Unlock The Power of PCOS Friendly Breakfast: Tips & Recipes

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You’ve heard it many times before – breakfast is the day’s most important meal. But how important is breakfast for PCOS? Is it the “be all, end all”? It turns out there are a lot of benefits for women with PCOS to eat breakfast! As a Dietitian who helps women with PCOS, I know how overwhelming searching for answers online is! But trust me, a PCOS friendly breakfast is a key step towards feeling energized and balanced throughout the day!

This blog post will review why breakfast is good for PCOS and how to make a balanced breakfast. You will also get a few Dietitian approved breakfast recipes! Read all about it in this post!

pcos friendly breakfast with egg, beans, toast and sausage

Importance of Breakfast for PCOS

A Big PCOS Breakfast?

How large should your breakfast be? A study of 60 lean PCOS women showed impressive results regarding breakfast intake.

They changed their eating pattern to eat more for breakfast and less for dinner instead of having a light breakfast and a big supper (the most common eating pattern for North Americans). The women who ate larger breakfasts and smaller suppers had better insulin sensitivity which helped lower testosterone and improve ovulation.

Women with PCOS often have high insulin levels. This causes a compound called cytochrome P450c17α to be activated, which causes the ovaries to release more testosterone (1). Higher testosterone levels have been linked to higher food cravings (2).

Eating a bigger breakfast can help reduce cytochrome P450c17α, which also lowers DHEAs (androgen hormone) and is involved with insulin resistance (1).

Given that this study was on women with lean PCOS, eating a large breakfast may be helpful for most women with lean PCOS but potentially women with larger bodies with PCOS as well but more research is needed.

Perhaps the saying, “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper,” runs true?

This is great news for lean PCOS gals, as the standard advice to lose weight to improve insulin and blood sugars simply won’t do. Rather, an effective strategy to manage lean PCOS could be to eat a large, balanced breakfast (we’ll get into what that looks like later).

How Does Breakfast Impact PCOS Cravings?

Nearly all women with PCOS struggle with food cravings, yet it seems that as body mass index (BMI) increases, so do disordered eating and binge eating behaviours, as does the likelihood of yo-yo dieting and dieting for the purpose of weight loss.

coffee and crossaints, example of pcos cravings

Nearly all women with PCOS struggle with food cravings. A common response to try to gain control over cravings may be to restrict.

In fact, it appears that women with larger body mass indexes (BMI) are more likely to engage in dieting, disordered eating or binge eating.

Why Is It Bad To Skip Breakfast With PCOS?

So while all women with PCOS have higher cravings than healthy women, women in larger bodies may have the biggest struggle with their relationship to food.

Why is this important? Simply put, diets don’t last.

Unsurprisingly, the main reason for women with PCOS to abandon their dieting efforts was due to hunger.

Yet surprisingly, there was no difference in food cravings between dieting (restricting) and non-dieting women with PCOS, which shows that the metabolic changes are likely most responsible for the higher cravings experienced with PCOS (2).

So, dieting by restricting intake or skipping breakfast for women with PCOS in larger bodies may not be a viable solution either. Hunger and cravings tend to run higher in women with PCOS than in women without PCOS regardless of dieting behaviours.

In fact, skipping breakfast has been shown time and time again to be linked to higher weights in both children and adults (3).

We have covered this earlier in the blog but I have also found in my practice that my clients who eat more earlier in the day and eat a balanced breakfast have fewer cravings and may be a better option to manage weight.

To help illustrate the metabolic differences with PCOS, consider this study that discovered women with PCOS secrete less cholecystokinin (CCK), a satiety hormone, than women without PCOS after being fed a similar breakfast. This reinforces that women with PCOS have higher hunger and cravings than healthy women.

The breakfast in this study was 500 calories with 18% protein, 54% carbohydrates, and 28% fat (4). This is different from the 980 calorie breakfast in the other study we talked about, but we don’t know what it was made of (1). It’s not only important how often you have breakfast, but also how big and what is in it.

Before we talk about the best breakfast for PCOS, let’s think more about when they should have their morning meal.

When Should I Eat Breakfast for PCOS?

hand holding clock to illustrate when is a good time to eat a breakfast

PCOS Friendly Breakfast: Break the Fast

So when is the best time to eat breakfast? In PCOS, circadian rhythm, our sleep/wake cycle, and melatonin, our sleep hormone, are disrupted.

