30 Easy PCOS Snack Ideas from a Dietitian (Free PDF)

Snacks can be a vital part of a healthy PCOS diet and choosing the right PCOS snacks can actually help you manage this common hormone imbalance. 

As a registered dietitian who also has PCOS, I’m on a mission to help women with PCOS eat delicious foods that also manage their symptoms. Sometimes that includes some healthy PCOS snacks too!

This blog post will cover how the right snacks and nutrition can impact your PCOS, if and when you should be snacking, and then I’ll give you a downloadable list of my favorite healthy snacks for PCOS. 

PCOS: Why What You Eat Matters

Polycystic ovary syndrome (aka PCOS) is a common hormone disorder that affects up to 10% of the female population worldwide. If you feel alone, trust me, you’re not alone. 

While the exact cause of PCOS remains unknown, we do know that insulin resistance, inflammation, and high androgen levels (such as high testosterone levels) play a big role in the presentation of PCOS.

These hormone imbalances lead to the common symptoms of PCOS you may be struggling with such as:

• Weight gain
• Irregular periods
• Infertility
• Acne 
• Hair loss 
• Hirsutism (aka excess hair growth)
• Fatigue
• Mood swings

Unfortunately, if left unmanaged, PCOS can also put you at an increased risk for developing certain health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, fatty liver and even endometrial cancer. 

I know, I know…this all sounds negative without any upside so far, right? The good news is that the foods you eat can play a big role in reducing your PCOS symptoms and lowering your risk of chronic disease. That’s because your diet can directly impact your blood glucose levels (aka blood sugar levels), insulin sensitivity, and inflammation levels. 

You can dramatically improve your PCOS symptoms by incorporating balanced meals that include complex carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats. This combination of macronutrients helps prevent blood sugar spikes and keeps blood sugar levels more stable. Additionally, including anti-inflammatory foods will help with reducing inflammation that can be driving high testosterone levels and some of your PCOS symptoms.

 Learn more about a healthy diet for PCOS and grab A Dietitian’s 7 Day PCOS Diet Plan (Free PDF) here.

Should I Have A Snack? 

So the obvious first question is should you snack if you have PCOS? Like most things PCOS-related, it depends! Some people can eat 3 meals per day without any snacks, while others feel their best when they’re incorporating snacks routinely. 

I like to think of snacks as mini meals. Snacks provide an opportunity to get more nutrients in, increase energy levels, decrease cravings, and promote stable blood sugars.

Before we talk about the scenarios where a snack is definitely a good idea to consider, we need to first talk about insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is very common in PCOS. In fact, up to 80% of those with PCOS have some degree of insulin resistance (1). 

When someone is insulin resistant, their body’s cells are resistant to a hormone called insulin. This essentially means that your body has a harder time moving glucose (aka sugar) from your bloodstream into your cells to be used for energy. Your body can eventually get the job done, it just takes more insulin to get that job done. This leads to higher insulin levels, which can increase how much testosterone your ovaries produce…and ultimately more PCOS symptoms.

One of the biggest goals when it comes to eating well for PCOS is to keep your blood sugar stable. Healthy snacks can play a major role in doing that. When you keep blood sugar levels more stable, you can reduce insulin resistance and break free from the vicious cycle in the graphic above.

Let’s dive into some scenarios when it’s definitely a good idea to consider a snack. 

When Should You Have A Snack? 

Snacks can play a vital role in a healthy PCOS diet and keeping your blood sugar levels more stable. Not everybody needs to eat snacks though. You also may find that you benefit from snacks some days but that you don’t need a snack every single day. 

You should definitely consider having a snack when you’re:

• Going long periods of time between meals: your blood sugar levels tend to drop off after about 4 to 5 hours. Inserting a snack may help to keep you more fueled until your next meal.

• Physically hungry: typically a sign that your blood sugar levels are getting low.

• Craving carbs or sugar: cravings can be a sign of erratic blood sugars and even a low blood sugar level. Our bodies tend to crave carbs when blood sugar levels are low since carbs can bring those levels up the fastest.

• Struggling with fatigue: while this isn’t always a sign of a low blood sugar, it could mean that you need a snack!

What Are PCOS Friendly Snacks? 

