Let’s chat about what to eat to reverse cravings with PCOS, shall we? As I previously mentioned, one of the most common complaints I hear from women is cravings and obsessive food thoughts. Women with PCOS are prone to food urges and sweet cravings due to various factors. These include insulin resistance, blood sugar fluctuations as well as food-related habits such as meal skipping. If you missed last week’s post about these common craving causes, be sure to go back and read all about it here! 

Dealing with constant cravings can be all-consuming on your PCOS healing journey. If your mind is constantly occupied with food thoughts and urges to eat foods that you know aren’t the best for your body, you can quickly become demotivated. Not to mention, craving-based eating can often worsen your physical symptoms and lead to fatigue, acne, as well as weight gain and irregular periods. 

This is why we’re taking a deep dive into cravings with today’s post being dedicated to the specific foods my clients eat to reverse cravings and feel satisfied after meals.

This will help set you up for further success in taming cravings and make your life easier when deciding what to eat to manage PCOS with more ease. 

My goal is to teach you simple, sustainable and doable principles so that you can use to truly create a lifestyle that is maintained long term (since PCOS is a lifelong condition). 

This is the exact same approach I take with my PCOS clients inside my programs. Being able to implement these strategies right away has made women feel more in control of their eating and highly empowered to improve their health without using extreme measures like diets – such a relief!  

Alright, ready to get into the “meat” of today’s blog? Let’s talk about what to eat at every meal to reverse PCOS cravings!

BREAKFAST

First up, your morning meal. Call it breakfast, brunch or early lunch, I don’t really care, as long as you eat it before 12p – we are good.

Ideally though, breakfast would be consumed well within the first 2 hours after you get up. This ensures that the meal will help stabilize blood sugar levels and use just the right amount of insulin to get energy into your cells (read: give you energy to power up your day, stay mentally sharp and physically satiated – as opposed to hungry and cranky by 10am!).

What should your breakfast contain?

There are 3 important components to include at breakfast: protein, plant-based fat and fiber. Yup, it’s that simple!

While there are lots of options when it comes to combining these nutrients, I am going to give you the top 3 picks my clients have suggested for you (see their actual meals below)! 

• Greek yogurt (protein) with flaxseeds (fat) and berries (fiber)
• Eggs (protein) with avocado (fat) and sprouted bread (fiber)
• Protein shake (protein) with natural PB (protein) and oats (fiber)

Pretty simple right? Trust me when I say this is all your body needs to stay satisfied and craving-free at least until the early afternoon. 

Inside my program Pause The Pounds I teach members how to expand on these meal options and plan their entire food week in a balanced way that keeps things interesting and fun! No flavor fatigue or boring options over here

Sample breakfasts from my clients’ food records!

LUNCH

Next up, lunch! If you currently skip lunch since you get super busy, forget to take a break or simply are not sure what to eat, I got you covered. You absolutely need a midday lunch to keep cravings at bay. Believe it or not, this will almost guarantee that you’ll arrive more comfortable to your dinner meal and not overeat or feel the urge to snack later on in the evening. Yes, your daytime meals feed (pun intended!) directly into what happens when you relax at night at home. 

The ideal timing for lunch is somewhere around 12-1p. This should be about 3-4 hours after your breakfast when your hunger begins to build up and become noticeable. This timing will also allow adequate space for a balanced PM snack (we’ll chat about this later!).

What should you eat for lunch? 

My clients are currently loving a BAS (big ass salad) with a combination of plant and animal proteins. The benefit? A big volume of food to keep you full while also getting a variety of protein sources and fiber-filled ingredients like non-starchy veggies and beans or chickpeas. YUM! They also enjoy sandwiches and stir fries, we have a great mix of meals inside my programs! I recommend ensuring your lunch has 30g protein and at least 2 cups of veggies. One of the resources that allows women to create dozens of balanced meal combinations that meet these criteria is my Balanced Meal Builder, which teaches a 4-step system for creating your plate quickly & easily. 

 Here are two meals that were created using the builder:

Balanced lunch ideas

A word on beverages

Hydration is crucial when it comes to balancing your blood sugar (remember, this is the KEY to taming cravings!). When we don’t drink enough fluids the concentration of sugar in our blood increases and the demand for insulin rises as well. This can often lead to sweet cravings where the real need your body is trying to overcome is THIRST. You may not feel it, but it’s certainly there and needs your attention. 

Be sure to aim for an average of 60oz. of water per day. If you dislike plain water, you can also sip on infused water, calorie-free sparkling beverages and herbal teas. I’d advise that you eliminate artificially sweetened drinks as much as possible. The reason for this is that these chemicals were seen to increase insulin resistance and cravings as well as impair the balance of your gut bacteria.

What about snacks? Where do they fit in?

I am a big believer in managing your appetite throughout the day in a way that prevents excessive hunger and reduces the chances of overeating and binging. 

Most women need a snack between lunch and dinner. I recommend your snack include protein and produce – here are some examples:

• Baby carrots with edamame beans 
• String cheese with apple
• Sliced deli turkey with celery sticks
• Hard boiled egg with cherry tomatoes
• Cottage cheese with pineapple 

These snacks are some of my favorites options for satisfying your PM munchies without sending you into a spiral of salty-sweet-salty BLTs (bites, licks and tastes!). Try it and see for yourself how much less crave-y you feel!

Snacks that satisfy!

DINNER

Ready for it? Here’s what to eat to reverse PCOS cravings at night!

I have been using a simple strategy to teach my clients how to create balanced dinner every single day, it’s called the rule of 3’s and it has 3 main principles:

• Divide your plate into thirds – just imagine drawing a peace sign on your plate ✌🏼
• Fill each third with one of the following three food groups: protein, non-starchy veggies, fiber-filled carb  
• Ensure all 3 are on your plate daily
• For an extra benefit, eat your protein & veggies first, followed by your carb – this ensures slower digestion & absorption of the carbs, which is beneficial for insulin resistance!

I recommend picking a lean source of protein such as fish, shellfish, chicken or leaner cuts of beef such as sirloin. In addition, mix up those veggie colors on the plate to get a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Lastly, be sure to focus on fiber-filled carbs as much as possible. Great examples include beans, legumes, quinoa, sweet potatoes, butternut squash as well as brown rice and grains like barley. Don’t like any of those options? Pick whatever starch you like and portion it to fit approximately 1/3 of your plate.

The best part about the rule of 3’s is that it can be followed anywhere – home, restaurants, vacations, family gatherings, you name it. It’s your back pocket strategy to balancing your plate every time!

Here are some examples from my clients:

How good do these dinners look?

Following the Rule of 3’s will keep your blood sugar leveled not only during the evening hours but also while you sleep at night. This means your cravings won’t show up uninvited at 10p while you watch Netflix. And if they do, since some cravings are habit-based as I mentioned last week, you’ll be better equipped to address them – just go for another protein & produce snack!

Whew! That was a lot of information, wasn’t it? Here’s a quick recap of what to eat to reverse PCOS cravings 😊

1. Start with a protein rich breakfast within 90 minutes of waking up
2. Include veggies and a combo of plant & animal proteins at lunch
3. Make your snack a protein & produce mini meal
4. Use the rule of 3’s at dinner!
5. Drink at least 60 oz. water or other calorie-free and artificial sweetener free liquid

Ready to implement it all and need a step-by-step plan to follow? I got you covered! Be sure to download my Craving Cure Checklist right here.

See you next week as we bust some myths around insulin resistance 😉

You got this!