How to Create a Meal Plan for PCOS

It’s incredible just how much our diet can affect our bodies, especially when you have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). This complex endocrine disorder causes hormonal imbalances that can lead to mood swings, fatigue, irregular periods, hair loss, acne, sleep issues, excess hair growth, weight gain, and so much more. And, while there is no magic pill to cure PCOS, there are lifestyle changes you can make that can reverse your PCOS symptoms and help you live symptom-free! One of the most beneficial of these lifestyle changes is adopting an intentional, balanced PCOS diet.

Women with PCOS who focus on a whole-food gluten- and dairy-free anti-inflammatory diet can balance hormone levels, improve insulin resistance, and provide relief to many of their chronic PCOS symptoms! Learning how to support your PCOS body can feel super overwhelming at first. As a registered dietitian with PCOS, I’m dedicating this blog post to PCOS meal plans! I’ll teach you how to create your own so that you can feel in control of your PCOS body and health journey.

But, if you want it to be SUPER easy (no getting out the calendar, figuring out dairy alternatives, and all of that), make sure to check out my complete meal plans on The Cysterhood app. Right there on the app, you can jump into a meal plan, save all of the delicious PCOS-friendly recipes, and even make a shopping list! It could NOT be easier, and that’s my goal. It’s a tool I made for Cysters just like you to get the guidance, support, and resources you need to thrive with PCOS! 

But, for now, let’s just get your feet wet with creating your first meal plan. Here’s what you need to do: 

How to Create a Meal Plan for PCOS

Being mindful of your diet by creating PCOS-friendly meals is one of the best ways to manage PCOS symptoms naturally. Focusing on the types of food that work with your PCOS body rather than against it can make you feel 100 times better. Most Cysters start feeling more energized, losing weight, and even experiencing whole-body symptom relief just by changing the way they eat. 

To help you find the right PCOS meal plan for your body, I’m diving into the importance of fueling your body with foods that help a PCOS body! Then, we’ll get into how to create a PCOS meal plan. 

How to Manage PCOS with Diet and Nutrition

Many people with PCOS often experience insulin resistance, which is when your body cannot properly process glucose or balance blood sugar levels. Instead of converting glucose into energy, your body holds onto it and stores it as fat, making it feel impossible to lose weight. But, eating meals with ingredients that support PCOS can help boost insulin sensitivity and can make your weight loss goals feel possible by reducing the intense PCOS cravings and improving your overall metabolic health! 

But, that’s not the only root issue of PCOS that a hormone friendly diet can help with! Cysters often experience inflammation and hormonal imbalances that not only contribute to your long list of PCOS symptoms but also perpetuate this cycle…each root problem feeding into another. Hormonal imbalances cause inflammation. Inflammation causes insulin resistance. Insulin resistance causes hormonal imbalance. Breaking this cycle is key to reversing your PCOS symptoms! And, you can break that cycle using an intentional diet. 

Choosing whole foods and prioritizing certain food groups, like healthy fats, lean protein, and fiber while cutting back on potentially problematic foods like dairy and gluten can improve how your body processes glucose while also balancing hormones and reducing inflammation to address most (if not all) of your PCOS symptoms!

What is a PCOS Meal Plan?

A PCOS meal plan is different from a regular meal plan because it focuses on foods that help stabilize blood sugar, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, and balance hormones. Rather than simply planning meals and focusing on calorie deficits, a PCOS meal plan considers how each food affects the body for better or for worse to make sure your diet is delicious and nutritious while promoting all your health goals!

How to Create a Meal Plan for PCOS

Focus on whole, unprocessed foods.

A bulk of the food in your PCOS meal plan will contain whole, unprocessed foods. Of course, this does not mean you have to cut out your favorite snacks entirely (it’s all about balance!) This is where I recommend following the 80/20 rule. 80% of your diet consists of healthy whole foods, while the other 20% is a bit more lenient. And if you find that some foods you love don’t help your PCOS symptoms, you’re more than likely to be able to create a PCOS-friendly version by swapping the ingredients that trigger symptoms with PCOS alternatives.

If you aren’t sure what whole foods are, a good rule of thumb is to shop on the outer edge of your grocery store. Usually, this is where you’ll find fresh produce, nuts, fish, and meat. Of course, there are whole foods, like beans and lentils, found in the aisles, so there are exceptions to this rule. When grocery shopping, prioritize fruits, vegetables, lean meat, whole grains (gluten-free, of course!), and legumes. Then when you put your plate together, focus on healthy carbohydrates, protein, and vegetables.

Incorporate anti-inflammatory foods.

One of the side effects of PCOS is inflammation. So, you’ll want to add anti-inflammatory foods to your plates, such as spinach, berries, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, olive oil, salmon, sardines, turmeric, avocados, and spearmint tea. These foods are full of antioxidants, which have anti-inflammatory properties and can help you manage your PCOS symptoms. This means you’ll also want to find alternatives to inflammatory foods like processed foods, refined carbs, fried foods, and alcohol as often as you can.  

Prioritize meeting your protein goal.

Protein is the name of the game when it comes to a PCOS meal plan. You’ll want to focus on adding more lean protein like chicken, tofu, and fish to your diet. These can help stabilize blood sugar and make you feel full for longer say goodbye to cravings and overeating! This means more protein in your diet could lead to improved insulin resistance and weight loss a win-win for Cysters. Try to aim for 25 to 35 grams of protein per meal to help you hit your protein intake goal. 

Plan to eat at least three times a day.

