This Asian Cucumber Salad is a PCOS-friendly recipe with 416 calories, 2g protein, and 9g carbs per serving. Ready in 55 minutes.
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Remove shiritaki noodles from the package and rise off completely. This may take a few minutes, but make sure that all of the extra water that came in its package is washed off.
-
Set noodles on a kitchen towel and thoroughly dry them.
-
Bring 2 tbsp. Coconut Oil to medium-high heat in a pan.
-
Once the oil is hot, add noodles and cover (it will splatter). Let these fry for 5-7 minutes or until crisp and browned.
-
Remove shiritaki noodles from the pan and set on paper towels to cool and dry.
-
Slice cucumber thin and arrange on a plate in the design you’d like.
-
Add 1 medium Spring Onion, 1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes, 1 tbsp. Sesame Oil, 1 tbsp. Rice Vinegar, 1 tsp. Sesame Seeds, and Salt and Pepper to taste. You can also pour over the coconut oil from the pan you fried the noodles in. This will add a salty component so keep that in mind. Store this in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving!
How This Recipe Supports PCOS Management
Understanding the nutritional profile of what you eat is a powerful step in managing PCOS. Here is how the key ingredients in this Asian Cucumber Salad contribute to your health goals:
- Coconut: May support metabolism without spiking blood sugar
- Onion: Support cardiovascular health and blood sugar regulation
- Sesame: Provide calcium, iron, and zinc beneficial for PCOS
PCOS Diet Principles in This Recipe
The PCOS diet focuses on three core principles: reducing inflammation, managing insulin resistance, and supporting hormonal balance. Every recipe in our collection is evaluated against these principles. This recipe excels in providing nutrient-dense vegetables that provide essential vitamins and minerals for metabolic health. As part of a balanced PCOS meal plan, we recommend pairing recipes like this with a variety of nutrient-dense foods throughout the week to ensure you are meeting all your micronutrient needs.
Meal Prep Tip: This Asian Cucumber Salad can be prepared ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Meal prepping is one of the most effective strategies for sticking to a PCOS-friendly diet, as it removes the temptation to reach for processed convenience foods when time is short.
Why this Asian Cucumber Salad works for PCOS
At 9g of carbohydrates per serving, this Asian Cucumber Salad is on the lower-carb end, which suits women with PCOS who have confirmed insulin resistance or who notice strong post-meal energy crashes. Pair lower-carb meals like this with a generous portion of non-starchy vegetables to keep fibre intake up.
Fat makes up about 93% of calories in this dish. Dietary fat plays a load-bearing role in PCOS because sex hormones are synthesised from cholesterol, and very-low-fat eating can suppress hormone production over time. The 2023 PCOS guideline does not specify a strict fat target, but most clinicians recommend at least 25-35% of calories from a mix of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated sources.
Lunch is where most PCOS meal plans either succeed or collapse. A meal like this Asian Cucumber Salad that combines adequate protein, fibre-rich carbs, and fat keeps blood sugar stable for the rest of the workday and reduces the late-afternoon energy crash that drives sugar cravings around 3-4pm.
PCOS-Friendly Foods in This Recipe
This recipe contains the following foods that may benefit PCOS management: Sesame Seeds.
Sesame seeds help with progesterone balance. Lignans found in in sesame seeds help to prevent excess estrogen production.
You Have a Recipe. But Do You Have a Full Week?
One great recipe is a start. A complete PCOS meal plan is a system. Here is how to go from one meal to a full week of eating that supports your hormones.
Free. Personalized. No signup required to start.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this Asian Cucumber Salad recipe is designed to be PCOS-friendly. At 416 calories per serving with 2g of protein, it supports balanced blood sugar and hormonal health.
This recipe takes about 55 minutes total. Prep time is 18 minutes and cook time is 37 minutes.
Per serving: 416 calories, 2g protein (2%), 9g carbs, 43g fat. PCOS meal plans typically aim for 30% protein, 35% fat, 35% carbs to support insulin sensitivity.
Yes, this recipe works well as a PCOS-friendly Lunch. At 416 calories, it fits within typical PCOS meal plan targets for Lunch. Pair it with other PCOS-friendly foods throughout the day for balanced nutrition.
This recipe can be part of a structured PCOS meal plan. For a complete weekly plan tailored to your PCOS type, take our free 60-second quiz at pcosmealplanner.com/pcos-quiz to get a personalized 7-day meal plan.
Cook Another PCOS-Friendly Lunch
Each recipe you add to your rotation makes PCOS management easier. Variety keeps you from getting bored and quitting.
Comments
Register or log in to add a comment