS meals is a simple solution. If you’re unsure of what foods to eat and which ones to avoid, First can help you build your plate. Keep reading to learn more about the connection between PCOS and nutrition and how your eating habits can help combat your symptoms.

What is PCOS?

PCOS is “a hormonal issue between the brain and the ovaries that causes you to have a slew of different symptoms,” explains Natalie Crawford, MD, board-certified OB-GYN, founder of Fora Fertility, in a TikTok video. “What happens with PCOS is you have a lot of eggs inside the ovary and they have an abnormal response to brain signals.”

She says this leads to increased testosterone and androgen levels, which results in insulin resistance, irregular periods, increased hair growth and acne.

While it is a chronic condition that can’t be treated, those with PCOS can manage their symptoms through lifestyle changes such as a modified diet.

PCOS meals: What should you be eating?

Each person’s symptoms are different, but typically PCOS impacts insulin resistance, obesity and inflammation. However, incorporating a balanced diet can help manage and improve these and other symptoms. ]

If you have PCOS, you should generally eat foods with higher protein and fiber. Healthy oils are also acceptable and nutrient-dense carbohydrates – like brown rice or sweet potatoes – are beneficial.

Tallene Hacatoryan, RD, who lives with PCOS herself, shares videos on TikTok depicting symptoms, meals, solutions and struggles of the condition.

In a recent video, she groups together different symptoms and reveals the types of food and meals you should be eating. For example, if you deal with missing periods, rapid weight gain and constant cravings, you should have 30 grams of protein with breakfast, drink apple cider vinegar before meals and take four grams of inositol daily.

For more symptoms and meals, check out her TikTok:

Hacatoryan also creates PCOS meals on her page. She typically makes meals that have a cooking time of 30 minutes or less. By her estimations, ? of the plate should be protein, ? of the plate focuses on nutrient-dense carbs and the last ? is veggies with a healthy fat (think avocado, seeds, extra virgin olive oil, etc.).

Kathleen Wright Riley, RD, CDN, another PCOS dietitian who posts videos to TikTok, points out that food can make all the difference. She advises eating smaller meals multiple times throughout the day instead of three bigger meals.

https://www.tiktok.com/@pcos.dietitian/photo/7385599976543456542

PCOS meals: The foods you should avoid

Limiting or cutting back on certain foods can prevent your symptoms from getting worse. Sugary foods and beverages, refined carbohydrates, highly processed foods and alcohol are all things you should steer clear of regularly.

In another TikTok, Hacatoryan shares a quick and easy dessert recipe for those with PCOS. “It won’t flare up my acne, insulin resistance and PCOS symptoms! These are gluten & dairy-free puff pastry apple roses!”

A PCOS-friendly sample meal plan

Riley shares multiple videos with different meal plans you can use throughout the day. She spaces the meals out with two to three hours in between each one.

Breakfast: egg, avocado, whole grain toast

Snack one: apple with peanut butter and spearmint tea

Lunch: grain bowl with quinoa, chicken, greens, hummus, olives, feta and olive oil

Snack two: grass-fed beef sticks, cheese and berries

Dinner: salmon, broccoli, and coconut rice

Snack three: chocolate-covered almonds and spearmint tea.

For more healthy eating habits:

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