Recipes

49 PCOS Recipes for Dinner That Help With Weight Loss and Insulin Resistance

See easy PCOS recipes you can prepare for weeknight dinners.

 If you’re looking for easy PCOS-friendly recipes with simple ingredients, we’ve got you covered whether you’re in the mood for meat, chicken, seafood, or vegetarian. Along with other lifestyle modifications, these PCOS meals can help you better manage your PCOS symptoms.

Below, you’ll find 49 PCOS dinner ideas you’ll keep coming back to night after night.

What Should You Eat for Dinner With PCOS?

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Before getting into a list of PCOS recipes, let’s review what you should eat with PCOS - and why. 

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If you have PCOS, your dinner should incorporate healthy fats, lean protein, and complex carbohydrates. Research suggests this type of balanced diet is beneficial for managing PCOS. For this reason, include lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats in every meal, writes Tara Spencer in The Easy PCOS Cookbook. Importantly, you'll eat more of the foods that lower insulin resistance and chronic inflammation.

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Let’s break down the foods you’ll want to have at your dinner table: 

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Committing to this eating plan may help regulate your insulin levels. This matters because women with PCOS have a higher prevalence of insulin resistance than those without, according to a paper published in the 2019 Fertility and Sterility journal. 

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Insulin resistance is when your body doesn’t respond to insulin properly, and it puts you at higher risk for developing gestational diabetes, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Thus, with polycystic ovary syndrome, you’ll want to steer clear of foods that trigger a strong insulin response. Notably, you’ll need to avoid foods containing simple carbs, like soda, table sugar, and candy. These carbs will send your blood sugar spiking and contain little nutritional value. The research is clear on this one: high-sugar foods can lead to increased levels of insulin resistance and male hormones. Wherever possible, limit processed foods in favour of whole foods. For more, check out the list of the worst foods for PCOS. 

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Conversely, the right diet may contribute to weight loss, lower insulin levels, and reduced inflammation in women with PCOS, suggests a research review published in the Maedica journal reports. In other words, improving your PCOS through diet is a free, natural PCOS treatment, as Spencer explains:

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“Aside from the medical treatments recommended by your doctor, PCOS can be managed by focusing on the reversible condition or insulin resistance through healthy dietary and physical habits. Unlike some drugs, these natural treatments don’t carry any negative side effects. They will only help make you look and feel better.”

Most of us probably lived this reality at one point or another. I know it firsthand: processed foods and simple carbs make my PCOS symptoms worse. So much worse. Suddenly, my menstrual cycle is all over the place. My energy levels plummet. And my skin kinda...erupts.  Once I stick to a low to medium-carb eating pattern, my weight is steady, my skin improves, and my cycle is regular. For PCOS weight loss, another tactic that works for me is timing. Specifically, eating at leasttwo hours before bed has been effective during my weight loss journey. So it's not only what you eat, but when you eat too.

49 PCOS-Friendly Dinner Recipes

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Below,you'll find PCOS dinner recipes created by experts. Thes are dishes like Keto pizza, healthy chicken nuggets, vegetable stews, and creamy bell pepper soup. Over time you'll develop your list of go to recipes. When you have a family, these are meals everyone can enjoy. When I'm short on time, I season a bunch of chicken breasts and cook them in the air fryer. I'll pair the chicken with sweet potatoes, steamed in the Instant Pot, and a simple salad of sliced red onions, cucumber, and lettuce. Read through the recipes and when you find one you like, take the time to customise it. Like me, you might prefer chicken instead of capers. I've also found most popular dinner recipes can be altered slightly to turn them into PCOS dinners, for example subbing sweet potatoe for potatoe or pairing with cauliflower rice.

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You'll find PCOS friendly recipes chock full of foods that will treat your PCOS symptoms.

