This Prawn, Cucumber and Dill Salad with Lemon Yogurt is a PCOS-friendly recipe with 285 calories, 32g protein, and 14g carbs per serving. Ready in 12 minutes. High in fiber (3g), which supports insulin sensitivity.
Nutrition per Serving
Prawns are one of the leanest protein sources available: 24g of protein per 100g for almost no fat. That makes them ideal when the calorie ceiling is tight but the protein target is not negotiable.
Grocery list:
- Cooked king prawns
- Cucumber
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Fresh dill
- Capers
- Red onion
- Lemon
- Dijon mustard
- Baby gem lettuce
- Extra virgin olive oil
Glycemic index of the key ingredients: prawns 0, cucumber 15, Greek yogurt 11, lettuce effectively 0.
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Soak the sliced red onion in cold water for 5 minutes and drain. This takes the raw bite out without cooking it.Whisk the Greek yogurt, lemon juice and zest, Dijon, olive oil, salt and pepper into a dressing. It should pour, so loosen with a teaspoon of water if needed.Pat the prawns dry. Wet prawns dilute the dressing and the salad goes watery within minutes.Toss the prawns, cucumber, onion, capers and most of the dill through the dressing.Pile onto the shredded lettuce, finish with the remaining dill, and eat cold.
Why this works for PCOS
32g of protein for 285 calories is an unusually good ratio, and protein is the macronutrient with the strongest effect on the satiety hormones that decide whether you make it to dinner without snacking.
There is almost no carbohydrate load here, which means almost no insulin response. For anyone with the insulin resistance that affects roughly 70 percent of women with PCOS, a lunch like this is a genuinely flat few hours.
The ingredients doing the work
- Prawns: lean complete protein plus selenium and iodine, both relevant to thyroid function, which is more often disrupted in PCOS.
- Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise: the same creaminess for about a fifth of the calories, and it adds protein rather than fat.
- Dill and capers: enough flavour that the dish does not read as diet food, for no calories worth counting.
Swaps
Dairy free: use a coconut yogurt and add a tablespoon of tahini. Budget: tinned tuna in spring water works in place of prawns at a similar protein level.
Why a lighter lunch still has to be a real one
The failure mode of low-calorie eating is not the calories, it is the hunger that arrives at four in the afternoon and undoes the whole day. Every lunch in this set is built to land under 400 calories while still carrying enough protein and fibre to hold, because a lunch that leaves you raiding the cupboard has not saved you anything.
PCOS Meal Planner assembles these into a week around your calorie target and the foods you actually like, and hands you the grocery list.
Why this Prawn, Cucumber and Dill Salad with Lemon Yogurt works for PCOS
With 32g of protein per serving (about 45% of calories), this Prawn, Cucumber and Dill Salad with Lemon Yogurt 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.
At 14g of carbohydrates per serving, this Prawn, Cucumber and Dill Salad with Lemon Yogurt 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.
Lunch is where most PCOS meal plans either succeed or collapse. A meal like this Prawn, Cucumber and Dill Salad with Lemon Yogurt 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this Prawn, Cucumber and Dill Salad with Lemon Yogurt recipe is designed to be PCOS-friendly. At 285 calories per serving with 32g of protein, it supports balanced blood sugar and hormonal health. It also provides 3g of fiber, which helps with insulin sensitivity.
This recipe takes about 12 minutes total. Prep time is 12 minutes. It makes 2 servings, so you can meal prep for multiple days.
Per serving: 285 calories, 32g protein (45%), 14g carbs, 11g fat. Plus 3g 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 Lunch. At 285 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. 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.
Cook Another PCOS-Friendly Lunch
Each recipe you add to your rotation makes PCOS management easier. Variety keeps you from getting bored and quitting.
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