Daylight typically allows people to enter their wake cycle, which helps melatonin decrease, although for women with PCOS, melatonin may linger for longer and after waking (5).

Having our sleep hormone linger in the morning poses some challenges to rising early, but this doesn’t mean breakfast should be skipped entirely.

Think of it this way: breakfast need not be at a rigid time like 7:00 am, but rather intended to break the overnight fast within the first couple of hours of waking to help enter the day cycle.

So, if you wake up at 9:00 am, your breakfast could be anywhere between 9-11 am. Whereas, if you wake up at 5:00 am, then your breakfast will probably fall between 5-7 am.

Either way, eating at the start of your day will help control hunger and cravings and promote an earlier and/or lighter dinner, which would be beneficial as your body re-enters the sleep cycle and slows down into the evening.

Meal Spacing For PCOS Friendly Breakfast

Perhaps more important than the timing of breakfast itself is the timing between meals. PCOS is characterized by insulin resistance, high cravings and irregular blood sugar levels, so eating at regular intervals can help manage these conditions.

When comparing all women with PCOS to healthy women, it seems that eating the same calories, protein, carbs and fat as healthy women doesn’t make a difference – women with PCOS still experience insulin resistance, high testosterone, high cholesterol and so forth. While total daily intake may not make a difference, the meal timing might.

Interestingly, a study found that women with PCOS both in smaller and larger bodies were three times more likely to have a late or skipped breakfast pattern than healthy women (6). Thus, women with PCOS tend to eat a small breakfast, medium lunch and large dinner – a less than ideal pattern.

While it’s starting to sound like a big breakfast could very well be a solution, we can’t ignore the common barrier: the PCOS breakfast struggle.

The PCOS Breakfast Struggle: Not Hungry in the Morning

woman holding her stomach

If you have PCOS and don’t eat breakfast, you may have a quick rebuttal: “But I’m just not hungry in the morning!”.

Knowing the metabolic differences in PCOS, this is understandable. In fact, one study found women in larger bodies with PCOS had altered hunger and satiety hormones.

They noticed that women in larger bodies with PCOS had lower ghrelin and higher leptin levels than lean PCOS women or lean healthy women (7).

Higher leptin levels have been noted in some studies of women in larger bodies with insulin-resistant PCOS (8, 9).

These are important findings to note as ghrelin and leptin are appetite-controlling hormones. So with these out of whack, of course lack of appetite is a barrier (and then so is larger appetite later on!).

Despite this, remember that with PCOS there can be an imbalance of blood sugars and intense cravings, so eating breakfast (despite not feeling hungry at that time) can help set your day up for more managed sugars and cravings.

Now that we’ve got the basics under our belt, let’s look at what a PCOS friendly breakfast includes.

Components of a Healthy PCOS Friendly Breakfast

A healthy PCOS breakfast plate will contain four main ingredients:

  1. High quality proteins (⅓ of your plate)
  2. Complex, low glycemic index carbohydrates and fibre (⅓ of your plate)
  3. Healthy fats (⅓ of your plate)
  4. Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory foods (on the side)

High Quality Protein

Protein is one of the building blocks of the PCOS breakfast plate for a few reasons:

  • It’s satiating, meaning it keeps you full for longer
  • It balances blood sugars, which keeps hunger and cravings in line
  • It maintains muscle mass, which is important for metabolism

One study found that women with PCOS (mostly in larger bodies) consumed about 10 grams less of protein per day than healthy women (10).

cottage cheese in bowl

Breakfast can be a tricky meal to incorporate protein into, but also one of the most important places for protein. Your individual protein requirements depend on many factors like your weight, age, activity level, etc, but most people need to aim for 25-35 grams of protein at a meal, and breakfast is no exception.

Examples of high quality proteins include:

  • Lean-cooked meats such as chicken or turkey
  • Fish such as salmon
  • Eggs
  • Cow or soy milk
  • Greek yogurt
  • Cottage cheese
  • Beans
  • Edamame
  • Tofu
  • Tempeh

Check out our other blog on protein powder and PCOS.

Complex Carbohydrates

The next piece of the PCOS breakfast plate is complex carbs. But what makes them complex? Typically carbs that are less processed, with less refined sugars, more nutrient dense, and more fibre are the best choices.

Examples of complex carbohydrates include whole grain or sprouted breads, oatmeal, starchy vegetables such as potatoes and squash or beans.

