7 Easy Healthy PCOS Lunch Ideas You’ll Love

Without wasting any time, here are 7 easy, healthy & delicious PCOS lunch ideas! 

When eating for PCOS, remember to combine protein, healthy fat and carbs all together for an all-round filling wholesome meal. 

The meals below are satisfying, delicious and pack a nutritional punch too! 

7 Healthy PCOS Lunch Ideas

1.    Quinoa with Onion Omelet and Cucumber Salad

Ingredients 

For the quinoa:

• 1 cup quinoa 
• 1 ¾ cups water 
• 1-2 chicken stock cubes 
• 1 green capsicum
• 1 carrot
• ¼ cup of peas
• 1 red onion
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

For the omelet: 

• 1 egg 
• 1 red onion 
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt 
• Pepper 

For the cucumber salad: 

• 1 cucumber 
• ½ lemon 
• A few pinches of sea salt 
• A few pinches of black pepper powder

Directions 

For the quinoa:

• Begin by preparing your quinoa. Get one cup and rinse it very well using a double mesh strainer for 30 minutes. This is important – if you don’t wash your quinoa it may be sticky and bitter when cooked. 
• Next, place a saucepan containing 1 ¾ cups of water on the stove over a medium flame.  Add 1-2 chicken cubes (depending on how flavorful you want your quinoa to be) and ½ teaspoon of salt. 
• When it boils, add 1 tsp of olive oil, 1 cup of quinoa, 1 sliced red onion, 1 sliced green capsicum, ¼ cup of peas and 1 sliced carrot. Cover the saucepan with a lid and reduce the fire to a low flame. Simmer for 20 minutes or according to the instructions on the pack. 
• Now, the water should have all evaporated by this time. Check it and see if the quinoa is transparent and looks light and fluffy. 
• Turn off the heat and let the quinoa sit for 5 minutes covered with a lid before serving.

Notes: I actually use an Instant Pot to cook my quinoa faster, so I don’t have to waste a lot of time watching the quinoa over the stove.

For the omelet:

1. Simply crack an egg into a bowl, add 1 chopped red onion, salt and pepper then whisk with a fork to combine. 
2. Fry it on a heated skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. 
3. Flip it and fully cook both sides then put it on a plate. 

For the cucumber salad:

1. To make the cucumber salad, simply cut up a peeled cucumber into slices, sticks or cubes. 
2. Add salt and black pepper and mix to combine. 
3. Add it on the plate with the quinoa. Enjoy!

2. Boiled Egg & Guacamole Sandwich 

Ingredients 

• 2 boiled eggs 
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 onion 
• 1 tomato 
• 2 slices of brown bread 
• Sea salt 
• ¼ teaspoon of black pepper powder
• ¼ teaspoon of paprika powder
• ½ lemon

Directions 

1. Scoop up the flesh from a ripe avocado add it to a large bowl and mash it up until it is a lumpy cream.
2. Next, cook 2 hard boiled eggs, peel them and chop them up into cubes. Add them to the large bowl.
3. Chop up 1 onion and 1 tomato and add it to the bowl.
4. Now add your spices: about ¼ tsp of black pepper powder, ¼ teaspoon of paprika powder and juice from ½ lemon. Also add salt as required, for taste. 
5. Mix everything together and your sandwich filling is ready! 
6. Get two brown bread slices, add the filling in between and cut in half. 
7. Your sandwich is ready! Enjoy! 
8. You can make and eat another sandwich if it’s not enough or store the guacamole for later in the fridge.