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Poultry

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Beef

  • Low-carb spaghetti bolognese: PCOS-friendly dinners don’t have to mean never having spaghetti bolognese again. With Zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash, you’ll enjoy bolognese - without the guilt.
  • Keto lasagne: Feed your lasagne fix with a Keto lasagne that swaps out “regular” noodles for homemade noodles, made from cream cheese, eggs, and spices.
  • Keto Mexican skillet: A low-carb Mexican dish you can have ready in 20 minutes. Serve with these almond flour tortillas.
  • Easy beef stew: A gluten-free, dairy-free stew you can easily customise to make low-carb. Simple swaps like substituting potatoes for sweet potatoes bring the GI score down. I love stews because they’re great for meal prep and something the whole family can enjoy. You can make this in a slow cooker, Instant Pot, stovetop.
  • Low-carb shepherd's pie: Ground beef and vegetable filling topped with a creamy cauliflower mash instead of potato. Comforting, insulin-friendly, and great for batch cooking.
  • PCOS-friendly Mongolian beef :A hormone-supportive take on the takeaway classic, swapping cornstarch and sugar for anti-inflammatory alternatives. Serve over cauliflower rice or quinoa.
  • Pineapple beef stir fry :Lean beef tenderloin with colorful veggies and a naturally sweet pineapple sauce. High in protein and iron, ready in 30 minutes. Created by a PCOS-specialist dietitian.
  • Easy beef stew (slow cooker) : Swap regular potatoes for sweet potatoes to lower the GI. A one-pot, gluten-free meal that's ideal for meal prep and the whole family.
  • Stuffed spaghetti squash with ground beef: Spaghetti squash as a low-carb vessel for seasoned ground beef, salsa, and cheese. A satisfying alternative to pasta.

Pork

Seafood

Salad

  • Quinoa avocado chickpea salad:  Packed with protein, this salad is perfect on its own or as a side.
  • Avocado chicken salad: Make this chicken salad when you’re in the mood for a light meal. Loaded with healthy fats, it's a great combination of greek yoghurt and avocado. Skip the yoghurt if you want a dairy-free option.
  • Paleo & Whole30 greek salad: This greek salad is easy to make and full of vegetables. What I love about salads for PCOS is that you can pretty much build a healthy salad that tastes great based on your preferences. Because I’m not a fan of capers, for example, I’d add chicken strips to this salad. Also, I’d swap out the white onion for red onion. For a simple salad dressing, sprinkle apple cider vinegar and olive oil over your salad green.
  • PCOS taco salad with ground turkey : 40g protein and 17g fiber per serving. Ground turkey and black beans over greens with avocado, toasted corn, and a citrus dressing. Created by a PCOS dietitian.
  • Greek ground turkey salad bowl : Mediterranean flavours with cucumber, olives, feta, and tzatziki over lemon rice. Doubles as a meal prep lunch.
  • Shrimp quinoa salad bowl : Protein-rich shrimp over fiber-filled quinoa with avocado, fresh veggies, and a light citrus dressing. Anti-inflammatory and satisfying.
  • Salmon Niçoise salad : A French classic with omega-3-rich salmon, eggs, olives, green beans, and a Dijon vinaigrette. Light but filling — great for warmer months.

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Soup

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  • Roasted bell pepper soup: You only need eight ingredients to make a batch of this creamy, dairy-free soup. In the absence of cream, cannellini beans add texture.  Peppers are non-starchy vegetables, meaning they’re lower in carbohydrates Plus, peppers are a great source of vitamins and minerals.
  • Butternut squash soup: Perfect for autumn or winter, this butternut soup is dairy-free. Cook it up in the Instant Pot or stovetop.

Pizza

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  • Low-carb pizza: No need to deprive yourself of pizza if you’re following a PCOS-friendly diet. Use almond meal to turn pizza into a PCOS-friendly dinner. This healthier pizza requires only eight ingredients.
  • Whole30 pizza: A cauliflower crust pizza for pizza night where you can add your own toppings. 

Vegetarian

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PCOS-Friendly breakfast, lunch, and snack ideas

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If you’re looking for more PCOS meal ideas, check out these recipes for breakfast and lunch. You’ll also find links for PCOS-friendly recipes for smoothies and desserts.

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PCOS diet: frequently asked questions

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Below, we answer the most common questions about PCOS diet.

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Does What You Eat Affect Your fertility?

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Because foods can worsen or improve PCOS, it also has a corresponding effect on fertility. According to the Nutrients journal, studies show low-carbohydrate diets have been shown to treat infertility in obese PCOS patients.

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But this isn’t to say a low-carb diet is the best approach for everyone. In this Very Well Family blog post, registered nurse Rachel Gurevich writes:

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“Some studies have claimed that a low-carb diet is the best one for PCOS, but other studies have not found a low-carb advantage. The most important thing is to make sure your diet is rich in nutrient-rich foods and adequate protein and low on high-sugar foods. Avoiding junk food and processed foods is your best bet.”