Low Glycemic Index Carbohydrates

You may have also heard of low glycemic index (GI) carbs. The GI is a rating scale to determine how much food raises blood sugar.

Low GI carbs have a lesser impact on blood sugars than foods classified as medium or high on the glycemic index (11) making low GI foods a key part of a PCOS friendly breakfast.

Examples of low glycemic index carbohydrates include:

whole grain bread, a part of a healthy pcos breakfast
  • Green bananas
  • Apples
  • Berries
  • Oranges
  • Mango
  • Peach
  • Pear
  • Prunes
  • Pasta cooked al dente
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Steel cut oats
  • Sourdough bread
  • Heavy mixed grain breads
  • Whole grain tortilla
  • Barley
  • Quinoa
  • Popcorn
  • Beans
  • Lentils
  • Soybeans
  • Edamame
  • Bran buds or cereal
  • Milk (all types except for rice milk)
  • Yogurt

The GI takes the PCOS breakfast plate to the next level and advises on specific foods (like steel cut oats) rather than broad terms (like oats). It provides clearer guidance on which breakfast foods to choose to best manage your PCOS.

Benefits of Carbohydrates for a PCOS Friendly Breakfast

Like protein, carbohydrates will help keep you full longer and balance blood sugars, cravings and hunger. Most importantly, carbohydrates are our source of energy, which we need to prevent brain fog and feel energized. Many women with PCOS complain of constant fatigue, so carbohydrates can be our savior in this case!

Low Carbohydrate Diets for PCOS

Despite the benefits of carbohydrates, you may have considered cutting them out before. Keto and low carb are still trendy diets that many people turn to for weight loss.

While weight loss is likely, it’s hard to say sustainability is just as likely (12).

Remember, carbs provide fibre which is vital for satiety and blood sugar control. By going keto or even low carb, we’d remove a large source of fibre.

We know hunger, cravings and blood sugar are struggles with PCOS. Another common issue In PCOS is dysbiosis, an imbalance of gut bacteria (13). It also appears that being in a larger body (with or without PCOS) increases this imbalance (13). The solution to balance your gut bacteria? Fibre (carbs)!!

So while low carb or keto may give you physical results (weight loss), it won’t help internally (gut health).

You can read more about why you should stop avoiding carbs if you have PCOS in this blog post.

different carb sources

Healthy Fats

Fat should not be forgotten in a PCOS friendly breakfast as fats have a key role in balancing hormones – whereas the condition of PCOS throws hormones off balance! Fats also take longer to digest like protein and fibre, thus leading to feeling full longer.

Omega-3 Fats

The focus of our fats should be on the omega-3 fats. These fats are known to fight inflammation – something that occurs in the vicious cycle of PCOS.

Ideally we are consuming more olive and avocado (fruits and/or oils) and less processed vegetable oils like canola, soy, sunflower and safflower seed oils which are high in pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats.

smoked salmon on lettuce, a source of healthy fats for PCOS

But you may ask “All vegetable oils are healthy oils right?!”.

That’s not to say these oils are totally off limits, however it’s more to help promote a more even balance of omega-3’s to 6’s. Simply put, omega-3’s are anti-inflammatory and found in only a few food sources (avocado/olive fruit/oil and fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines), whereas pro-inflammatory omega 6’s are found abundantly in many foods. Eating too many 6’s over 3’s will put the ratio out of balance and promote inflammation.

variety of breakfast foods for best breakfast for pcos

PCOS Breakfast Ideas

Is There a Best PCOS Friendly Breakfast?

So now you’re probably wanting to know what the perfect PCOS breakfast looks like. Just like anything else nutrition-wise, that all depends on your personal preferences, schedule, food intolerances, and so on.

Nutrition tips are nothing without examples, so here are a few PCOS friendly breakfast ideas which use the above tips into tasty recipes that are sure to satisfy your hunger and help manage blood sugars. It’s up to you to choose some options, try them out to see what works for you!

Turning Ideas Into Habits: Find Your Barriers

PCOS creates many barriers to eating a balanced breakfast, namely, metabolic disturbances leading to changes in appetite.

In addition, you probably have your own personal barriers to add, such as no time in the morning, disliking cooking or a negative relationship with food.

Knowing this, coming up with your ‘plan B’ is just as important as your ‘plan A’. This makes it more likely for the habit to stick and for you to gain control of your PCOS.

