PCOS Meal Planner › Recipes
Fertility-Boosting Breakfast - Folate-Rich Shakshuka with Spinach and Feta
PCOS-Friendly Breakfast

Fertility-Boosting Breakfast - Folate-Rich Shakshuka with Spinach and Feta

A nutrient-rich, Mediterranean-style breakfast dish packed with folate and fiber.

30 minutes
2 servings
350 cal / serving

This Fertility-Boosting Breakfast - Folate-Rich Shakshuka with Spinach and Feta is a PCOS-friendly recipe with 350 calories, 18g protein, and 24g carbs per serving. Ready in 30 minutes. High in fiber (6g), which supports insulin sensitivity.

Nutrition per Serving

350 Calories
18g Protein
24g Carbs
20g Fat
Grocery list: olive oil, onion, garlic, bell pepper, canned tomatoes, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, fresh spinach, eggs, feta cheese, fresh parsley. Low GI ingredients: onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, spinach.

Ingredients

Servings 2

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.

  2. Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper, sauté until soft.

  3. Stir in tomatoes, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.

  4. Add spinach and stir until wilted.

  5. Make wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each.

  6. Cover and cook until eggs are done to your liking.

  7. Sprinkle with feta cheese and parsley before serving.

This Fertility-Boosting Breakfast is a folate-rich shakshuka with spinach and feta. It's packed with nutrients that are beneficial for PCOS, including fiber, iron, and B vitamins. The low GI ingredients help to maintain a steady blood sugar level, which is crucial for managing PCOS. The recipe is easy to prepare, providing a sense of empowerment and control over your diet. Plus, it's delicious!

Why this Fertility-Boosting Breakfast - Folate-Rich Shakshuka with Spinach and Feta works for PCOS

This Fertility-Boosting Breakfast - Folate-Rich Shakshuka with Spinach and Feta delivers 18g of protein per serving, which sits in the moderate range for a PCOS-friendly meal. If you find yourself hungry within 2-3 hours, pair this dish with an additional protein source (Greek yogurt, a boiled egg, or a small portion of fish) to push the meal closer to the 25-35g per-meal target most PCOS dietitians recommend.

The 24g of carbohydrates here come paired with 6g 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 51% 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.

Eating a substantial breakfast like this Fertility-Boosting Breakfast - Folate-Rich Shakshuka with Spinach and Feta is one of the highest-leverage moves you can make for PCOS. In the Jakubowicz et al. 2013 trial published in Clinical Science, women with PCOS who front-loaded calories to breakfast reduced fasting insulin by 56% and increased ovulation rates 50%, with no change in total calories. Front-loading works because insulin sensitivity is highest in the morning and lowest at night.

PCOS-Friendly Foods in This Recipe

This recipe contains the following foods that may benefit PCOS management: Eggs, Spinach.

Eggs are a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. They are particularly high in choline, which is important for brain health. Eggs also contain antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which are beneficial for eye health. Including eggs in your diet can help provide essential nutrients without significantly raising blood sugar levels, making them a suitable option for managing PCOS symptoms. Spinach is a nutrient-dense leafy green vegetable that is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as we...

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.

1
Take the 60-Second Quiz Tell us your PCOS type, preferences, and goals
2
Get Your 7-Day Meal Plan Personalized meals, grocery list, and prep schedule
3
Stop Guessing Every Day Know exactly what to eat, with recipes like this one built in
Build My Meal Plan

Free. Personalized. No signup required to start.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, this Fertility-Boosting Breakfast - Folate-Rich Shakshuka with Spinach and Feta recipe is designed to be PCOS-friendly. At 350 calories per serving with 18g of protein, it supports balanced blood sugar and hormonal health. It also provides 6g of fiber, which helps with insulin sensitivity.

This recipe takes about 30 minutes total. Prep time is 10 minutes and cook time is 20 minutes. It makes 2 servings, so you can meal prep for multiple days.

Per serving: 350 calories, 18g protein (21%), 24g carbs, 20g fat. Plus 6g 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 Breakfast. At 350 calories, it fits within typical PCOS meal plan targets for Breakfast. 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 2 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.

Comments

Register or log in to add a comment

Cook Another PCOS-Friendly Breakfast

Each recipe you add to your rotation makes PCOS management easier. Variety keeps you from getting bored and quitting.

Hormone Support: Collagen Protein Smoothie for PCOS PCOS-Supporting Nori Breakfast Wrap PCOS Gut Flora: Kefir and Greens Smoothie Bowl PCOS-Supporting Kombucha Berry Smoothie PCOS Metabolic Support: Tallow-Roasted Inositol-Rich Foods PCOS Hormone Balance: Tallow-Roasted B-Vitamin Rich Foods
Browse All Breakfast Recipes

Check the Ingredients

Want to know if a specific ingredient is good for PCOS? Check it instantly.

Open the PCOS Food Checker

PCOS Nutrition Guides

Best low-tyramine foods for PCOS Cane Sugar vs Beet Sugar, What's Better for PCOS? Vegetable Oil vs Hemp Seed Oil, Switching for PCOS More PCOS Articles...

More PCOS-Friendly Recipes

Homemade Irish Corned Beef and Vegetables Skillet Shrimp, Sausage, and Rice Fabulous Fruit Salad Turkey Biscuit Stew Recipe Vietnamese-Style Pork Chops With Fresh Herb Salad Browse All Recipes...