25 Easy PCOS Lunch Ideas + Recipes (from a Dietitian)

If you need some PCOS lunch ideas, look no further. 

As a PCOS-focused registered dietitian, my goal is to help you take the guesswork out of eating well for PCOS! In this blog post, I’ll dive into what you want to include in a PCOS-friendly lunch, then I’ll give you 20 of my favorite PCOS lunch ideas and recipes!

How To Make A PCOS Friendly Lunch

If you eat a PCOS-friendly breakfast, even if it’s a big breakfast, you’re likely going to start feeling hungry for lunch a few hours later. This is because your blood sugar levels naturally fluctuate during the day, ebbing and flowing as you eat your meals or snacks. 

So what should you choose to eat? You’ll want to make sure that you’re combining nutrients that will help to balance your blood sugar levels and keep you feeling full. 

A PCOS lunch should include:

• Complex carbohydrates. These types of carbs are higher in fiber, which is a type of carb that gets digested slowly. High fiber foods help to mitigate blood sugar spikes and support stable blood sugar levels. Fiber is also instrumental for improving gut health and lowering the risk of heart disease. Some high fiber foods include fruits, starchy and non-starchy vegetables, whole grains, beans, and legumes. 

• Protein. Protein helps to build and maintain muscle mass. It’s also the most satiating macronutrient to keep you feeling full longer. Lean proteins are ideal to choose most often. Some lean protein sources include chicken, turkey, lean red meat, fish, seafood, tofu, tempeh, edamame, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and protein powder.

• Fat. Healthy fats play a pivotal role in lowering inflammation, particularly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These heart-healthy fat sources can also lower cholesterol levels and your risk of cardiovascular disease. Some examples include avocado, extra virgin olive oil, salmon, sardines, olives, nuts, and seeds. 

Combining these nutrients together as part of a healthy diet will help to lower insulin resistance and chronic inflammation that’s typically at the root of your PCOS symptoms. Now that you know what you should include in your lunch, let’s talk about how to make this come to life with some PCOS meal ideas. 

20 Easy PCOS Lunch Ideas & Recipes

These healthy PCOS lunch ideas are all balanced meal options with a source of complex carbs (aka fiber), protein, and healthy fats. 

They include simple ingredients that can be found at most grocery stores. Most of these recipes can even be prepared in advance to make lunch time go smoother for you!

But first, to get all of these PCOS friendly lunch ideas (and recipes) sent directly to your inbox in an easy PDF format, click here!

Healthy Sandwiches

Sandwiches, and bread especially, get a bad reputation in the PCOS community. That’s because most sandwiches are high in carbs while being low in fiber, protein and healthy fats.

If you choose your ingredients intentionally, a sandwich can be a great PCOS friendly lunch!

Here’s a few sandwich lunch ideas that are easy, delicious, and PCOS friendly:

• Turkey & cheese sandwich on whole grain bread with lettuce and tomato. Add some carrot sticks and homemade ranch dip on the side for more fiber, antioxidants, and protein.

• Chicken salad, egg salad or tuna salad (or better yet, this Mexican tuna salad recipe) in a whole grain wrap or in a pita pocket. I’d add some raw veggies like cucumber strips, bell peppers, or celery chunks right into the sandwich too for some added crunch and fiber!

• Veggie burger on a whole grain bun or wrap with lots of veggies added in there for crunch, fiber, and antioxidants. 

High Protein Pasta Salad

Many people don’t think of pasta salad as a meal option, but when you make it intentionally to include lots of protein, healthy fats, and fiber, it can be the perfect way to get a filling lunch that you look forward to eating!

I usually opt for using chickpea pasta as my base for a PCOS friendly pasta salad since it has more fiber and protein than traditional pasta. Then I add lots of anti-inflammatory foods like non-starchy veggies and a protein source like rotisserie chicken, hard boiled eggs, or a tuna packet!

Here’s a few of my favorite high protein pasta salad recipes:

• Mediterranean Bean Pasta Salad
• Taco Pasta Salad
• Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
• High Protein Pasta Salad

Big Satisfying Salads

When I’m talking about salads, I don’t mean those sad little side salads you get at a restaurant before your meal comes. I’m talking about a big salad with tons of fresh and colorful ingredients, different textures, and lots of flavor!

Here’s a few delicious and filling PCOS friendly salads that make a great lunch:

• Taco Salad: who doesn’t love a taco salad?! This one has taco meat, black beans, avocado and more to give you a satisfying balance of fiber, protein, and healthy fats.

• Fall Kale Salad with chicken, beans, or salmon added on top. This kale salad combines dark leafy greens with crunchy toppings like apples, pomegranate seeds, and pepitas (aka shelled pumpkin seeds – a great source of zinc, which can help to improve insulin sensitivity and reverse high androgen symptoms like hair loss)

• Dense Bean Salad: this is a bit different from your traditional greens salad. It’s made with a combination of nutrient dense beans that provides a whopping 9 grams of fiber and is easy to customize with flavors you love.