PCOS Friendly Breakfast: Plan For Difficulty

‘Plan B’ planning involves a backup idea if your original plan doesn’t go well. Perhaps the recipe doesn’t turn out, you forget to pack your breakfast or you run out of time.

Accounting for these barriers and finding ways around them before they happen is critical to building a PCOS friendly breakfast habit.

Work With A Dietitian Specializing in PCOS

Not sure where to start? Work with one of our PCOS dietitians to help you bridge the “what” with the “how to”. We can help you figure out a suitable plan for your life and your goals, and help overcome your personal barriers. Learn More About Our Nutrition Packages or head over to our freebie page for more PCOS nutrition tips!

Follow Edge Nutrition on Instagram & Facebook, or join our email list for more helpful tips.

decision arrows for pcos nutrition counselling by a vancouver dietitian

11 Tasty and Satisfying PCOS Friendly Breakfast Recipes

Since PCOS can come with an array of intolerances for some (but not all!) and every person has their own preferences, here’s a guide to help you sort through the best breakfast ideas for PCOS that will may for you:

DF = dairy-free

GF = gluten-free

EF = egg-free

V = vegan

LF = low FODMAP

1. Tiramisu Baked Oatmeal (DF, EF, V, GF)

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dry oats (gluten-free if desired)
  • 2 bananas, mashed
  • 4 cups unsweetened soy milk
  • 1 cup silken tofu
  • 4 TB ground flaxseed
  • 2 TB espresso powder
  • 1 TB cocoa powder + extra to top
  • 1 TB sugar
  • 2 scoops protein powder of choice (with ~24 grams of protein per scoop)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Blend the oats into a flour.
  3. In a medium bowl, add the espresso powder, cocoa powder, ground flaxseed and protein powder.
  4. Stir in the mashed bananas and soy milk.
  5. Pour the mixture into a 8×8 baking dish. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, in a blender, add the silken tofu, sugar and vanilla to prepare the topping. Blend until smooth.
  7. When the oatmeal is baked and cooled, spread the tofu mixture on top. Sprinkle with extra cocoa powder right before serving.

Nutrition per serving (¼ of recipe):

412 calories | 33 g protein | 42 g carbohydrates | 10.2 g fibre | 13.2 g total fat | 1.9 g saturated fat | 3.1 g monounsaturated fat | 7.4 g polyunsaturated fat | 154 mcg vitamin A | 0.8 mg vitamin C | 120 IU vitamin D | 432 mg calcium | 4.8 mg iron | 179 mg magnesium | 775 mg potassium | 164 mg sodium | 3.4 mg zinc

2. Breakfast Shepherd’s Pie (DF, GF)

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 large (~235 grams each) sweet potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
  • 8 whole large eggs
  • 1 cup egg whites
  • 4 TB ground flaxseed
  • ¼ cup cow or soy milk (soy milk if you prefer dairy-free)
  • 1 cup finely chopped mixed onion, peppers and mushrooms
  • ½ tsp each salt, pepper and garlic powder
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the mashed sweet potatoes with the ground flaxseed and set aside.
  3. Lightly spray an 8×8 pan with cooking spray.
  4. Crack eggs into a large bowl and whisk together.
  5. Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined.
  6. Pour the egg mixture in the prepared pan.
  7. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the egg is set in the center and reaches 165 F.
  8. Once cooked, spread the sweet potato mixture over top.
  9. Cut into 4 pieces and serve with a side of fruit.

Nutrition per serving (¼ of recipe):

362 calories | 27 g protein | 31 g carbohydrates | 6.6 g fibre | 13.6 g total fat | 3.7 g saturated fat | 4.6 g monounsaturated fat | 3.1 g polyunsaturated fat | 1093 mcg vitamin A | 28 mg vitamin C | 95 IU vitamin D | 124 mg calcium | 3.5 mg iron | 69 mg magnesium | 663 mg potassium | 574 mg sodium | 1.8 mg zinc

3. PCOS Friendly Breakfast: Avocado Bean Breakfast Burrito

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

  • 1 (10”) whole grain tortilla
  • ½ cup black beans, low-sodium canned, drained and rinsed
  • 2 whole large eggs, scrambled
  • ¼ avocado, sliced
  • ¼ red bell pepper, raw and sliced
  • 2 TB salsa
  • 1 dollop (about 2 TB) of plain 2% Greek yogurt

Directions

  1. Lay the tortilla on a plate.
  2. Add the black beans and lightly mash them onto the tortilla.
  3. Add the scrambled eggs, avocado slices and sliced bell pepper.
  4. Top with salsa and a dollop of plain Greek yogurt (aka “sour cream”).
  5. Wrap the tortilla and enjoy.

