20 PCOS-Friendly Breakfasts You’ll Love [Expert-Approved]

Navigating what to eat when you have PCOS can seem complicated and overwhelming. You’re faced with a flood of information on the internet, often from well-meaning influencers. The range of information, which tends to be conflicting, makes it hard to know what advice to follow.

That’s why I’ve used my expertise as a registered dietitian nutritionist to compile a list of 20 PCOS-friendly breakfasts. These morning meals not only taste good but you also can trust that they are good for you.?

Whether searching for something sweet or savory, make-ahead convenience or grab-and-go solutions, you’ll find options tailored to PCOS in this article.

This comprehensive guide also teaches you the essentials of what should go into a healthy breakfast for PCOS . After reading it, you’ll feel empowered to come up with additional breakfast ideas that fit your own unique tastes and needs.

Are you ready?

Let’s dive in!

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Why It’s Important to Eat Breakfast With PCOS

To start with, why is it important for someone with PCOS to eat breakfast?

There are a few reasons.

1. Balancing Blood Sugar

An estimated 35-80% of women with PCOS have insulin resistance, meaning it is hard to control their blood sugars (1).?

Skipping meals is associated with a greater chance of insulin resistance and impaired blood sugar control (2, 3, 4, 5).

To help balance your blood sugar, it’s better to eat regular meals throughout the day. Just ensure your meals include the right type and amount of carbs – more on that below!

2. Optimizing Your Nutrition

Eating three meals a day instead of two gives you an extra chance to optimize your nutrition! For example, the CDC reports that only about 12% of Americans eat enough fruits and vegetables each day.?

Those fruits and vegetables are full of important vitamins, minerals, and fiber that would benefit women with PCOS.?

The USDA found that skipping breakfast results in lower diet quality overall. Your nutritional profile will be better by starting your day with a healthy, PCOS-friendly breakfast instead of skipping it.?

3. Improving Mood and Mental Performance

Many studies show that eating breakfast is linked to better mental performance (6, 7).

Want to feel happier? While there’s certainly more to it than eating breakfast, doing so helps.?

Women with PCOS tend to report higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression than women without PCOS (8).

Several studies show that people who eat breakfast have less anxiety and depression and in general feel happier than those who don’t (9, 10, 11, 12).

There may also be good news for your stress levels if you eat breakfast. Limited research shows that people who eat breakfast also tend to have lower levels of the stress hormone, cortisol (13, 14). More studies need to be done in this area.

Now that you understand why breakfast is important, let’s look at what are the key features of a healthy breakfast for PCOS.

What Makes a Breakfast PCOS-Friendly

A healthy breakfast for PCOS will help you meet your goals. These are the key elements to consider when planning your meal:

1. Balance of Macronutrients

Don’t eat a breakfast that only consists of one food group. The goal here is to balance the macronutrients – carbs, protein, and healthy fats.

• Carbohydrates – Complex carbs like whole wheat bread and brown rice will sustain you with energy while helping to keep your blood sugar in check.
• Protein – Protein is known as the building block of the body. It will help you feel full and satisfied, without increasing blood sugar.?
• Healthy fats – Healthy fats, like olive oil, help slow digestion so you’ll feel full for longer. Pairing them with carbs in your meal can help promote more stable blood sugar levels.?

2. Low Glycemic Index (GI) Carbohydrates

The Glycemic Index (GI) is essentially a scale that ranks carbohydrate foods based on how high they will raise your blood sugar.?

All carbs digest into glucose – sugar – and your body needs them for energy.?

BUT, some are easier on your blood sugar and keep you full longer than others. These are the low GI foods.?

Studies show that women with PCOS benefit from choosing low GI foods in place of high GI foods (15,16).?

Foods given a GI score of 55 or less are considered Low GI. Foods given a GI score of 70 or higher are considered high GI.?

Examples of low GI foods are barley, bulgur, bran flakes, spelt bread, eggplant, celery,? cucumber, apples, pomegranate, pear, strawberries, and avocado.

Some examples of high GI foods are white bread, cornflakes, cakes, cookies, tortilla chips, potatoes, watermelon, and dates.?

3. Fiber

Generally, low GI foods are also high in fiber, which is great news for you.?

Fiber promotes satiety so you won’t feel like you need a snack as soon as you finish breakfast. It’s also good for your digestive health and helps with regulating blood sugar (17, 18).?

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List of PCOS-Friendly Breakfast Ideas

Sweet Breakfasts:

1. Greek yogurt parfait with low GI granola, peach, and pecans

2. Buckwheat pancakes with strawberries and slivered almonds

3. Oatmeal with apples, cinnamon, and walnuts

4. Whole grain toast topped with almond butter and blueberries

Savory Breakfasts:

5. Mushroom and bell pepper omelet with spelt toast and avocado

6. Smoked salmon wrap (use a whole grain wrap) with cream cheese, veggies, and fresh dill

7. Savory oatmeal with steamed spinach, black beans, roasted red peppers, diced tomatoes, and onions

8. Scrambled tofu with nutritional yeast, toasted pumpernickel bread, and sliced tomatoes drizzled with olive oil

9. Cottage cheese bowl with diced cucumber and tomato, grated carrots, green onion, chives, and a drizzle of walnut oil . . . .

Read the rest of the article at https://nourishingconception.com/pcos-friendly-breakfasts/