PCOS Chicken: A Heart-Healthy Dish for Women With PCOS

Women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) face many metabolic and reproductive hurdles. As any good nutritionist will tell you, dietary modifications can often help improve the effects of PCOS. The key to success is to choose dishes that promote heart health, regulate blood sugar levels, and reduce inflammation. Thus, we present a delicious and nutritious dish – PCOS Chicken – combining flavors, textures, and heart-healthy nutrients to help make living with PCOS a bit easier.

Making Lean Choices

Chicken is an excellent source of lean protein, meaning it is low in saturated fat. Although all poultry lacks dietary cholesterol, chicken is especially beneficial for individuals with PCOS because it is a high-quality protein that is low in calories and maintains muscle mass. If you are looking for a vegetarian version of this recipe, substituting firm tofu is one option, although you may need to adjust the cooking time and consider other flavorful ingredients.

Spice Up Your Life

Adding flavor to meals is important for any dietary modification, and luckily PCOS Chicken offers a great way to include some spicy kick. Ginger, garlic, cumin, turmeric, and a variety of herbs can all contribute to an invigorating – yet heart-healthy – meal. Not only do these ingredients provide delicious flavor, they can also offer various medicinal properties known to help counter the effects of PCOS.

A Mediterranean Makeover

The Mediterranean diet is known to reduce inflammation, lower blood sugar levels, and encourage cardiovascular health. To this end, it is important to add a variety of color-rich vegetables to dishes like PCOS Chicken. Options such as bell peppers, onions, asparagus, or artichokes can easily be chopped or sliced to incorporate into the dish before or after cooking. Additionally, they add extra texture, flavor, and essential vitamins and minerals that are essential for women with PCOS.

For Those Who Love Grains

Introducing grains into PCOS Chicken can be great for added nutrition and texture. Consider incorporating brown rice, barley, quinoa, or kasha into your recipe to make it even more filling and nutritious. These grains offer high levels of nutrition, including plant-based proteins and fibers, without large amounts of fat or empty carbohydrates.

Recipe: PCOS Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 pound skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 bell peppers, sliced into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small onion, sliced into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Rub the garlic, olive oil, ginger, cumin, turmeric, coriander, salt, and pepper together to form a paste.
3. Rub the paste over the chicken and place it in a baking dish.
4. Spread the bell peppers, onion, and artichoke hearts around the chicken.
5. Cover the baking dish with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
6. Serve with your favorite grain or enjoy as is.

Wrap Up

Living with PCOS can often be a challenge, but with a few dietary modifications, meals can become delicious and nutritious. PCOS Chicken is an excellent meal for promoting heart health, regulating blood sugar levels, and reducing inflammation – all essential components for women with PCOS. To ensure your dish is complete, add spices, veggies, and grains for extra flavor and nutrition.