The Best Foods for Menopause Symptoms

Learn about the best foods to manage menopausal symptoms, lose weight & feel and look your best.

Hot flashes, mood swings, sleep disturbances, low libido, and weight loss resistance are some of the many menopausal symptoms that can steal your confidence and peace of mind.¹

Underlying many of these symptoms are big shifts in critical hormones, including estrogen, which can drop 75% or more from its peak during menopause.²

“Since estrogen is involved in many activities, including appetite arousal and food intake, loss of hormones like estrogen can trigger weight gain,” says Sara Gottfried, MD, in Women, Food, And Hormones.

The solution to managing menopausal symptoms begins with what you eat.

“When you know how to cook healthful meals, you will heal your menopausal symptoms,” says Anna Cabeca, DO, in MenuPause. “When you start enjoying this way of living, you walk into a life full of happiness and wholeness — a life you deserve.”

Through my own journey and supporting many women going through menopause, I’ve discovered the best foods to manage symptoms that, left unchecked, can seriously derail your day. These foods keep your blood sugar stable, support steady energy and mood, and help you achieve your goal weight.

Read on to learn the best foods to combat menopausal symptoms so you make this life-changing transition with ease and grace.

Best Foods for Menopausal Symptoms

#1: Protein

Dietary protein is your bestie during menopause and beyond. Sufficient protein supports tissue repair, hormone balance, immune health, and strong bones and muscle. Protein also helps balance your blood sugar levels, preventing the spikes and crashes that can contribute to menopausal symptoms.

In one study, researchers looked at protein intake among 387 healthy women ages 60–90. Women in the higher-protein group had lower body mass, including fat and lean mass, and fat-to-lean ratio than those in the lower-protein group.³

“Protein is metabolically expensive for your body to break down, which means it uses a lot more energy to digest it than it does for carbohydrates and fat,” says Esther Blum, MS, RD, in See Ya Later, Ovulator! “In other words, it’s pretty difficult to store protein as body fat. And it’s even more difficult to overeat it. Win-win!”

Best Protein Foods for Menopausal Symptoms

Keep in mind that some of these foods also contain healthy fats and/or fiber, so they may appear on other lists:

1. Wild-caught fish
2. Grass-fed and grass-finished beef
3. Pasture-raised poultry (including pasture-raised eggs if you can tolerate them)
4. Lentils and other legumes
5. Nuts, seeds, and unsweetened nut butter

During the first five years of menopause, your skin loses about 30% of its collagen, the body’s most abundant protein.⁴ That’s why supplementing during the menopausal transition is so critical. Collagen Peptides Powder contains a synergistic blend of patented collagen peptides to support collagen production, bone strength, joint health and integrity, skin health & more.*

#2: Phytoestrogen-Rich Foods

Phytoestrogens, or plant-based compounds that mimic estrogen in the body, can help combat symptoms while supporting mood and energy levels.⁵

Other research shows that phytoestrogens can help reduce the intensity of hot flushes, decrease vaginal atrophy, improve sleep and brain function, protect bone health, and provide other benefits during menopause.⁶

One of my favorite ways to get more phytoestrogens is by adding freshly ground flaxseed into my loaded smoothies.

“Because the lignans in flax are actually phytoestrogens, they may help relieve menopausal symptoms,” says Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., in The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. “In fact, in one study, flaxseed was as effective as hormone replacement therapy in reducing mild menopausal symptoms in menopausal women.”

Best Phytoestrogen-Rich Foods for Menopausal Symptoms

1. Lentils
2. Chickpeas
3. Kidney beans
4. Freshly ground flaxseed
5. Sunflower seeds

#3: Leafy & Cruciferous Greens

Leafy and cruciferous veggies are rock stars to manage menopausal symptoms. For one, they’re packed with nutrients like magnesium. Studies show that deficiencies in this mineral may contribute to postmenopausal symptoms.⁷

“Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, and artichokes contain compounds that help detoxify estrogen,” says Blum in See Ya Later, Ovulator!