Though you may think the longer you go without eating the better, this isn’t always a good idea! Big peaks and valleys in your blood sugar levels aren’t good for insulin resistance OR cravings. Plus, when your body goes too long without food, it can actually go into “survival mode” where your body actually raises your insulin levels and starts storing more fat to protect itself from lack of food. Yeah, you can see how this is unhelpful!

The best thing you can do is plan to eat all of your meals for the day. This includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner and possibly a snack in the morning or afternoon. (Or, if you really need it, both!) As long as these are balanced meals, you can still reach your health goals and avoid intense cravings without doing too long of periods of fasting. (Some intermittent fasting is okay, though!) Eating on this schedule will keep your stress levels from rising while also making sure you are not depriving yourself of nutrition.

Figure out your carb tolerance. 

Everybody’s body is different, especially when it comes to digesting carbohydrates. When creating your PCOS meal plan, it’s important to determine your carb tolerance or how many carbs your body can handle without packing on extra pounds. While many diets and meal plans promote low or no-carb meals, I recommend starting with 120 to 150 grams of carbs per day and adjusting as your body needs.  

Learn more about finding your carb tolerance in our episode from my podcast “A Cyster and Her Mister.” 

Remember to stay hydrated.

Staying properly hydrated is one of the most important things you can do for your health. When our bodies are dehydrated, they can experience tons of negative symptoms, like fatigue, dizziness, and brain fog. So, replacing your favorite diet soda with water can make a huge difference in your PCOS body! 

Since we’re on the topic of liquids, it’s also a good idea to limit your caffeine and alcohol intake. Caffeine can cause your stress hormone, cortisol, to spike. When stress levels are high, our bodies can go into that “survival mode” I talked about earlier, prompting other hormonal imbalances, worsening inflammation, and increasing insulin resistance. Additionally, some alcohol like mixed drinks can worsen your insulin resistance just because it’s high in sugar and has been known to disrupt sleep! 

Use helpful herbs and spices for PCOS. 

One of the best-kept secrets for a successful PCOS meal plan is adding beneficial herbs and spices to your recipes! Certain spices, such as cinnamon can help with fertility, and cardamom can lower cholesterol and prevent PCOS belly. Herbs such as spearmint and lavender have anti-androgen benefits and can help balance hormones. Adding these spices and herbs (even in tea form) are a small way to boost your PCOS meal plan to help manage symptoms. 

My favorite tea to recommend to Cysters is OvaFit’s Testerone Relief Tea, which is a crafted blend of anti-androgenic herbs that research has shown to help reverse symptoms of high testosterone like excess hair growth, weight gain, fatigue, head hair loss, acne, and more!

Sample Meal Plan for PCOS

To give you a little taste of what a meal plan for PCOS looks like, I’ve put together a weekly plan that is super delicious and PCOS-friendly. Plus, you can find all of these tasty meals and recipes on The Cysterhood app!  

PCOS Meal Plan Day 1

• Breakfast – Pesto, Bacon, Egg, and Avocado Breakfast Bagel
• Lunch – No Cook Tofu Bowl
• Dinner – Steak Bowl with Avocado Chimichurri
• Snack – Frozen Yogurt Bark

PCOS Meal Plan Day 2

• Breakfast – Breakfast Platter with Berries, Poached Egg, Smoked Salmon, and Lemon Vinaigrette 
• Lunch – Shrimp Caesar Salad
• Dinner – Blackened Salmon with Rice and Veggies
• Snack – Grinch Muffins 

PCOS Meal Plan Day 3

• Breakfast – Blueberry Pie Smoothie
• Lunch – Mason Jar Herbed Greek Chicken with Lemon Tahini Dressing
• Dinner – Steak Bowl with Avocado Chimichurri
• Snack – Everything Bagel Hummus

PCOS Meal Plan Day 4

• Breakfast – Ferrero Rocher Protein Smoothie
• Lunch – Buffalo Chicken Pizza
• Dinner – Coconut Curry Bowl
• Snack – Dairy-Free Taco Dip

PCOS Meal Plan Day 5

• Breakfast – Green Goddess Shakshuka
• Lunch – Deconstructed Buffalo Chicken Meatball Salad
• Dinner – Tuscan Shrimp Bowl
• Snack – Peanut Butter Quinoa Puff Cups

PCOS Meal Plan Day 6

• Breakfast – Strawberry Colada Smoothie
• Lunch – California Sushi Bowl
• Dinner – Beef Taco Soup
• Snack – Air Fryer Pears

PCOS Meal Plan Day 7

• Breakfast – Baklava Overnight Oats
• Lunch – Sloppy Joe with Broccoli Rice
• Dinner – Meal Prep Mediterranean Salad with Chicken
• Snack – Red Velvet Oatmeal Bake

Reverse your PCOS symptoms with a PCOS-friendly diet! 

When you have PCOS, creating a nutrition plan that includes the carbs, healthy fats, and proteins your body needs to balance hormones, reduce inflammation, and improve insulin sensitivity is crucial. Creating a PCOS meal plan can help you stay on track and help you eat all of your favorite foods as PCOS-friendly versions! And, let’s be real… a PCOS-friendly diet can go a LONG way and change the course of your health. But even with an extremely intentional diet, it can be really difficult to get all the right vitamins and nutrients for your body to thrive. 

This is why having the right supplements to further support our healing goals is essential! You can grab the Metabolism Plus bundle and my Ovasitol Powder for the ultimate PCOS supplement package. These high-quality, NSF-certified supplements are key for reducing inflammation, balancing inflammation, and improving insulin sensitivity. 

To get started with making your own meal plan and finding delicious recipes for PCOS bodies, download The Cysterhood app today!