Feb 12, 2025

PCOS Diet: Foods to Eat and Avoid

M.D: A diet focusing on fruits, vegetables, nuts, lean protein, and healthy fats can reduce the risk of PCOS. But what foods do you need to avoid?

Are you the one facing irregular menstrual cycles, excessive hair growth on the face, and acne? Or there’s a sudden weight gain and your skin has lost its natural glow?

You’re not alone, as an estimated 8-13% of women at their reproductive age are affected with PCOS. Not only this, but up to 70% of women remain undiagnosed globally.

So, if you have recently been diagnosed with this condition, it’s important to know first what it means. Moreover, even if you find certain symptoms affecting you, prevention is always better than cure.

What is PCOS?

Polycystic Ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine (hormonal) condition that results in multiple ovarian cysts. To make it more simple, a woman affected with PCOS has multiple cysts that make their ovaries enlarged.

The reason for these cysts is that the ovaries tend to form numerous small collections of follicles. Further, it fails to release eggs regularly resulting in irregular periods and release of excess male hormone (androgen).

This chaos inside leads to excess weight gain, unwanted facial hairs, mood swings, and infertility. The causes behind PCOS aren’t clear yet, but rapid city lifestyle can be a major one.

Poor lifestyles like erratic eating habits, no physical activity, and irregular sleeping habits play a major role here. However, little habits can have a huge impact like deciding what to eat and what not.

What Should I Eat?

Replacing inflammatory items with whole, unprocessed options is the first step to take toward curing PCOS. You must add a good amount of high-fiber foods to your diet. This will help you get over the insulin resistance.

There is no such specific strict diet that can claim to cure your PCOS. However, food choices like these can help you manage your PCOS to a great deal.

Whole Fruit:

Grab a whole fruit for dessert whenever you crave an ice cream or some pastries.

Whole Grains:

Pick bread and pasta made with whole grains. Moreover, replacing white rice with brown rice is the best decision you can make.

Omega-3:

Have Omega-3-rich fish like salmon. You can choose baking or broiling it rather than frying.

Olive Oil:

Use Olive oil in place of butter or margarine to make it more healthy.

Green Non-Starchy Vegetables:

Add more fresh green leafy vegetables to your diet. Make your platter look colorful with veggies and fruits.

What Food I Should Avoid

Are you in a habit of eating too many inflammatory foods? Having inflammatory foods can put you at a high risk of other issues like heart disease along with PCOS. So, if you are diagnosed with PCOS, say a big NO to these foods from today.

Fried Foods:

Have a complete breakdown of foods like french fries, potato chips, and fridge items.

Saturated Fats:

Stay miles away from food items that contain saturated fat like butter or margarine.

Red Meat:

There are more than enough options of food for protein consumption than hamburgers and hot dogs.

Processed Snacks:

How about throwing those cakes, cookies, and pies out of your refrigerator for the sake of your health?

Sugary and Alcoholic Beverages:

Let water be your best beverage and not soda, coffee, and whisky.

Apart from the dos and don’ts of food habits, there are a few more bonus tips that you can follow to manage your PCOS.

Pro Dietary Tips to Manage Your PCOS at Home

Have a nutritious platter of breakfast with fruits excluding high carbs to avoid insulin spikes.

Eat slowly and consciously to improve digestion.

Go to bed only when you see it has been almost 2 hours since you had your dinner.

Have a diet plan and follow it strictly to manage your weight.

Calory’s Note for You

The fact is that you can manage your PCOS by making conscious food choices. However, it might be easier said than done. We understand as a woman you’re a multi-tasker and often ignore your health while managing your daily workload.

This is where the Calory app comes to your rescue. Calory is a complete package with everything you need to manage your PCOS. Our customized healthy meal plans, calorie counter, weight tracker, and nutrition tracker will help you manage your PCOS.

Moreover, meal recipes will help you eat tasty and nutritious food without craving junk. Losing weight and managing your PCOS is now at your fingertips. Download The Calory app now and take the first step towards combating PCOS.

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