Eggplant and Chickpea Stew - PCOS-Friendly Recipe
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 medium yellow onions, 1 diced and 1 sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound eggplant, cubed
- 2 cups canned no-salt-added chickpeas
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 (28-ounce) can no-salt added diced or chopped tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onions and garlic, and cook until onions are soft. Stir in the eggplant, chickpeas, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cover the pot. Cook the stew for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until eggplant is very tender.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil and add onion slices. Fry until golden, and remove from heat. When stew is finished, place in serving bowls and top with fried onions and cilantro.
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 Eggplant and Chickpea Stew contribute to your health goals:
- Egg: Contain choline which supports liver function and hormone metabolism
- Chickpea: Their low glycemic index helps maintain steady blood sugar levels
- Olive oil: Anti-inflammatory properties make it especially beneficial for PCOS
- Cinnamon: Studies show cinnamon can help lower fasting blood sugar levels in 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 Eggplant and Chickpea Stew 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: Cinnamon.
Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).
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