PCOS Nutrition: How to Rank Foods for PCOS

• Foods that are ‘better choices’ for ladies with PCOS because they don’t cause sugar spikes, and aren’t too high calorie are “Sometimes Foods.” If your goal is maintenance, you can eat these more often. But if your goal is fat loss, you should limit them. You need to see the big picture and eat for your goal.
• Foods that are good for PCOS ladies + lend themselves to fat loss are, ‘Everyday Foods.’ This is the extra step that most programs leave out. This program was not designed to put your taste buds above your love handles. It was designed to laser-focus on your primary goal, which is fat loss. When we agree to base our nutrition on foods that lend themselves to fat loss, then we can get creative and make recipes that are also friggin’ delicious.

The Caveats of PCOS Nutrition

Dairy* – You will see dairy foods in the Everyday Foods list along with the other two lists. If you have a sensitivity to dairy, go ahead and swap for something else. If you had a single allergy test that suggested you were sensitive or allergic to dairy, but you’ve had no bad experiences, we’d highly recommend you get tested again, and maybe a third time. Allergy tests are known to be wrong more often than you’d expect. There is also a big difference between being sensitive and being lactose-intolerant. We trust you will do what’s best for you. This program does not require you to eat dairy but it does not cut out dairy because cutting out food groups without good reason makes dieting harder. We don’t willingly do things that make our lives harder. As always, consult your doctor.

Gluten** – Most gluten-containing foods aren’t on the Everyday Foods list. Starchy carbs just don’t lend themselves to fat loss, so they wouldn’t make the list even if we were writing for an audience of bikini competitors. Small picture = starchy carbs do more harm than good for PCOS ladies. It’s a treat for a treat’s sake. Calories without much benefit. Big picture = starchy carbs aren’t particularly good for fat loss. They are higher calorie and less dense, so you eat less volume, filling up your stomach less and leaving the door open to hunger. Big no-no. As always, consult your doctor.

Caffeine*** – Some PCOS ladies are sensitive to caffeine. It makes their stomachs hurt. You have to choose what works for you in this case. We don’t believe caffeine avoidance has a big impact on fat loss. Some PCOS women go caffeine-free and lose weight. Others drink coffee and lose weight. The effects of not overeating and getting enough protein will trump whatever benefit you get from cutting caffeine 100x over. So, master these 2 tricks first. Then experiment with and without caffeine. The coolest thing about cutting caffeine is not having a headache if you don’t drink it. But the reality is that most of us enjoy coffee. So, if it hurts, cut it. Want to make it super beneficial, do what the hardcore ladies do: blend it up with almond milk or oat milk & protein powder once a day. Do what works for you. As always, consult your doctor.

Soy**** – Soy also falls into the category of personal experience. Some PCOS ladies are sensitive to it and when they eat it, their stomachs hurt and they may get some inflammation. Some are truly allergic. Substituting Tamari for soy sauce can help with this. But if you love tofu and it doesn’t seem to bother you, go ahead and enjoy it. As with all food items PCOS women are sensitive to, not eating them does not equate to fat loss. If sensitivity hurts you or gives you unwanted inflammation, it’s your call to cut it or keep it. We don’t cut things out of our diet without good reason because it makes eating for PCOS more difficult. Some of our recipes contain soy because it is not a problem for everyone and cutting it does not move us closer to our overall goal of fat loss. Swap if it suits you. As always, consult your doctor.

PCOS Nutrition Next Steps

Not sure what your daily calories should be. We have a general guide for most average sized women. But if you’re particularly tall or short, you may want to do a little handy math to establish your daily calories and protein. Check out our blog article on establishing your daily fat-loss calorie allowance. Have a look at our YouTube Channel for supportive videos on PCOS Nutrition, PCOS Inspiration, PCOS Training, PCOS Mental Health, and PCOS Accountability.

Daily Foods

DAILY FOODS Vegetables	Calories per 100 grams		Calories per 100 grams		Calories per 100 grams
Butterhead Lettuce	13	Red Bell Pepper	26	Rutabaga	36
Lettuce	14	Bamboo Shoots, Raw	27	Tomato Sauce,No Sugar Added	37
Cucumbers	15	Kohlrabi	27	Jicama	38
Celery	16	Salsa,No Sugar Added	27	Chili Peppers	40
Endive	16	Yellow Pepper	27	Kabocha Squash	40
Radishes	16	Baby Spinach	28	Seaweed	40
Summer Squash	16	Jalapeños	28	Carrots	41
Romaine Lettuce	17	Turnips	28	Onions	42
Cherry Tomatoes	18	Alfalfa Sprouts	29	Pea Pods	42
Zucchini	18	Broccoli Florets	29	Red Onion	42
Bok Choy	19	Microgreens	29	Snap Peas	42
Asparagus	20	Fennel	31	Snow Peas	42
Green Bell Pepper	20	Green Beans	31	Beets	43
Swiss Chard	20	Orange Pepper	31	Brussel Sprouts	43
Tomatoes	20	Sprouts	31	Artichoke	47
Rhubarb	21	String Beans	31	Kale	50
Mushrooms	22	Collard Greens	32	Leeks	61
Bean Sprouts	23	Cress	32	Water Chestnut	63
Spinach	23	Crushed Tomatoes, No Sugar Added	32	Parsnips	74
Arugula	24	Green Onion	32	Tomato Paste,No Sugar Added	82
Broccoli Rabe	24	Okra	33	Garlic	149
Cabbage	25	Broccoli	34
Eggplant	25	Cauliflower	34
Romanesco	25	Shiitake Mushrooms	34
Mustard Greens	26	Banana Squash	35

