Spinach and Chicken Manicotti - PCOS-Friendly Recipe
This Spinach and Chicken Manicotti is a PCOS-friendly recipe with 117 calories, 7.37g protein, and 13.38g carbs per serving. Ready in 70 minutes. High in fiber (2.3g), which supports insulin sensitivity.
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
- 2 oz manicotti pasta
- 1/2 cup marble cheese
- 1/4 cup fat free ricotta cheese
- 1 cup cooked, diced chicken breast
- 2 tbsps garlic powder
- 2 tsps ground oregano
- 3 tbsps pepper
- 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
- 2 cups spinach
Instructions
- Boil the manicotti pasta in water for about 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix together the ricotta cheese, spinach, chicken and spices to taste (add chili powder too if you like).
- Drain the pasta carefully and as soon as you can handle touching them, lay out on the counter to avoid crushing and getting stuck together.
- Holding the noodles with your finger blocking one end and cupping the rest, gently stuff them with the spinach mixture with a fork.
- Place them in rows in a greased pan (Pam works great). Cover with spaghetti sauce.
- Add 1/2 cup water to baking dish and cover with tinfoil (this will let the pasta absorb the additional moisture.)
- Bake at 350 °F (175 °C) for 25 minutes and remove the cover.
- Sprinkle with cheese of your choice and bake until almost all additional moisture is gone and the cheese is nice and gooey. Serve with a side of salad or steamed vegetables.
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 Spinach and Chicken Manicotti contribute to your health goals:
- Chicken: Protein-rich meals help manage insulin resistance common in PCOS
- Spinach: Magnesium may help improve insulin sensitivity in women with PCOS
- Garlic: May help reduce cholesterol levels often elevated in PCOS
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 protein-rich ingredients that help regulate appetite hormones (ghrelin and leptin), and 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 Spinach and Chicken Manicotti 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.
PCOS-Friendly Foods in This Recipe
This recipe contains the following foods that may benefit PCOS management: Chicken Breast, Spinach.
Skinless chicken breast, often heralded for its lean nutritional profile, is undeniably a powerhouse when it comes to protein content. With an impressive 21 grams of protein packed into every 100 grams of the breast, it emerges as a preferred choice for those conscious about their protein intake. Delving deeper into the nutritional matrix of chicken, one can't overlook the copious amounts of vitamin B6 it houses. This particular vitamin plays an indispensable role in our body, especially when di...
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this Spinach and Chicken Manicotti recipe is designed to be PCOS-friendly. At 117 calories per serving with 7.37g of protein, it supports balanced blood sugar and hormonal health. It also provides 2.3g of fiber, which helps with insulin sensitivity.
This recipe takes about 70 minutes total. Prep time is 10 minutes and cook time is 60 minutes. It makes 10 servings, so you can meal prep for multiple days.
Per serving: 117 calories, 7.37g protein (25%), 13.38g carbs, 4.08g fat. Plus 2.3g 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 Dinner. At 117 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 10 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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