Snacks for PCOS
Things to keep in mind when planning PCOS Snacks
- Insulin resistance is at the root of 70% of PCOS cases. Elevated insulin and blood sugar levels leads to food cravings, which can make it difficult to make good food choices. Your body wants sugar and it wants it now! Addressing this component with the right lifestyle changes is essential, and we help women with this in our functional medicine program.
- Women with adrenal and inflammatory PCOS should still pay attention to blood sugar balance. Elevated cortisol levels can lead to elevated blood sugar because this helps our body survive and have immediate energy when in “fight or flight” mode.
- Sometimes when we think “snack” we think foods with low nutrient density like chips & pretzels. We want to shift this mindset and think of snacks as being “mini meals” that are used to fill nutrient gaps via extra fiber, healthy fats, protein, and phytonutrients (from bright colored fruits & vegetables).
Do I need to snack?
Before reaching for a snack, ask yourself the following things:
- Are you actually hungry, or are you just eating out of habit? Think of a hunger scale that goes from 0 to 10, where 0 is ravenous hunger and 10 is so full you need to unbutton your pants. To avoid cravings and overeating, it is helpful to try and keep your hunger rating between 3-7 throughout the day. This is going to require some experimentation for you to find what combinations of foods work best for you (hint: it’s going to be hard to stay in this range without the proper balance of macronutrients).
- If you are hungry, is it because you didn’t eat enough protein and fat at breakfast or lunch? Eating pure carbohydrate (such as a breakfast of plain oatmeal + fruit + orange juice) is a sure way to be hungry and have food cravings throughout the day. Try experimenting with different food combinations and make note of how satisfied you feel afterwards.
Should certain women avoid snacking?
You are the expert of your own body and are the only one who knows exactly what your body needs.
Snacks to avoid.
Best snacks for PCOS
- Complex carbohydrates (fiber)
- Protein
- Healthy fat
- Bonus points for including a bright colored fruit or vegetable or Omega-3 fatty acids (such as walnuts, flax, chia, or sardines).
- They are filling enough to tide you over comfortably for 2-4 hours
In summary, snacks for women with PCOS:
- Shouldn’t include simple “naked” carbohydrates
- Should include a combination of complex carbohydrates (fiber), protein, and fat to keep blood sugar (and thus insulin) from spiking.
- Should help fill nutrient gaps and include anti-inflammatory and gut-health promoting foods like bright colored fruits/vegetables and nuts/seeds when possible
- Should be eaten after assessing hunger.
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