DAILY FOODS Proteins	Calories per 100 grams		Calories per 100 grams
Egg Whites, raw	52	Uncured Ham	125
Yogurt, Non-Fat, Plain*	53	Eggs	143
Egg Beaters, Liquid	54	Turkey, Ground	148
Quark, Low-Fat*	59	Turkey, Ground 93% lean	150
Yogurt, Low-Fat, Plain*	63	Beef, Filet Mignon	159
Greek Yogurt, Plain, Fat-Free*	67	Beef, round steak	159
Cottage Cheese, Fat-Free*	71	Chicken, Ground, lean	165
Greek Yogurt, Plain, Low-Fat*	76	Beef, Extra Lean Minced	176
Ricotta, Fat-Free*	81	Pork, Loin	196
Cottage Cheese, 1% Low Fat*	84	Sirloin, Top, Lean	214
Quark, Plain*	93	Biltong, Beef Low Fat	292
Ricotta, Low Fat*	97	Protein, Whey*	351
Kangaroo	100	Protein, Casein*	367
Turkey Bacon, Uncured	107
Bison / Buffalo, lean	109
Elk (Filet)	111
Turkey Breast	114
Venison	116
Chicken Breast, Skinless	120
Wild Boar	122
Ostrich, Loin	123
Foods that may cause inflammation: Dairy* Gluten** Caffeine*** Soy****

DAILY FOODS Fish & Seafood	Calories per 100 grams		Calories per 100 grams		Calories per 100 grams
Scallops, Jumbo	62	Crab, Blue (Real, Not Imitation)	87	Jack Fish	109
Skate, Wing	65	Hoki	88	Mullet, Red & Grey	117
Haddock	69	Pangasius (Swai, Shark Catfish)	88	Bluefish	124
Flounder	70	Pike	88	Carp	127
Alaskan Pollock	71	Scallops, Bay	88	Shark	130
Shrimp	71	Tuna, Canned In Water	89	Salmon, Sockeye / redfish	131
Monkfish	76	Whiting	89	Pink Salmon, canned drained	138
Orange Roughy	76	Dover Sole	90	Rainbow Trout	141
Lobster	77	Rockfish	90	Roe, herring	143
Hake	78	Halibut	91	Swordfish	144
Perch	79	Sole	91	Tuna, Wild Albacore	144
Barramundi	80	Grouper	92	Butterfish	146
Rohu	80	Squid	92	Trout	148
Black Cod (Sablefish)	81	White Fish	92	Herring	158
Cod	82	Pomfret	93	Pompano	164
Crawfish	82	Catfish	95	Salmon	180
Octopus	82	Sea Bream	96	Chilean Sea Bass	184
Crab, King (Real, Not Imitation)	84	Tilapia	96	Eel	184
Parrot Fish	84	Flying Fish	97	Sardines (In Water)	200
Plaice	84	Sea Bass	97	Mackerel, Atlantic	205
Mahi-Mahi	85	Katla (South Asian Carp)	100	Anchovies, canned	210
Clams	86	Red Snapper	100
Mussels	86	Snapper	100

DAILY FOODS Fruit	Calories per 100 grams		Calories per 100 grams
Lemons	29	Pears	57
Limes	30	Kiwi	58
Tamarillos	30	Mango	60
Watermelon	30	Cherries	63
Strawberries	32	Currants, Black	63
Cantaloupe / melon	34	Lychees, Litchis	66
Honeydew melon	36	Guava	68
Pomelos	38	Grapes, red or green	69
Nectarines	39	Figs	74
Applesauce, unsweetened	42	Pomegranates	83
Grapefruit	42	Bananas, medium	89
Peaches	42	Passion fruits	97
Blackberries	43	Prunes	225
Papayas	43
Cranberries	46
Plums	46
Loquat	47
Oranges	47
Apricots	48
Pineapples	50
Apples	52
Raspberries	52
Currants, Red, White	56
Blueberries	57

