This Paleo Beef Stew is a PCOS-friendly recipe with 384 calories, 26.14g protein, and 24.81g carbs per serving. Ready in 21 minutes. High in fiber (5.2g), which supports insulin sensitivity.
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
Instructions
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Soften onion and garlic in pot, add beef and allow to brown.
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Add diced carrots, allow to sweat to soften. Add spices and season.
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Add stock and tinned tomatoes, red wine (preferably not cooking wine because of too much salt).
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Put lid on and leave on a low heat for at least one hour.
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 Paleo Beef Stew contribute to your health goals:
- Beef: Zinc supports hormone production and immune function
- Garlic: May help reduce cholesterol levels often elevated in PCOS
- Tomato: Antioxidants help combat oxidative stress elevated in PCOS
- Onion: Support cardiovascular health and blood sugar regulation
- Carrot: Provide antioxidants that support overall metabolic health
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 anti-inflammatory spices that target the chronic inflammation underlying PCOS. 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 Paleo Beef Stew 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 Paleo Beef Stew works for PCOS
With 26.14g of protein per serving (about 27% of calories), this Paleo Beef Stew sits at the top end of the 25-35g per-meal range that the 2023 International PCOS Guideline recommends for managing insulin resistance and supporting lean mass. Higher-protein meals also blunt the glucose response when carbohydrates are included, which matters for women with PCOS because chronic insulin elevation drives androgen excess and irregular cycles.
The 24.81g of carbohydrates here come paired with 5.2g of fibre, which slows glucose absorption and produces a flatter post-meal blood sugar curve. Fibre is one of the most under-rated tools for PCOS: it feeds gut bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids linked to improved insulin sensitivity, and it modestly lowers circulating androgens by binding bile acids in the gut.
Fat makes up about 42% 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.
Evening meals affect overnight insulin and morning blood sugar more than most women realise. Keeping dinner protein-forward and finishing eating at least 2-3 hours before bed gives your body time to clear glucose before the overnight fast, which improves morning fasting insulin readings.
PCOS-Friendly Foods in This Recipe
This recipe contains the following foods that may benefit PCOS management: Basil.
Basil is an excellent stress reliever, and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
You Have a Recipe. But Do You Have a Full Week?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this Paleo Beef Stew recipe is designed to be PCOS-friendly. At 384 calories per serving with 26.14g of protein, it supports balanced blood sugar and hormonal health. It also provides 5.2g of fiber, which helps with insulin sensitivity.
This recipe takes about 21 minutes total. Prep time is 21 minutes. It makes 4 servings, so you can meal prep for multiple days.
Per serving: 384 calories, 26.14g protein (27%), 24.81g carbs, 17.79g fat. Plus 5.2g fiber. 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 Dinner. At 384 calories, it fits within typical PCOS meal plan targets for Dinner. Pair it with other PCOS-friendly foods throughout the day for balanced nutrition.
This recipe can be part of a structured PCOS meal plan. It makes 4 servings, making it great for meal prep. 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 Dinner
Each recipe you add to your rotation makes PCOS management easier. Variety keeps you from getting bored and quitting.
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