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And it’s not only about what you eat but also about when you eat: One older 2013 study published in Clinical Science journal showed women who ate a bigger breakfast had better ovulation:

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“In lean PCOS women, a high caloric intake at breakfast with reduced intake at dinner results in improved insulin sensitivity indices and reduced cytochrome P450c17α activity, which ameliorates hyperandrogenism and improves ovulation rate. Meal timing and distribution should be considered as a therapeutic option for women with PCOS.”

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Here are some PCOS breakfast ideas.

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A quick note here: so often fertility is seen as solely a female concern.  And, of course, if you have PCOS, you’ll need to pay extra attention to what you eat. This is true whether you’re trying for a baby or improving your overall health. But a male’s diet matters: what they eat can affect their sperm quality. 

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Case in point: this review of the research in Fertility and Sterility journal suggests men eat the following foods to boost the quality of their sperm:

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  • Seafood
  • Poultry
  • Nuts
  • whole grains
  • Fruits
  • Vegetables

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In sum, fertility shouldn’t only be your priority. And while the science shows diet makes a significant impact on fertility, you’ll want to check in with a medical professional about your specific concerns and questions.

 

What can I eat to lose weight with PCOS?

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Specific diets have been studied for PCOS weight loss and the consensus is this: eating a diet low in bad carbs is linked to weight loss. Key here is bad carbs. The thing is all carbs are not the same, and some have no place in a balanced PCOS diet, as Angela Grassi notes in The PCOS Nutrition Center Cookbook:

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“Bread and pasta may be the first foods to come to mind when most people think of ‘carbs’, but in addition to grains, carbohydrate food sources can also come in the guise of fruits, vegetables, milk, beans, and legumes. 

 

"Even more important than identifying them is noting that not all carbs are created equally. As some carbs will cause glucose and insulin to spike faster than others, a carbohydrate can either promote insulin resistance (and weight gain gain) or fight it (and aid weight loss).”

 

Grassi explains that the glycemic index, which measures how quickly a food will affect your blood sugar levels is a great tool. You’ll want to avoid anything that quickly spikes your blood sugar, like sweetened drinks and baked goods. Instead, Grassi recommends what she calls “slow carbs” that have a more sustained glycemic response. 

 

Slow carbs include:

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  • Sourdough bread
  • Brown rice
  • Millet
  • Quinoa 

 

Fruits with the skin on, like strawberries and apples, are lower on the glycemic index. As are non-starchy vegetables, including peppers and zucchini.

 

And there are specific dietary guidelines you can follow to lower insulin levels and promote weight loss. A research review published in the 2021 Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism suggests the Mediterranean diet, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and ketogenic diet have been shown to improve weight loss. Adopting one of these eating patterns can better help you regulate hormones and improve insulin sensitivity.

 

I lost 13 kg when I stuck to a relatively low-carb eating plan. Though, I went to a strict keto for a bit, I found it impossible to sustain.  Over time, I was also able to maintain my weight loss by exercising regularly. By no means was I spending hours in the gym each week. Instead, I practiced yoga and walked every day. Meal planning critical for me if I want to stick a PCOS friendly eating pattern. I try to meal plan weekly and cook at least two meals over the weekend. I'll freeze one and save quick dinners for the week. I try to make ahead wherever I can and meals like stews and curries are ideal for preparing ahead of time.

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Generally, a combination of medium to low-carb eating, exercise, and hormone balance supplements have worked better to manage my PCOS naturally than any other treatments, including hormonal birth control.

 

Try these easy, healthy PCOS recipe ideas for better hormone health

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With these dinners, you’ll eat tasty meals that don’t sacrifice your health. In fact, the right food can balance blood sugar and lower inflammation. Pick one or two of these PCOS friendly recipes to try. Feel free to experiment based on your preferences. The best PCOS meal is one you really enjoy.

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Of course, managing common PCOS symptoms is about more than finding a couple of PCOS meal ideas. It also requires exercise, stress management, and good sleep hygiene. And before you get started on a new lifestyle intervention, check with your medical health professional. Just imagine the cumulative effect of these steps on your health and overall well-being.

 

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