How to Make the Best PCOS Smoothies: Recipes & Ingredients

If you have PCOS, smoothies should be a diet staple.  

‍

PCOS-friendly smoothies provide a quick, easy way to consume tons of nourishing foods.

What makes a PCOS smoothie even more alluring is how simple it is to prepare. Once you stock up on a few basic ingredients, all you need is five minutes and a decent blender. 

But there's a problem: some smoothie recipes are far better for PCOS than others. When smoothies are loaded with carbs and added sugars, they mess with our insulin levels. Fortunately, there are ways to build PCOS-friendly smoothies -- delicious smoothies that won't put your health at risk.

‍

I only discovered the numerous health benefits of smoothies thanks to resouurces like The PCOS Nutrition Center Cookbook and The Insulin Resistance Diet Plan & Cookbook. You’ll see I pulled a lot of PCOS smoothie recipes and nutritional information from these books, and I hope you find them as helpful as I did. Not only do the authors provide recipes, they explain why certain ingredients are better (or worse) for PCOS.

In this post, we'll look at the core ingredients that allow you to create the perfect PCOS smoothie and share recipes that show you exactly how to put everything together.

Stock up on the best PCOS smoothie ingredients 

Ensure that you have PCOS-friendly ingredients on hand, so that you can prepare a smoothie whenever you'd like. Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases.

1. Seeds

Seeds are high in fiber and antioxidants. These properties are key because they can help to manage PCOS symptoms. 

‍

Here's a rundown of the best seeds for PCOS smoothies:

• Chia seeds: Chia seeds are one of the best PCOS smoothie ingredients. According to Very Well Health, chia seeds are rich in fiber, iron, zinc, calcium, and magnesium. 
• Sesame seeds: Research suggests sesame seeds can reduce testosterone levels and increase insulin absorption, all of which can help improve PCOS symptoms. 
• Ground flax seeds: In one clinical trial involving 41 people with PCOS, flax seeds were found to improve PCOS symptoms. After consuming flax seeds for 12 weeks, the PCOS patients showed weight loss and lower insulin resistance. In The Insulin Resistance Diet Plan & Cookbook, Tara Spencer writes that flaxseed is a source of protein, omega-3 fatty adcids, and soluble fiber. Because the fat and fiber slow sugar absorption, it's a great add to any fruit smoothie.

Although you can just as easily consume any of these seeds on their own, I find mixing them into my smoothie means I never to forget to get a daily dose of seeds.

2. Liquid

Many smoothie recipes use dairy milk as a base, and it’s key for people with PCOS to know how diary impacts symptoms, according to the PCOS Nutrition Center:

“There is evidence that milk, in particular nonfat milk, can contribute to increasing androgen and insulin levels. 

“For these reasons, we recommended women with PCOS limit their dairy intake coming from yogurt or milk to two or fewer servings per day.”

Almond milk, rice milk, and coconut milk are great dairy alternatives. Another liquid to avoid is fruit juice, which will send your blood sugar spiking.

3. Protein

Protein offers a range of benefits for people with PCOS, writes Nicole Galan, a registered nurse. Protein can reduce cravings, control blood sugar levels, and improve your metabolism.

‍

Particularly if you're mixing fruit into your PCOS smoothie, protein is a must.

Rachel McBryan, a registered dietitian tells Eat This protein counterbalances the effect of fruit on your blood sugar.

"When you drink a protein smoothie with fruit, you will immediately replenish your body with much-needed nutrients, but also you may experience a rise in blood sugar.”

"When you add a source of protein, like from yogurt or protein supplements, what will happen to your body is it will slow the absorption of the fruit sugar and not cause a rise in blood sugar. This is especially important for people with prediabetes or diabetes."

My doctor told me to pair any serving of fruit with a protein source for this reason. I add a scoop of protein powder to my smoothie, and I'll have some nuts along with an apple.

4. Vegetables 

All vegetables are not created equal if you have PCOS. Specifically, the PCOS Nutrition Center Cookbook says non-starchy vegetables are better for PCOS. Non-starchy vegetables include spinach, peppers, zucchini, and broccoli. 

“Due to these foods’ low-carbohydrate content, eating non-starchy vegetables will not cause greater spikes in insulin that comes with eating starchy vegetables.”

Green smoothies for PCOS are a great way to bump up your servings of non-starchy vegetables.

