This Shrimp, Cannellini and Fennel Salad with Lemon is a PCOS-friendly recipe with 478 calories, 44.4g protein, and 41.2g carbs per serving. Ready in 20 minutes. High in fiber (11.4g), which supports insulin sensitivity.
Nutrition per Serving
Shrimp and white beans is a classic pairing on the Italian coast. Warm garlic shrimp go straight from the pan onto beans, crisp fennel and tomatoes, and the pan juices become part of the dressing. It takes 20 minutes and each serving has about 478 calories, 44g of protein and 11g of fibre.
Grocery list:
- Raw peeled shrimp (prawns)
- Cannellini beans (canned)
- Fennel bulb
- Cherry tomatoes
- Arugula (rocket)
- Olive oil
- Lemon
- Garlic
- Flat-leaf parsley
- Chilli flakes
Nutrition notes: figures are per serving, half the salad, worked from USDA FoodData Central values. The beans are counted as cooked white beans, which is what a drained can holds. Chilli, salt and pepper are not counted.
Keeps: Best eaten the day you make it. The bean and fennel base keeps 2 days in the fridge, so you can cook the shrimp fresh.
Ingredients
Instructions
-
In a large bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon of the olive oil with the lemon juice, a pinch of salt and some pepper.Add the beans, fennel, tomatoes and parsley. Toss and leave to sit while you cook the shrimp.Pat the shrimp dry. Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan over high heat.Add the garlic, chilli and shrimp. Cook for 2 minutes, turn, and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until the shrimp are pink all the way through.Tip the shrimp and any pan juices into the bowl and toss.Serve on the arugula while the shrimp are still warm.
Why this works for PCOS
Shrimp is one of the leanest proteins you can buy. It cooks in 4 minutes, so it is perfect for lunch. Paired with white beans, this salad gives you 44g of protein and 11g of fibre. Protein and fibre together keep you full and help steady your blood sugar after the meal.
The ingredients doing the work
- Shrimp: lots of protein for few calories. Frozen raw shrimp work just as well, thawed first.
- Cannellini beans: they make the salad filling and add slow carbs with fibre.
- Fennel: crisp, fresh and lightly sweet, with a hint of anise. Slice it as thin as you can.
- Lemon and olive oil: a simple dressing that lets the shrimp shine.
Swap it
No shrimp? Use canned tuna or leftover chicken. No fennel? Use thinly sliced celery.
How this fits a PCOS week
PCOS Meal Planner builds a week of meals around the food you like, keeps out the foods you avoid, and gives you one shopping list.
Why this Shrimp, Cannellini and Fennel Salad with Lemon works for PCOS
With 44.4g of protein per serving (about 37% of calories), this Shrimp, Cannellini and Fennel Salad with Lemon 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 41.2g of carbohydrates here come paired with 11.4g 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 31% 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 Shrimp, Cannellini and Fennel Salad with Lemon 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 Shrimp, Cannellini and Fennel Salad with Lemon recipe is designed to be PCOS-friendly. At 478 calories per serving with 44.4g of protein, it supports balanced blood sugar and hormonal health. It also provides 11.4g of fiber, which helps with insulin sensitivity.
This recipe takes about 20 minutes total. Prep time is 15 minutes and cook time is 5 minutes. It makes 2 servings, so you can meal prep for multiple days.
Per serving: 478 calories, 44.4g protein (37%), 41.2g carbs, 16.7g fat. Plus 11.4g 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 478 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.
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