The PCOS Diaries: Best Breakfast Foods

I keep hearing of more and more people that are suffering with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). I found out I had it after having my second child and basically not having periods for about a year and a half. That was the prompt for me to see a doctor as they had been fine before having my daughter so wanted to know what was up. My cycle is still not back to normal which is why I have had to completely overhaul my diet and cut certain things out.

So this is a new series on my blog, where I will post about PCOS and share what I am learning on this journey to get regular periods back. I’d love to have another baby but that is obviously a little tricky right now. So follow along and see how things are going. I’d love to connect with others in a similar situation. I have chosen to not have medication, and deal with it though diet and lifestyle change.

Foods needs to be low in sugar, dairy and carbs. PCOS has similarities to diabetes, in that you need to control your blood sugar quite strictly. If not, you just store fat and really struggle to lose weight. Fat is your friend when you have PCOS (good fats at least anyway). Avoid things that say they are low-fat, because the chances are that they will just be high in sugar instead. Sugar is the thing to avoid!

So what can you eat for breakfast if you have PCOS?

Fruit

Some fruit is off limits, as they are ones with higher sugar, even though it is natural sugar. The best fruits to eat are:

• apple
• pear
• orange
• grapefruit
• berries

It is good to eat nuts and seeds with fruit, where possible, as you are getting some of those good fats involved too.

Overnight Oats

I lov, love, love, eating overnight oats for breakfast. I like to make up a big batch before bedtime and then it is all there for a few days. You can make it with anything you like really. The base is oats, nut milk and then additions of your choice. Chia seeds and some nut butter are good, as well as things like cacao and maca, or just berries. Then you can top it with nuts, seeds, fruit or bee pollen.

Green Juice or Green Smoothie

Green juices or smoothie are much better options that ones that a full of fruit. A green smoothie has a base of something like coconut water and then you can add things like kale, spinach, kiwi, avocado and chia seeds. It is much better for you, if you have PCOS, to have a heavier vegetable based smoothie or juice, rather than one full of fruit.

Eggs

Eggs are a great option unless you are vegan too. There are many ways that you can use eggs too. You can just boil them, have them poached or have them scrambled. You could eat them with smoked salmon, grilled bacon (with the fat trimmed off), or make something like bacon and egg cups. They are also good for you served with rye bread, avocado and some pumpkin seeds sprinkled.

Here are some grocery haul videos I have done, showing the kind of meals that I eat and what I buy in fresh.

This is still a learning curve for me, if you have been recently diagnosed with PCOS it can feel a little overwhelming. Happy to share what I have learnt along the way!