3. Brown Rice, Grilled Salmon & Chickpea Curry 

Ingredients 

For the rice:

• 1 cup of brown rice 
• 6 cups of water 
• ¾ tsp salt 

For the chickpea curry:

• ½ cup of chickpeas, soaked for 8 hours/overnight
• 2 red onions, diced 
• 2 ripe tomatoes, diced 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (without the skin)
• ½ inch ginger, minced (without the skin)
• 1 green chilli, sliced in half
• 2 teaspoons of garam masala powder
• ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon of red chilli powder 
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper powder
• ½ teaspoon of sea salt
• ½ lemon
• ½ cup of water 
• ¼ cup of fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

For the salmon:

• 1 salmon piece (you can choose fillet)
• Olive oil
• Salt, pepper and paprika to taste 

Directions 

For the rice:

1. Begin by preparing your rice – rinse one cup of brown rice very well under cold running water in a double mesh strainer for 30 seconds. 
2. Next, pour 6 cups of water into a large saucepan followed by ¾ tsp of salt. Bring it to a boil over the stove.
3. Once the water is boiling, add your 1 cup of washed brown rice. 
4. Reduce the flame to a medium-low and let it steadily boil for 30 minutes, uncovered. 
5. After 30 minutes, check if your rice is ready by carefully getting a few grains and mashing it between your fingers. If it breaks into many pieces, it’s not ready so continue boiling. It should smoothly mash up for it to be well cooked. 
6. When it’s cooked, turn off the flame. 
7. Carefully drain off the remaining water from cooking the rice and return the rice to the saucepan. 
8. Cover the saucepan with a lid and let the rice rest for 10 minutes. 
9. Once the time is up, fluff the rice and it’s ready to serve! 

Notes: You can also use a rice cooker or an Instant Pot to cook your brown rice faster.

For the salmon:

1. Wash the salmon fillet well then dry it on paper towels. Once dry, sprinkle the fillet on both sides with salt and pepper. You could actually leave it to marinate for about 2 hours in salt, pepper and paprika to make it absorb more flavor but it’s fine if you don’t have time. 
2. Next prepare your skillet for grilling by placing it on the stove over a medium-low flame. Now add 1 tbsp of olive oil on it and let it heat up.
3. Add your spiced raw salmon fillet and allow it to cook for 2 minutes on each side until well cooked. 

For the chickpea curry: 

1. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over a medium-high flame. 
2. Add 2 diced onion and cook until it becomes soft and glassy – don’t let it brown. 
3. Now add your 2 diced garlic cloves, ½ inch of diced ginger, 1 green chili sliced in half, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and 2 teaspoons of garam masala powder. Mix everything together till the raw aroma of the spices disappears.
4. Next, add 2 diced tomatoes and cook them till it gets cooked and mashed up. This may take anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Now it’s time to add chickpeas and water. Stir everything together to combine all the flavors. 
6. Add more water if you want, in order to create the perfect consistency of a curry that you desire.
7. Cover the lid and bring the chickpea curry to a simmer over a low flame for 25-30 minutes till your chickpeas are well cooked. 
8. Add salt and pepper as desired and turn off the flame. 
9. Serve over rice with the grilled salmon. 

Notes: To cook the chickpeas faster, consider using an Instant Pot. If using an Instant Pot, you would scrape all cooked onion-tomato curry base into the Instant pot and add water, chickpeas, some salt and pepper and just cook for about 17 minutes on low heat till ready. That’s what I do! 

4. Sweet Potatoes & Kidney Bean Sauce 

Ingredients 

For the sweet potatoes: 

• Water for boiling 
• Salt, pepper and mixed spice flakes for seasoning

For the kidney beans:

• 1 cup of kidney beans, soaked overnight or 8 hours
• ½ cup of water 
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 red onion, diced 
• 2 ripe tomatoes, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, diced 
• 1 inch of ginger, diced 
• 1 teaspoon of cumin powder 
• 1 teaspoon of paprika powder
• Salt, as needed

Directions 

For the sweet potatoes: 

1. Wash 1-2 medium sized sweet potatoes thoroughly and peel them.
2. Next, chop them into sizeable chunks.
3. Once that’s done, boil then in a saucepan containing water (the water should immerse the sweet potatoes). 
4. Boil for 10 minutes over a medium-low till ready.
5. When ready, drain them, transfer onto a plate and season with salt and pepper. 
6. Serve with kidney bean sauce for a filling healthy PCOS lunch.

