Beat PCOS Cravings: 12 Healthy PCOS Snacks Ideas You’ll Love
Let’s get this straight – dealing with PCOS craving is more difficult than PCOS itself.
But some cravings deserve your attention, and you must be mindful about your PCOS snacks. It would help if you had something to calm your quick cravings.
Yes, scientists have yet to discover a proper medication for PCOS. However, nutritionists and dieticians have worked up different sets of PCOS diet plans to control it. This blog post contains all the good snack options you must consider when dealing with PCOS.
What To Know Before Choosing Your PCOS Snacks
You can choose whatever snack you want if you don’t have PCOS. But things are a lot different for women with PCOS. No matter what you decide to eat, ensure it is well-balanced with nutritional values. You’ll need protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats from your PCOS snacks.
How to achieve that? You can think of fruits. But, if you pair it up with some good source of protein like yogurt or peanut butter, you have a balanced snack for yourself. But where to start? What are some good ingredients or snack ideas for patients with PCOS? Well, you can leave that worry to us. Here’s a list of the best PCOS snacks you can try out anytime.
1. Apple or Celery and Nut Butter
Munch on a mix of fruit and nut butter to keep your PCOS cravings to a limit. This is one of those PCOS snacks that doesn’t hurt your diet or your weight and is easy to make. Try fruits of your choice with nut butter like peanut butter, almond, cashew, etc. The nut butter keeps you full for a long time, and the crisp and tasty fiber-rich apples, keep balance out.
2. Whole Grain Cracker & Cheese
No, there’s no need to stress and overthink whole-grain crackers with cheese! It’s a no-brainer for women with PCOS. You can opt for whole grain crackers and pair them with the cheese of your choice anytime. Whether you want something at midnight or during lazy afternoons, It’s a perfect snack.
3. Hard Boiled Eggs
Yes, you can have hard-boiled eggs as your PCOS snacks. When thinking of snacks, you always want to munch something out of the ordinary or not included in your diet. The reason? You want to please those taste buds of yours. Well, there’s a solution. You can sprinkle a little rock salt and black pepper powder on top of the hard-boiled eggs and have them as your PCOS snacks. Black pepper is among the spices that are good for your health when dealing with PCOS. So, there’s your protein-rich and spicy snack.
4. Peanut Butter Energy Balls
Here’s something you would love to eat. Peanut butter energy balls are the perfect PCOS snacks. They are healthy and tasty as well. Most importantly, you can make these at home. All you need is peanut butter and oats. You can add coconut flakes to flavor it. You can mix these ingredients to make peanut butter energy balls and keep them in the freezer.
5. Greek Yogurt & Berries
Can you lose weight while dealing with PCOS? It’s difficult, but you can. But must be mindful of your diet and your snacks. Plain Greek yogurt is a good source of protein. Once you consume a small amount as a snack, it keeps you full for a long time. A fulfilling snack reduces your hunger and helps with weight loss. So, you can scoop out a spoonful of Greek yogurt and top it up with your favorite berries to boost the taste.
6. Canned Tuna
PCOS diet shouldn’t feel frustrating. But, you have to resort to sources of rich and lean protein. Also, the idea is to focus on these lean protein sources to balance the hormonal level and keep your heart healthy. Canned tuna is just perfect for this cause. You get a good source of protein. Most importantly, it’s a versatile snack option. You can top up cucumbers or crackers with canned tuna. In fact, you can stuff some of this up into an avocado and have the best snack PCOS prepared.
7. Granola/Protein Bar
Well, we don’t always have prep time to make the healthiest PCOS snack that’s tasty and healthy at the same time. What about some easy-to-grab PCOS snack options? Well, the easy answer is protein bars. Protein bars are tasty and healthy at the same time. But when picking one up, avoid those with added sugars and other fillers.
8. Egg Muffins
Do you have some time on your hands? Then, you must get your hands dirty in the kitchen to make egg muffins. It is a great breakfast item, and you also get the protein benefits that help you battle PCOS. In fact, you can use healthy veggies like spinach and egg muffins. This is one of the grab-and-go breakfasts you can eat as snacks. In fact, the veggies you add to this recipe can help reduce your sugar levels, decrease inflammation, and help you regulate your menstrual cycle. Yes, when it comes to regulating your hormones, this is a good PCOS snack.
9. Chicken Salads
You can have these protein-rich salads to keep hunger away. Chicken salad can keep your stomach full for a long time. But when making chicken salad, add ingredients to keep the levels of fiber, vitamins, and other healthy nutrients in it.
10. Veggies and Hummus and Pita
So, a light snack like a small protein bar isn’t working? Then, try out this option. We recommend using snap peas, baby bell peppers, carrots, and similar vegetables, but you can use any of your choice. All you have to do is to pair these with hummus and whole-wheat pita bread. This will not only fill your stomach also the perfect snack to keep your energy levels up. You can have them in between meals.
11. Just Pumpkin Seeds
PCOS is a hormonal disorder that results in elevated levels of insulin and cholesterol. Pumpkin seeds are the perfect PCOS snacks that help control cholesterol and insulin levels. It has ω-3 fatty acids, which help bring your hormone levels to a state of control. The beta-sitosterol in pumpkin seeds helps reduce heightened levels of androgen, helping tend PCOS symptoms like acne, hirsutism, and weight gain. So, if you just need something too much, a handful of pumpkin seeds will do.
12. Black Bean Soup
A cup of hot black bean soup can be just what you need on a cold winter afternoon. This is a healthy PCOS snack you can make instantly. Black beans are rich in antioxidants, fiber, and protein. You can say it’s rich in all nutritional elements. Most importantly, it helps your body process calories efficiently.
Pro Tips
We’re guessing you also want to lose weight while dealing with PCOS. Well, for that, you need proper planning, even for snacks. Here, go through these time-saving tips and make your snack preparation easier.
Don’t have the same snack throughout the week. We have listed 12 PCOS snacks for a reason. Try to mix and match your options for a variety of tastes and nutrition. You can stick to 2 to 3 options for a week. · make your snacks with fresh ingredients (especially veggies and meat). Make sure that you have everything at hand before you start to prep. · If you must keep the apples sliced, squeeze some lemon juice on top. This way, the apples won’t become brown. · Shop for some glass containers or reusable silicone Ziploc bags to keep your snacks fresh and preserved throughout the week. · We don’t want you to get bored. So, if you try three options this week, switch it up with three other options in the next week.
Mindfulness to Keep You Full
Your stomach will growl, and you’ll have constant hunger cues. But controlling them is what you must learn. If you are going through medication and have intense cravings fueled by PCOS, your doctor might suggest taking counseling. But that doesn’t involve cutting down your cravings for snacks. However, it’s important to stay mindful about your eating when you have PCOS. It’s best to consult your nutritionist/dietician to evaluate your options.
You can choose from all the 12 options shared in this blog post. Do share your thoughts on the different options provided here. Thanks for reading.
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