PCOS-friendly snacks are nutrient-dense snacks that combine at least two of the following macronutrients together:

• Complex Carbohydrates: such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, chickpeas, legumes

• Protein: such as meat, seafood, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, tofu, beans, legumes, protein powder

• Healthy Fats: such as avocado, nuts, seeds, olives, extra virgin olive oil, butter

Macronutrients are the big players when it comes to nutrition. They provide our bodies with energy (aka calories) and they’re the nutrients that will impact our blood sugar. By pairing at least two of these macronutrients together, your blood sugar level will rise slowly, giving you sustained energy and helping you to feel full for a longer period of time.

Now the fun part – here’s a few of my favorite easy and healthy PCOS snack ideas!

30 PCOS Friendly Snack Ideas

Here are 35 easy and healthy PCOS snack ideas – you’re bound to find one you like! The clickable links are either to PCOS friendly snack recipes or some of my favorite brands for particular items.

1. Apple slices with peanut butter (or almond butter) and a drizzle of melted dark chocolate chips
2. Avocado toast: whole grain toast with mashed avocado and sriracha or hemp seeds
3. Edamame beans with everything but the bagel seasoning
4. Whole grain crackers with cheddar cheese and turkey pepperoni
5. Air-popped popcorn with pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds mixed in
6. Stuffed mini sweet peppers
7. Homemade trail mix (make your own trail mix or store-bought like this)
8. Clementines with cashews
9. Kiwi Quencher Tropical Smoothie (you can half this recipe for a snack)
10. Roasted chickpeas (either homemade or store bought like these)
11. Dates with peanut butter
12. Plain Greek yogurt with berries and chia seeds (if you’re dairy-free, substitute a high protein non dairy yogurt)
13. Chia pudding
14. Cottage cheese with pineapple or other fresh fruit
15. Salt and vinegar almonds with a plum
16. Mini bell peppers or other raw vegetables with a high protein ranch dip
17. Cucumber slices with tzatziki 
18. Whole grain pretzels with hummus 
19. Individually packaged pistachios like these
20. Tortilla chips with guacamole
21. Granola or protein bars such as Barebells, Rx Bars, or Nature Valley Protein 
22. Seed crackers with tuna
23. Banana with a cheese stick
24. Peanut butter banana oatmeal cups with PB drizzled on top
25. Strawberries or apple slices with a high protein fruit dip 
26. Pear slices or healthy graham crackers with a brownie batter dip
27. Whole grain bread with nut butter & cinnamon
28. High protein chocolate pudding
29. Hard boiled eggs or deviled eggs
30. Cowboy caviar (serve with tortilla chips if desired)

To get a PDF download of all 30 of these PCOS snack ideas and recipes right to your inbox, click here!

Grab your copy of this PCOS snack list here.

Snack Tips for PCOS 

• Eat 3 meals a day. Skipping meals is only going to set your body up for a potential blood sugar roller coaster. It can cause you to overeat or graze on snacks throughout the day. 

• Keep snacks simple. Some of the best snacks are very simple – they do not need to be fancy or overwhelming to get the job done! An apple with a cheese stick is a great snack option that works just as effectively as homemade roasted chickpeas. 

• Plan for snacks. Decide on a few different snack options for the week and pick up the ingredients for them during your grocery trip. This ensures you actually have snacks in your house! 

• Prep your snacks. If you need to bring your snacks to work with you, it’s probably helpful to have them ready to go in advance. Example: put the tortilla chips into a zip lock bag, slice the cucumber into slices, put the tzatziki dip into a container that can be transported, etc.

• Have a backup plan. Life happens and sometimes we forget the snack we originally planned for. Keep a shelf-stable backup snack with you at all times just in case. I love to keep a granola bar in all areas of my life: work desk drawer, car, purse, and diaper bag. You never know when you’ll need it!

The Bottom Line

A healthy snack can be a vital component of your PCOS eating pattern to promote better blood sugar control, increase your energy, and decrease the chances of overeating later on. 

If you experience physical hunger, carb cravings, or fatigue between meals, it may be a good choice to  incorporate a PCOS friendly snack. 

When choosing your PCOS snacks, be sure to combine complex carbohydrates with protein and/or fat to keep blood sugar and insulin levels more stable. 

To get a PDF download of all 30 of these breakfast ideas and recipes right to your inbox, click here!

You’ll Also Love:

30 Easy PCOS Breakfast Ideas (Dietitian Approved)

75 PCOS Friendly Recipes: Easy & Healthy Meals for Hormones

20 Easy PCOS Lunch Ideas

Best Pre-Made Protein Shakes for PCOS

8 PCOS Friendly Starbucks Drinks

Disclaimer: this is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to substitute for or replace professional medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider or registered dietitian nutritionist for personalized dietary advice for polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or any other medical condition.