5 PCOS Friendly Recipes

Published on: Feb 17, 2023

Medically Reviewed and Authored by:
Pari Saharkhiz, Doctor of Medicine, Canada, Ontario

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GUEST BLOG:

When you’ve been diagnosed with PCOS, you may feel completely overwhelmed. Not only do you have to deal with the symptoms but learn how to get this condition under control. A good way to do this naturally is through your diet. This in itself can seem daunting because, at first glance, it can seem so restricting. You may initially baulk at the thought of having to live on a gluten-free, sugar-free and low-carb diet. However, it’s a lot easier than you think and you can enjoy delicious meals that help to get your PCOS under control without ever thinking you’re missing out on any treats. Here, we’ve included 5 PCOS-friendly recipes to get you started. But first, we’ll quickly explain what PCOS is and how a PCOS diet can help you.

What is PCOS?

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal condition suffered by women. You tend to have high levels of androgen hormones, irregular periods and polycystic ovaries. Symptoms of the condition can include excessive hair growth, acne, weight gain, fatigue and anxiety. It can increase your risk of getting more serious health issues, such as diabetes, liver inflammation, infertility and miscarriage.

How does a PCOS diet help?

Insulin is one of the main hormones associated with the health risks that having PCOS presents. Insulin regulates the levels of blood sugar in your body. To control these levels, low-sugar or sugar-free foods are needed. A good PCOS diet also includes foods that enhance the health of your gut and reduce inflammation. You need to lower your carbohydrate intake and eat adequate protein and high-fibre foods. To reduce inflammation, avoid foods that are highly processed or contain trans fats or gluten. When possible, reduce the dairy products you consume. By following a PCOS diet, you’ll help to balance your hormones and eliminate the symptoms you’re suffering from. Below, we’ve detailed 5 PCOS-friendly recipes for you to enjoy.

5 PCOS-friendly recipes for you to enjoy.

1- Savoury broccoli cheese muffins for breakfast

These soft, fluffy muffins are gluten-free and low in carbs. This recipe is for six large muffins or 10 regular ones.

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups / 200 g almond flour
6 tbsp / 90 ml unsweetened almond milk
Apple cider vinegar
4 eggs
2 tbsp / 30ml unsalted butter
1 ½ cups / 130 g cheddar cheese
1 cup / 100 g broccoli
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp parsley
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp garlic powder

Preparation (15 minutes):

Cut the broccoli into small florets and grate the cheese. In a bowl, mix the apple cider vinegar and almond milk together to make buttermilk. Leave this to rest for 5 minutes. Use oil to grease the muffin tray. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.

Making the savoury broccoli cheese muffins:

In a large bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together. Next, add the wet ingredients and mix using a whisk. Then add the broccoli and cheddar cheese. Mix everything together.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin tray. Place the muffins into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. When they’ve finished cooking, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool before serving.

2- Spinach chicken poppers for lunch

To help save you time on busy days, make a batch of these and put them in the freezer raw. Then you can take out a handful to cook as and when you want to. The recipe below makes four servings.

Ingredients:

450 g ground chicken
30 g finely diced bacon
1 cup finely chopped baby spinach
1 finely diced apple
280 g grated sweet potato
2 tbsp coconut flour
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp ground sage
1 tsp dried rosemary
¼ tsp salt

Preparation:

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.

Making the spinach chicken poppers:

Mix the chicken, bacon, sweet potato, spinach and apple together in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir together. Separate the mixture into small balls of about 2 ½ cm / 1 inch in size and put them on the baking tray. Drizzle some olive oil over the top of the balls. Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve these spinach chicken poppers as a delicious hot lunch.

3- Baked feta pasta with noodles for dinner

This low-carb pasta dish is quick and easy to make plus comforting to eat. This recipe makes four servings.

Ingredients:

4 cups / 575 g cherry tomatoes
250 g feta cheese (either in a block, cubed or crumbled)
1/3 cup / 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp oregano
½ tsp salt
½ pepper
¼ tsp chilli pepper
4 chopped cloves of garlic
10 fresh basil leaves
2 packs / 420 g konjac noodles

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.

Making baked feta pasta with noodles:

For the sauce, place the feta block in the middle of a baking dish and surround it with the cherry tomatoes. Drizzle the oil over the top and season with the salt, pepper, oregano, garlic and chilli pepper. Please the baking dish into the oven and cook for 50 minutes. When you’ve removed the baking dish from the oven, mix the cheese and tomatoes gently together to form a sauce.

Drain the liquid from the konjac noodles and give them a quick rinse. Cook in a frying pan for 3 to 4 minutes. Add them to your sauce and gently stir in the fresh basil leaves before serving.

4- Chocolate mud cake for dessert

Treat yourself to this low-sugar PCOS-friendly cake.

Ingredients:

6 eggs (separate the whites and yolks)
200 g chopped 85% dark chocolate
2/3 cup melted coconut oil
¼ cup cocoa powder (cake) and 2 tbsp (icing)
3 tsp rice malt syrup (cake) and 1 tsp (icing)
1 ½ cups almond meal (cake)
1 cup coconut cream (icing)

Preparation:

Grease a 20 cm / 8-inch cake tin and line it with greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 170C/340F.

Making the chocolate mud cake:

Put a heatproof bowl over a simmering pot of water. Add the dark chocolate, cocoa powder and coconut oil to the bowl and stir together until melted. Leave on one side to cool. Beat the rice malt syrup and egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly pour the cooled chocolate mixture into this and beat together. Add the almond meal and beat together. Beat the egg whites in another bowl to form soft peaks. Stir a third of this into the chocolate mixture. Fold the remaining egg whites in gently. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 40 minutes.

For the icing, stir the coconut cream, cocoa powder and rice malt syrup in a heatproof bowl that has been placed over a simmering pan of water. Spread the melted mixture over the cake.