Nutrition per serving (whole recipe):

541 calories | 29 g protein | 59 g carbohydrates | 15.6 g fibre | 21 g total fat | 5.5 saturated fat | 7.7 g monounsaturated fat |2.5 polyunsaturated fat | 214 mcg vitamin A | 42 mg vitamin C | 87 IU vitamin D | 194 mg calcium | 5.2 mg iron | 117 mg magnesium | 1053 mg potassium | 688 mg sodium | 2.4 mg zinc

4. Banana Egg Protein Pancakes (DF, GF, LF*)

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

  • 1 medium banana
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 1 TB ground flaxseed
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ scoop protein powder of choice (with ~24 grams of protein per scoop) *be sure to choose a low FODMAP protein powder, such as one without lactose, prebiotics, and some plant based protein powders
  • 1 tsp avocado oil, for cooking
  • 2 TB natural peanut butter

Directions

  1. Combine the banana, eggs, ground flaxseed and protein powder in a blender and blend until smooth.
  2. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the cooking oil.
  3. Once hot, add three scoops of batter into the skillet, about 4-5” wide.
  4. Be careful not to burn the pancakes as they cook quickly.
  5. Flip when golden brown on one side (~ 1 minute) and then cook on the other side.
  6. Add three more pancakes to the skillet to use up the rest of the batter.
  7. Place the pancakes on a plate and spread with peanut butter.

Nutrition per serving (whole recipe):

587 calories | 35 g protein | 40 g carbohydrates | 8.6 g fibre | 34 g total fat | 6.5 g saturated fat | 16.3 g monounsaturated fat | 6.9 g polyunsaturated fat | 158 mcg vitamin A | 10 mg vitamin C | 87 IU vitamin D | 180 mg calcium | 2.6 mg iron | 109 mg magnesium | 899 mg potassium | 177 mg sodium | 2.5 mg zinc

5. Skyr Yogurt Berry Parfait (EF, GF, LF*)

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Skyr icelandic yogurt, strawberry or vanilla (*note: these are usually lactose-free which would make it low FODMAP)
  • 1 cup mixed berries (*note: choose blueberries for a low FODMAP choice)
  • 2 TB hemp hearts
  • ¼ cup whole roasted, unsalted cashews (*note: you can substitute cashews for ~10 walnuts or pecans to make this a low FODMAP choice)
  • A sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions

  1. In a bowl, tupperware or mason jar, add the yogurt.
  2. Top with berries and sprinkle with hemp hearts, cashews and cinnamon.

Nutrition per serving (of recipe):

552 calories | 37 g protein | 52 g carbohydrates | 5.2 g fibre | 25.6 g total fat | 4.1 g saturated fat | 10.4 g monounsaturated fat | 10.3 g polyunsaturated fat | 30.2 mcg vitamin A | 12.1 mg vitamin C | 0 IU vitamin D | 296 mg calcium | 4.4 mg iron | 229 mg magnesium | 436 mg potassium | 88 mg sodium | 3.9 mg zinc

6. Whipped Lemon Dill Cottage Cheese on Sourdough (EF)

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup 2% cottage cheese
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • ¼ cup fresh dill
  • 0.5 cup shelled pistachio nuts, chopped
  • 4 slices of sourdough bread (about 40 grams per slice), toasted

Directions

  1. In a blender, add the cottage cheese and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.
  2. Pour blended cottage cheese into a medium bowl, and stir in lemon zest and dill.
  3. Spread the cottage cheese mixture on top of the toast.
  4. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios.

Nutrition per serving (of recipe):

491 calories | 27 g protein | 58 g carbohydrates | 5.3 g fibre | 18.7 g total fat | 3.6 g saturated fat | 8.4 g monounsaturated fat | 4.9 g polyunsaturated fat | 85.8 mcg vitamin A | 15 mg vitamin C | 0 IU vitamin D | 208 mg calcium | 4.6 mg iron | 72 mg magnesium | 582 mg potassium | 832 mg sodium | 2.2 mg zinc

7. PCOS Friendly Breakfast: Salmon Avocado Melt (EF)

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cans (~213 gram cans) of wild sockeye salmon packed with skin and bones
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 4 slices (about 20 grams per slice) of cheddar cheese
  • 1 TB dijon mustard
  • 4 whole grain English muffins

Directions

  1. Drain salmon of any liquid in the can.
  2. Place the salmon and dijon in a small bowl and stir together.
  3. Open the English muffin and add the salmon mixture. Top each muffin half with half a cheese slice.
  4. Bake in a toaster oven or the microwave until the cheese is melted.
  5. Served with sliced avocado on the side.