For the kidney beans:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on a medium-low flame.
2. Add the onion and cook it till it turns soft and glassy. 
3. Next, add the diced ginger and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes till the raw garlic smell disappears. 
4. Add the spices: cumin powder and paprika powder and cook for 2 minutes. 
5. Now scrape everything into an Instant pot and add the soaked kidney beans and ½ cup of water. 
6. Add a little salt, mix well and pressure cook for 15 minutes. 
7. When the time is up, wait for the pressure to release then open the Instant Pot, add water or salt if required to make a curry consistency then serve over the sweet potatoes.

5. Healthy Chicken Wrap

Ingredients 

• ½ cup of shredded cooked chicken 
• ½ avocado, mashed 
• 1 ripe tomato, diced
• 1 lettuce leaf
• 2 teaspoons cream cheese 
• ½ lemon
• Salt 
• Pepper 
• Low card wraps or whole wheat tortillas

Directions 

1. In a bowl, mash up ½ an avocado till smooth, next add ½ cup of shredded chicken, 1 fresh diced tomato, 2 teaspoons cream cheese and juice from ½ lemon. Season with enough salt and black pepper powder. Mix well to combine. This will be your wrap stuffing.
2. Get a low carb wrap or a whole wheat tortilla. 
3. Slap on a clean and fresh lettuce leaf. 
4. Next add the wrap stuffing and roll the tortilla into a wrap.
5. Enjoy! You can have two wraps for lunch with a side of fresh fruit or a tall glass of orange juice.

6. Grilled Chicken and Sautéed Spinach 

Ingredients 

For the grilled chicken:

• Chicken thigh (boneless, without skin)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper, for seasoning

For the sautéed spinach:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 cup of packed spinach
• Salt and pepper, to season

Directions 

For the grilled chicken:

1. Make slits on both sides of the chicken thighs.
2. Marinate the chicken thighs overnight or at least 1 hour in brine.
3. In a skillet or small frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. 
4. Cook the chicken thighs for 7 minutes on each side on a medium-low flame until cooked through.
5. Sprinkle salt & pepper.
6. Serve with a simple sautéed spinach.

For the sautéed spinach: 

1. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over a medium-high flame.
2. Once hot, add the minced garlic and shallots until the onion turns glassy and the raw garlic smell goes away. This may take 1-2 minutes. 
3. Add the spinach and cook until it softens wilts for 5 minutes. 
4. Season with salt and black pepper, toss it to combine then turn off the flame.
5. Serve immediately with grilled chicken.

7. Tuna Sandwich with Sauerkraut 

Ingredients 

For the tuna sandwich: 

• 1 can of tuna, drained 
• 1 red onion, diced 
• 1 tomato, diced 
• 4 tbsp thick plain Greek yogurt (substitute for mayonnaise)
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder 
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder 
• Fresh lettuce leaves *optional 
• Brown bread slices

For the sauerkraut: 

• 5 cabbage leaves 
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt

*Sauerkraut needs to ferment for 1-2 weeks before you can consume it. It’s delicious and rich in probiotics! 

Directions 

For the tuna sandwich:

• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
• Slather the mixture on to whole wheat bread slices to make a sandwich. You can add lettuce leaves if you want.
• Enjoy! 

For the sauerkraut: 

1. Wash 5 cabbage leaves very thoroughly.
2. Now chop them finely into shreds.
3. Now add the cabbage leaves into a bowl and add 1 teaspoon of sea salt. 
4. ‘Massage’ the cabbage shreds with clean fingers together with the sea salt. 
5. Store the salted cabbage in a mason jar for 2 weeks to ferment.
6. After the time is up, scoop forkfuls of the ready-made sauerkraut and eat it as a side dish for any meal including this tuna sandwich lunch! 

I hope you try out any of the healthy PCOS lunch ideas above! Try any of them and come share your thoughts in the comments below! 

More PCOS Recipes:

• 10 Breakfast Ideas for Women with PCOS
• 7 Easy PCOS Dinner Recipes
• 30 Best PCOS Snack Ideas
• PCOS-Friendly Breakfast Smoothie