5. Fruit

Fruits bring a vitamin and antioxidant boost to any PCOS smoothie, according to the PCOS Nutrition Center Cookbook. 

However, fruit has a high carbohydrate content. This is why the center recommends certain fruits over others: 

“To get the most benefit without too many carbs, try to choose fruits with the skin on them (such as apples, blueberries, and strawberries). These tend to have a lower GI than fruits eating without the skin (such as pineapple and watermelon).”

‍

To ensure I always have smoothie staples, I keep my freezer stocked with fruit, mostly cherries and strawberries.

6. Natural sweeteners

The best PCOS smoothies have almost no added sugars.  The reason for this is sugar can kick off a unending PCOS craving cycle, writes the PCOS Nutrition Center:

“The hormone insulin is an appetite stimulant, which means it increases cravings for sugary foods. This explains why so many women with PCOS report intense, almost urgent cravings for sweets, even just after finishing a meal. The best way to manage these cravings is to limit the amount of sugar in your diet. The less sugar you have, the less you will want it.”

To sweeten my smoothie, I mix in a teaspoon of raw honey.

7. PCOS superfood extras

These ingredients give your PCOS smoothie a dose of antioxidants. 

• Matcha powder: Matcha is a concentrated form of green tea. Green tea is great for PCOS because research suggests it reduces insulin levels. 
• Cinnamon: Like green tea, cinnamon has also been shown to improve insulin. 
• Ginger: Ginger is another perfect addition to a PCOS smoothie. It can improve insulin sensitivity.  

What's great about these superfoods is you can add them to pretty much any smoothie for a nutrient boost.

‍

In addition to these essentials, make sure you have the right equipment. My go-to is my ever-faithful Nutribullet. That's all there is to it. Now, you'll always be ready to put together a PCOS-friendly smoothie.

‍

Bookmark these healthy PCOS smoothie recipes 

Have a list of go-to smoothie recipes. Aim for something that's simple, and most importantly, that you enjoy.

The best smoothies for PCOS are packed with ingredients that keep you full for longer. And you’ll note these smoothies aren’t filled with added sugars, meaning they won’t cause your blood sugar levels to rise.

Here’s a list of PCOS-friendly smoothies. For all of these recipes, simply add the ingredients to a blender and drink.

1. Cherry banana smoothie

I love this easy, delicious PCOS smoothie. It’s my favourite and a combination I discovered after experimenting with several recipes.

• ½ cup of frozen cherries
• 2 blocks of frozen spinach or kale 
• ½ frozen banana
• 1 teaspoon Matcha tea powder
• 1 teaspoon Chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 scoop protein powder

Sometimes, I’ll add a teaspoon of vanilla extract, too.

2. Berry explosion smoothie 

I found this recipe in the PCOS Nutrition Center Cookbook.

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 ½ cups frozen mixed berries
• 1 teaspoon match
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 3 tablespoons hemp hearts
• 6 small ice cubs, or ¾ ice

3. Kale and apple green smoothie 

Here’s another easy PCOS smoothie recipe from the same cookbook. This time it’s a green smoothie for PCOS.

• ¾ vanilla coconut milk
• 1 ½ cups kale, chopped
• 1 green apple, chopped
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon matcha
• ½ cup ice 

4. Chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie 

A quick and tasty smoothie recipe from the cookbook.

• 1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 small banana
• 2 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter
• 1 scoop double rich chocolate protein powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1 cup ice 

5. Green pear protein smoothie

‍

This recipe is courtesy of The Insulin Resistance Diet Plan & Cookbook, another helpful PCOS resource.

• 1 cup torn kale leaves
• 1 pear, cored and chopped
• 1/2 English cucumber, cut into chunks
• 2 tablespoos sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon flaxeed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 ice cubes

6. Creamy green apple smoothie

Here's another item from The Insulin Resistance Diet Plan and Cookbook:

• 2 cups spinach
• 1 green apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 avocado, peeled and pitted
• 3 ice cubes

7. Strawberry ginger smoothie

‍

I found this recipe in the Insulin Resistance Diet for Beginners.

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yoghurt
• 2 cups strawberries
• 1 cup spinach
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger root
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  

Build the perfect PCOS smoothie today

The good news is a smoothie can be a tasty, healthy PCOS meal or snack. Not only will you increase your fruit and vegetable intake instantly, smoothies are ridiculously easy to make.

‍

Experiment with these PCOS smoothie recipes and find favourites you can incorporate into a healthy diet.