Nutrition per serving (of recipe):

438 calories | 36 g protein | 30 g carbohydrates | 6.9 g fibre | 19.6 g total fat | 5.7 g saturated fat | 6.8 g monounsaturated fat | 3.6 g polyunsaturated fat | 121 mcg vitamin A | 3.2 mg vitamin C | 0 IU vitamin D | 636 mg calcium | 3.1 mg iron | 89 mg magnesium | 720 mg potassium | 582 mg sodium | 2.4 mg zinc

8. Lemon Raspberry Quinoa Breakfast Bowl (DF, GF, EF, V, LF*)

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
  • 2 cups water
  • 8 TB hemp hearts
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 4 cups raspberries, to top the bowl (*note: a substitute for blueberries to make this a low FODMAP choice OR reduce portion to ⅓ cup of raspberries per serving)

Directions

  1. Place the quinoa and water in a medium pot and cook over low-medium heat, until the quinoa absorbs all the liquid.
  2. Stir in the hemp hearts, cinnamon, maple syrup and lemon zest.
  3. Top each bowl with ½ cup plain Greek yogurt.
  4. Top with raspberries and drizzle with a little extra maple syrup. Enjoy hot or cold!

Nutrition per serving (of recipe):

478 calories | 27 g protein | 62 g carbohydrates | 12.3 g fibre | 15.5 g total fat | 2.7 g saturated fat | 2.5 g monounsaturated fat | 9.6 g polyunsaturated fat | 31 mcg vitamin A | 34 mg vitamin C | 1.6 IU vitamin D | 228 mg calcium | 4.5 mg iron | 272 mg magnesium | 879 mg potassium | 50 mg sodium | 4.6 mg zinc

9. Green PCOS Smoothie (DF, GF, EF, V, LF*)

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

  • 1 kiwi
  • 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
  • ¼ avocado (*note: remove this ingredient to make this a low FODMAP choice)
  • 1 cup spinach or kale leaves
  • 1 scoop protein powder of choice (with ~24 grams of protein per scoop)
  • 2 TB ground flaxseed (*note: reduce to 1 TB to make this a low FODMAP choice)
  • 1 tsp matcha powder
  • 1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk (or enough to desired consistency)

Directions

  1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

Nutrition per serving (of recipe):

433 calories | 32 g protein | 47 g carbohydrates | 12.2 g fibre | 14.8 g total fat | 1.8 g saturated fat | 6.7 g monounsaturated fat | 5.3 g polyunsaturated fat | 115 mcg vitamin A | 161 mg vitamin C | 147 IU vitamin D | 912 mg calcium | 4.0 mg iron | 146 mg magnesium | 1194 mg potassium | 387 mg sodium | 2.1 mg zinc

10. Golden PCOS Smoothie (DF, GF, EF, V)

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

  • ½ large frozen banana
  • ½ cup frozen mangoes
  • 1 scoop protein powder of choice (with ~24 grams of protein per scoop)
  • 2 TB chia seeds
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or enough to desired consistency)

Directions

  1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

Nutrition per serving (of recipe):

364 calories | 30 g protein | 42 g carbohydrates | 11 g fibre | 9.8 g total fat | 1.4 g saturated fat | 2.1 g monounsaturated fat | 5.7 g polyunsaturated fat | 52 mcg vitamin A | 33.6 mg vitamin C | 98.4 IU vitamin D | 723 mg calcium | 6.1 mg iron | 141 mg magnesium | 836 mg potassium | 278 mg sodium | 2.0 mg zinc

11. PCOS Friendly Breakfast: Quick and Easy Scrambled Eggs (DF)

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

  • 2 whole eggs
  • ¼ cup egg whites (1 egg white)
  • 2 TB nutritional yeast
  • ¼ tsp. garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • A splash of milk (you can use a plant-based) to thin out the eggs to a desired consistency (the nutritional yeast will make it thicker)
  • 1 tsp butter
  • 2 slices of sourdough bread (about 40 grams per slice), toasted

Directions

  1. Whisk all ingredients (except the butter) together in a small bowl.
  2. Melt butter in a medium pan over medium heat.
  3. Pour the egg mixture into the hot pan.
  4. Use a spatula to scrape the eggs as they cook.
  5. Cook until the eggs are set.
  6. Enjoy hot over your toast.