DAILY FOODS Condiments
Baking Powder	Garlic, Minced	Powdered Peanut Butter (Pb2 Powder)	Vinegar, White
Broth, beef, Fat-Free	Garlic, Raw	Relish, Sugar-Free	Vinegars, General
Broth, Chicken, Fat-Free	Ginger, fresh	Salsa (No Sugar Or Fat Added)	Walden Farms 0-Calorie Syrups & Sauces
Broth, Vegetable, Fat-Free	Herbs, Most, No Sugar Added	Salt (Sea, Pink, Himalayan, Red)	Worcestershire Sauce
Cacao powder (Unsweetened)	Hoisin Sauce	Soy Sauce (No Wheat, Sugars Or Starch Added)****	Yellow Mustard
Capers	Horseradish	Soy Sauce, light****
Cardamom	Hot Sauce (Tabasco, no sugar added)	Spices, most, no sugar added
Cayenne Pepper	Lemon juice	Splenda
Chili Flakes	Lilys Dark Chocolate Baking Chips	Stevia (No Glucose Or Fructose Added)
Cinnamon	Lime / Lemon Slices	Stevia-Sweetened Dark Chocolate Chips
Cinnamon, Ceylon	Lime Juice	Taco Spice
Cocoa powder (Unsweetened)	Liquid Aminos	Tamari
Cooking Spray	Mrs. Dash	Toasted Sesame Oil
Curry (No Sugar Or Oils Added)	Nutritional Yeast	Turmeric
Dijon Mustard	Oat Bran Flour	Vanilla Extract
Erythritol	Pepper	Vinegar, Apple Cider
Erythritol ‘Brown Sugar’	Pickle, no sugar added	Vinegar, Balsamic
Flavor God, No-Sugar-Added	Pico De Gallo	Vinegar, Rice
Foods that may cause inflammation: Dairy* Gluten** Caffeine*** Soy****

Sometimes Foods

SOMETIMES FOODS Vegan
Almond Cheese	Quorn Meat Substitute (Protein)
Beyond Meat Substitute (Protein)	Seitan**
Boca Veggie Burger**	Sour Cream, Non Dairy****
Chickpea / Garbanzo Beans	Soymilk Yogurt, Plain****
Chickpea Pasta	Tempeh (Protein)****
Edamame Beans (Soybeans)	Textured Vegetable Meat Protein
Fava Beans	Tofu, Extra-Firm (Protein)****
Morning Star Original Sausage Patties (Protein)**	Tofurky Deli Meat Substitute (Protein)****
Nutritional Yeast (Protein)	Veggie Burgers, Generic****
Protein Powder, Hemp (Protein)	Yogurt, Non-dairy Plain (Protein)****
Protein Powder, Pea (Protein)
Foods that may cause inflammation: Dairy* Gluten** Caffeine*** Soy****

Treat Meal Foods

TREAT MEAL FOODS Fats
Avocado Oil	Mayonnaise, No Sugar Added*
Blue Cheese*	Mayonnaise*
Brazil Nuts	Peanut Oil
Canola Oil	Peanut Butter
Cashew Nuts	Peanuts
Cashews, Salted	Pine Nuts
Coconut Milk (Unsweetened)	Pistachio Nuts
Coconut Yogurt, Plain	Roasted Nuts
Corn Oil	Safflower Oil
Cottonseed Oil	Shortening
Crisco	Soybean Oil
Grapeseed Oil	Sunflower Oil
Hazelnuts	Sunflower Seeds
Macadamia Nut Butter	Vegetable Oil
Macadamia Nuts
Margarine*
Foods that may cause inflammation: Dairy* Gluten** Caffeine*** Soy****

TREAT MEAL FOODS Starchy Carbs
Amaranth	Pearl Barley**
Barley**	Polenta
Bread, Whole Wheat**	Purple Potato
Buckwheat (Gluten-Free)	Ravioli**
Cereals, Most**	Red Potato
Cheese Tortellini**	Red Potatoes
Corn	Rice Noodles
Corn, Sweet	Rice, Brown
Couscous**	Rice, White, Instant Or Traditional
Dough Products**	Rye**
Durum**	Semolina**
Farina**	Spaghetti, Whole-Wheat**
Faro**	Spaghetti**
Fettuccini**	Spelt**
Flour, Almond	Split Pea / Soya Shells
Flour, Coconut	Sponge Cakes
Gnocchi**	Taco Shells, Hard
Grits	Tapioca Flour
Macaroni, Average**	Vermicelli**
Pasta, Brown Rice**	White Flour
Pasta, Chickpea	White Potatoes
Pasta, White**	Yellow Potato
Pasta, Whole Wheat
Foods that may cause inflammation: Dairy* Gluten** Caffeine*** Soy****