• This Sweetgreen Crispy Rice Salad is a copycat recipe that uses fresh ingredients with some crisped rice cereal and a spicy cashew dressing.

• Berry Walnut Salad: start with leafy greens like spinach then add berries, walnuts, goat cheese (or feta cheese), and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Adding some beans,  grilled chicken, or tuna can increase the protein content too!

Prep-Ahead Lunches

Prepping your lunch meals in advance can be an easy way to help you run on autopilot during the week. Here’s a few meal prep recipes that can be eaten cold during the week or reheat extremely well: 

• Southwest Chicken Bowls: packed with protein, fiber, healthy fats, and delicious flavors that you’ll be looking forward to all day!

• Greek Chicken Quinoa Bowls: fresh Mediterranean flavors pair well with protein rich chicken, colorful veggies, and quinoa. Pair with tangy tzatziki sauce for a delicious lunch option. 

• Turkey Taco Bowls: this one-pan meal reheats great all week long. Combine it with brown rice or on top of leafy greens with this cilantro lime dressing.

• Beef Chili with Beans: a classic comfort food, chili is actually a healthy choice at baseline. With beans and ground beef, this iron-rich meal is great for meal prep and also freezes well for future eating too!

• Green Enchilada Chicken Soup: sometimes you just need a lazy girl meal prep recipe – and this is it. It uses a lot of convenience foods, requires minimal chopping, and is made in the slow cooker. 

PCOS-Friendly Smoothies

Most people think of smoothies for breakfast but a good PCOS friendly smoothie can be a great option for lunch too. 

You’ll love these PCOS smoothies:

• Strawberry Cottage Cheese Smoothie. If you’re not a cottage cheese lover, this is a great way to sneak some of this probiotic-rich food into your diet. It makes this smoothie so creamy and almost cheesecake-like. Trust me, you won’t regret it!

• Triple Berry Oat Tropical Smoothie. This copycat recipe combines some typical smoothie ingredients with some unassuming ingredients, like oats. Oats are great for gut health and blood sugar balance.

• Whether or not fertility is on your mind, this Berry Avocado Fertility Smoothie combines a variety of nutrient-dense foods that can improve fertility and your overall health. 

• If you want a more savory kind of smoothie, this Detox Island Tropical Smoothie is a great pick. It has a gorgeous green color thanks to some leafy greens. Just make sure to add some protein powder and a fat source to make it a complete meal.

See the ultimate PCOS Smoothies Guide here.

Snack Plates

Adult lunchables can be a fun and nostalgic PCOS lunch! This one is basically an enormous snack plate that you eat for lunch. There’s so many amazing combos you can make here. 

Here’s a few snack plate ideas: 

• Sliced apples, peanut butter dip, hard boiled eggs, and edamame 

• Whole grain crackers, tuna salad, guacamole, raw veggies, and tzatziki sauce or high protein ranch dip

For more guidance on eating well for PCOS, don’t forget to check out this post that includes a PCOS meal plan: A Dietitian’s 7 Day PCOS Diet Plan (PDF Included).

PCOS Lunch Tips

• Meal planning. You don’t need to have a rigid meal plan in place, but having some sort of a plan for your meals in advance is key to ensuring you have the ingredients you need for your lunches. Expecting to just be able to throw together a PCOS-friendly lunch on a whim may work for some people, but doesn’t work for everyone. Check out this PCOS grocery list for guidance on some good pantry staples I recommend keeping on hand!

• Meal prep. Preparing your lunch meals in advance is sometimes the difference between eating a balanced meal or grabbing takeout on a busy day. This could be preparing several servings of a meal on a Sunday or just cooking enough during the week to have leftovers for lunch. It could also be making a sandwich the night before so you’ll have it ready to go for the following day.

• Keep it simple. Don’t be afraid to keep it simple. Your meals don’t have to be elaborate or super fancy to get the job done. 

The Bottom Line

The ideal PCOS lunch includes complex carbohydrates, protein, and fat. There are several different combinations that you can make to ensure you have a delicious, PCOS friendly lunch on hand each day. 

Click here to get these PCOS Lunch Ideas delivered straight to your email so you’ll always have them!

If you need more straightforward guidance on what to eat for PCOS, check out the PCOS Meal Plan. It includes 3 weeks worth of delicious meals, including recipes, weekly grocery lists, and meal prep tips!

You’ll Also Love

Easy PCOS Breakfast Ideas

20 Delicious & Healthy PCOS Snacks (from a dietitian)

75 PCOS-Friendly Recipe Ideas You’ll Love

15 PCOS Superfoods To Reduce Your Symptoms

Disclaimer: this is for informational purposes only. It does not substitute for or replace professional medical advice for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or any other medical condition. A healthy PCOS diet may be subjective to an individual’s needs. You should refer to your healthcare provider or registered dietitian for personalized recommendations to help you achieve your health goals.