Nutrition per serving (of recipe):

480 calories | 33 g protein | 48 g carbohydrates | 3.4 g fibre | 16.9 g total fat | 6.3 g saturated fat | 5.4 g monounsaturated fat | 2.3 g polyunsaturated fat | 190.6 mcg vitamin A | 0 mg vitamin C | 95 IU vitamin D | 120 mg calcium | 5.0 mg iron | 45.4 mg magnesium | 363 mg potassium | 758 mg sodium | 2.0 mg zinc

References

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  5. Minich DM, Henning M, Darley C, Fahoum M, Schuler CB, Frame J. Is Melatonin the “Next Vitamin D”?: A Review of Emerging Science, Clinical Uses, Safety, and Dietary Supplements. Nutrients. 2022 Sep 22;14(19):3934. doi: 10.3390/nu14193934. PMID: 36235587; PMCID: PMC9571539.
  6. Kulshreshtha B, Sharma N, Pant S, Sharma L, Pahuja B, Singh P. PCOS patients differ in meal timings rather than total caloric or macronutrient intake in comparison to weight matched controls. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2022 Mar;270:11-16. doi: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2021.12.023. Epub 2022 Jan 4. PMID: 35007973.
  7. Daghestani MH, Daghestani M, Daghistani M, El-Mazny A, Bjørklund G, Chirumbolo S, Al Saggaf SH, Warsy A. A study of ghrelin and leptin levels and their relationship to metabolic profiles in obese and lean Saudi women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Lipids Health Dis. 2018 Aug 21;17(1):195. doi: 10.1186/s12944-018-0839-9. PMID: 30131073; PMCID: PMC6103980.
  8. Namavar Jahromi B, Dabaghmanesh MH, Parsanezhad ME, Fatehpoor F. Association of leptin and insulin resistance in PCOS: A case-controlled study. Int J Reprod Biomed. 2017 Jul;15(7):423-428. PMID: 29177243; PMCID: PMC5601933.
  9. Nasrat H, Patra SK, Goswami B, Jain A, Raghunandan C. Study of Association of Leptin and Insulin Resistance Markers in Patients of PCOS. Indian J Clin Biochem. 2016 Mar;31(1):104-7. doi: 10.1007/s12291-015-0499-8. Epub 2015 Apr 28. PMID: 26855496; PMCID: PMC4731364.
  10. Toscani MK, Mario FM, Radavelli-Bagatini S, Spritzer PM. Insulin resistance is not strictly associated with energy intake or dietary macronutrient composition in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Nutr Res. 2011 Feb;31(2):97-103. doi: 0.1016/j.nutres.2011.01.009. PMID: 21419313.
  11. Barrea L, Marzullo P, Muscogiuri G, Di Somma C, Scacchi M, Orio F, Aimaretti G, Colao A, Savastano S. Source and amount of carbohydrate in the diet and inflammation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Nutr Res Rev. 2018 Dec;31(2):291-301. doi: 10.1017/S0954422418000136. Epub 2018 Jul 23. PMID: 30033891.
  12. Paoli A, Mancin L, Giacona MC, Bianco A, Caprio M. Effects of a ketogenic diet in overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome. J Transl Med. 2020 Feb 27;18(1):104. doi: 10.1186/s12967-020-02277-0. PMID: 32103756; PMCID: PMC7045520.
  13. Liu R, Zhang C, Shi Y, Zhang F, Li L, Wang X, Ling Y, Fu H, Dong W, Shen J, Reeves A, Greenberg AS, Zhao L, Peng Y, Ding X. Dysbiosis of Gut Microbiota Associated with Clinical Parameters in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Front Microbiol. 2017 Feb 28;8:324. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00324. PMID: 28293234; PMCID: PMC5328957.

About The Author

I am a Registered Dietitian in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada, specializing in PCOS nutrition, women's nutrition and weight loss. I help women gain confidence on how to fuel and nourish their body and eat without guilt, freeing up the mental space to be fully present in their life.

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