Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and ensuring you have a healthy breakfast makes sure that you remain energetic throughout the day. Having a wholesome and nutrient-dense breakfast becomes even more important for women suffering from PCOS as skipping it can lead to hunger pangs during the rest of the day. You will end up eating more during the next meal, contributing to weight gain and aggravating PCOS symptoms.
Sprouted Moong and Methi Chilas
Including fibre-rich quinoa, barley and oats or protein-rich egg whites in your breakfast will keep you full for a long time and keep your blood sugar in check. Avoid use of excess fat (ghee, oil etc.), especially if you aiming to lose weight.
Oats for PCOS Breakfast
See why oats is good for pcos breakfast.
1. Oats are a great source of protein for Vegetarians. Whole Oats have an antioxidant called Avenanthramide (a polyphenol from oats) which helps lower blood pressure levels. Start your day with oats-based breakfast dishes like Oats Methi Multiflour Khakhra and Oats Upma.
Oats Methi Multiflour Khakhra
2. Use whole oats in apple steel cut oatmeal with almond milk or oats in oatmeal almond milk with oranges or my favourite is oatmeal almond milk with apples which you can carry to work and have as a healthy snack.
Oatmeal Almond Milk with Apples, Healthy Vegan Breakfast
Upma for PCOS Breakfast
See our healthy upma options for pcos breakfast. No sooji or less sooji has been used in the below recipes as there is less fibre in it. Upma is always associated with the use of rava. But rava being partially refined is a less healthy choice. You need to have healthy grains like quinoa, ragi, jowar etc. in your diet for PCOS. These grains are low in glycemic index and carbs and this can help manage your insulin levels and further help to manage weight. You can have options from
1. Ragi Upma : Ragi or red millet flour is so full of fibre and iron, thus making this a super-nutritious dish. So, although the colour of this upma is not so appealing, its nutrient quotient is, making it a must-try. Iron is a much needed nutrient to build your hemoglobin reserve and keep you energetic through the day.
Ragi Upma
2. Oats Upma recipe : Oats upma with vegetables is far healthier than the traditional upma which is made from rava. Oats are a great source of protein for Vegetarians. It is rich in soluble fibre which will satiate you for long hours. Like most upma, this too has to be served immediately on cooking.
Oats Upma ( Breakfast Recipes)
3. Jowar Upma :This is made by replacing a large quantity of the refined semolina with fibre and iron rich green peas and jowar flour. Of course, a small portion of rava is used to improve the consistency. To make it healthier, you can also add vegetables like carrot, capsicum and tomatoes to add to the taste, crunch and nutrient quotient.
Jowar Upma
4. Quinoa Upma : Quinoa is a protein rich food which is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. A serving of this quinoa upma fulfills 11% of your days requirement for iron . Do not miss out on sprinkling lemon juice at the end, as the vitamin C in it will further help in the absorption of iron.
Quinoa Veg Upma, Vegan Breakfast
Dosas & Idlis for Indian PCOS Breakfast
Yes, we have healthy dosa and idli recipes which don't use rice. Rice will cause a surge in blood sugar levels which is best avoided for PCOS. Eat healthy and choose from a variey of healthier dosa versions like:
1. Nachni Dosa : The batter to make this nutritious and tasty Nachni Dosa is easier to make than regular dosas because we have used nachni flour. So, you just need to grind the urad dal. Serve it with your favourite coconut chutney and sambar.
Nachni Dosa
2. Wheat Dosa: These deliciously soft dosas made with whole wheat flour and urad dal flour are also convenient to make because the batter does not require a long fermentation. Just mix the ingredients, temper it traditionally, let it rest for half an hour, and you are ready to cook the dosas.
Wheat Dosa
3. Whole Moong Dosa : This is one of the most wholesome and filling Indian breakfast option. The stuffing of onions, coriander and green chillies also adds to the appeal of this dosa, both in terms of flavour and texture. These veggies also add with them antioxidants which are necessary to fight inflammation and maintain health of oragans of the body including the uterus and the ovaries.
Whole Moong Dosa
Again for making idlis, we have options without the usage of parboiled rice. Try our recipes like....
1. Sprouts and palak idli : The batter of moong sprouts and spinach gains its appetising aroma and taste from ingredients like sesame and green chillies. This batter does not have to be fermented. By adding a dash of fruit salt, we ensure that the idlis come out very soft and fluffy even though the batter is not fermented.
Sprouts and Palak Idli
2. Oats idli : Although the original idli itself is quite nutritious, this innovative version of Oats Idli is even more wholesome and filling.This instant oats idli has only 1 hour of resting time. No fermenting time needed. In these healthy oats idli, high glycemic index rice is replaced with oats. You can also add some boiled veggies like finely chopped carrot, French beans and caulifower to the oats idli batter to enhance the fibre content further. Try it out! It will satiate your tummy and please your taste buds too.
Oats Idli
3. Moong Dal and Spinach Idli : Eliminating rice reduces the calorie count of these spinach idlis, making them suitable for women with PCOS. Your favourite breakfast is ready with some minor modification. The same moong dal batter can also be used to make healthy pankis and pancakes.
Also read which dosas and idlis are healthy as that will give you complete list of healthy Indian dosa and idli recipes.
Moong Dal and Spinach Idli
Or, indulge in tasty pancakes like Sprouts Pancakes and Zucchini and Carrot Pancake, which are made from antioxidant and fibre packed vegetables like carrot and zucchini. Antioxidants help to fight the harmful free radicals in the body which would otherwise affect the health of cell, tissues and organs in body including the reproductive organs.
Sprouts Pancakes
Discover many more such nutritious breakfasts in this section. Accompany these with fresh whole fruit for an added dose of antioxidants.
Zucchini and Carrot Pancake
Enjoy our PCOS Indian Breakfast Recipes, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Veg Indian Breakfast Recipes and other PCOS articles below.
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PCOS High Fibre recipes
PCOS Indian recipes
PCOS Weight Loss recipes