This Sesame Salmon with Edamame and Smashed Cucumber is a PCOS-friendly recipe with 496 calories, 42.4g protein, and 14.1g carbs per serving. Ready in 22 minutes. High in fiber (5.4g), which supports insulin sensitivity.
Nutrition per Serving
This lunch packs big Asian flavour without a bowl of rice under it. Salmon is brushed with tamari, ginger and sesame, then baked for 12 minutes. It sits next to bright green edamame and a cold smashed cucumber salad. Each serving has about 496 calories, 42g of protein and 5g of fibre. Tamari is a soy sauce made without the usual grain, and there is no dairy.
Grocery list:
- Salmon fillets
- Tamari
- Fresh ginger
- Toasted sesame oil
- Sesame seeds
- Frozen shelled edamame
- Cucumber
- Rice vinegar
- Lime
- Spring onions
- Chilli flakes
Nutrition notes: Figures are per serving of half the recipe, worked from USDA FoodData Central values for every weighed ingredient. Salmon is weighed raw. The teaspoon of rice vinegar is not counted.
Keeps: Cooked salmon keeps 2 days in the fridge and is good cold. Dress the cucumber on the day you eat it, or it goes watery.
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 200C fan, 220C conventional, or 425F. Line a small tray with baking paper.Mix 10g of the tamari with half the ginger and half the sesame oil. Brush it over the salmon and sprinkle with sesame seeds.Bake the salmon for 10 to 12 minutes, until it flakes easily.While it bakes, cook the edamame in boiling water for 4 minutes and drain.Lay the cucumber on a board and press it with the flat of a knife until it cracks. Cut it into chunks. Toss with the rest of the tamari, ginger and sesame oil, plus the rice vinegar, lime juice and chilli flakes.Split the cucumber and edamame between two bowls. Add the salmon and scatter with spring onions.
Why this works for PCOS
A poke or sushi bowl is mostly white rice, which is quick to digest. This bowl keeps the flavours and swaps the rice for edamame. Edamame are young soybeans, so they bring protein and fibre where the rice would bring fast starch.
Each serving has 42g of protein and 14g of carbs. That high protein, low starch balance helps keep blood sugar steady after lunch.
The ingredients doing the work
- Salmon: protein plus omega 3 fats.
- Edamame: plant protein and fibre in place of rice.
- Smashed cucumber: crisp and cooling, and it soaks up the dressing.
- Tamari, ginger and sesame: deep savoury flavour from a few spoons.
Make it your own
If you want some grain, add a small scoop of brown rice or quinoa. Firm tofu works in place of salmon. Check your tamari label if you avoid grain, as most brands are made from soy alone but a few are not.
How this fits a PCOS week
PCOS Meal Planner builds your week around meals you enjoy, keeps out the foods you avoid, and gives you one shopping list.
Why this Sesame Salmon with Edamame and Smashed Cucumber works for PCOS
With 42.4g of protein per serving (about 34% of calories), this Sesame Salmon with Edamame and Smashed Cucumber 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 14.1g of carbohydrates here come paired with 5.4g 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 56% 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 Sesame Salmon with Edamame and Smashed Cucumber 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 Sesame Salmon with Edamame and Smashed Cucumber recipe is designed to be PCOS-friendly. At 496 calories per serving with 42.4g of protein, it supports balanced blood sugar and hormonal health. It also provides 5.4g of fiber, which helps with insulin sensitivity.
This recipe takes about 22 minutes total. Prep time is 10 minutes and cook time is 12 minutes. It makes 2 servings, so you can meal prep for multiple days.
Per serving: 496 calories, 42.4g protein (34%), 14.1g carbs, 30.7g fat. Plus 5.4g 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 496 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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