One of those compounds is sulforaphane, which can inhibit “bad” estrogens, support liver detoxification, and increase the master antioxidant glutathione.⁸

Cruciferous veggies also offer indole-3-carbinol (I3C), derived from the breakdown of a compound called glucobrassicin. I3C can help support the balance of estrogen and other hormones as well as help with detoxification.⁹

Veggies are loaded with fiber, too, which helps bind and excrete excess hormones like estrogen. One study found that increasing dietary fiber intake can help balance estrogen levels and reduce the risk of hormone-related diseases such as breast cancer.¹⁰

Best Leafy & Cruciferous Greens for Menopausal Symptoms

Really, any of them are great! Standouts include:

1. Kale
2. Brussels sprouts
3. Broccoli
4. Cauliflower
5. Red cabbage

#4: Healthy Fats

Good fats are essential for hormone production as well as maintaining proper hormone function. Keeping your hormones in balance during menopause can help manage or even eliminate miserable symptoms.¹¹

You’ve got lots of delicious options here, including organic coconut, avocado, nuts, and seeds.

One of my favorites is wild-caught fish, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids to help manage the inflammation prevalent during the menopausal transition. Getting sufficient omega-3s can help with several common symptoms, including major depressive disorder and hot flashes during the menopausal transition.¹²

Best Healthy Fats for Menopausal Symptoms

1. Wild-caught fish
2. Extra-virgin coconut oil
3. Avocado
4. Flaxseeds
5. Extra-virgin olive oil

Pulling It All Together: Timing is Everything

Now that you can see how specific foods help menopausal symptoms, I hope you’ll feel inspired to incorporate more of these foods into your meal plan. Eating by the plate is my tried-and-true secret weapon to incorporating protein, healthy fats, and fiber into every meal.

Learn more about eating by the plate in this blog.

Just as important as what you eat during menopause is when you eat. That’s where intermittent fasting comes in: you’ll eat meals by the clock within a certain time period.

“Intermittent fasting helps fight menopause symptoms by introducing a daily habit that is free and easy to apply,” says Cynthia Thurlow, NP, author of Intermittent Fasting Transformation. She notes that intermittent fasting may support healthy bones, weight management, gut health, and even mental issues such as stress.¹³

The good news is that you don’t need to go overboard with intermittent fasting to get great results. Eat by the plate for dinner, close up the kitchen three to four hours before bedtime, and push breakfast forward the next morning until 9 or 10 a.m. You’ll create an effective 12–14-hour overnight fast, and you’ll be sleeping for eight or nine of those hours.

Here’s what that will look like:

Break Your Morning Fast with a Loaded Smoothie

Breaking your overnight fast is simple and delicious with a loaded smoothie. You’re giving your body a nutrient-packed, low-sugar treat, plus you can feel confident that you’re getting the protein you need to fuel a fat-burning metabolism and fight cravings until it’s time for your next meal.

Every loaded smoothie contains the perfect trifecta of fiber, fat, and protein to help manage menopausal symptoms in a convenient grab-and-go drink.

Below, I’ve shared two of my favorite smoothies to support the menopausal transition.

Perfect Menopause Smoothie

Ingredients

• 2 scoops Chocolate All-In-One Shake (Paleo-Inspired or Plant-Based)
• 1 scoop Collagen Peptides Powder
• 1 scoop Extra Fiber
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
• 10 oz. unsweetened almond milk

Directions

1. Blend the ingredients together until smooth. (Ramp up the blender speed slowly to keep it creamy.)
2. Your shake can be thickened by adding ice cubes or thinned by adding cold water. Enjoy!

Hot-Flash-Halting Protein Shake

Ingredients

• 2 scoops Chocolate All-In-One Shake (Paleo-Inspired or Plant-Based)*
• 10 oz. unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 small avocado
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach (or other leafy greens if you are oxalate-sensitive)
• 1 cup frozen mixed berries (look for blueberries, raspberries, or açai berries)
• 1 tbsp freshly ground flaxseed
• 1 tbsp raw cacao powder
• 1/4 tsp fennel seed

Directions

1. Blend the ingredients together until smooth. (If you’re using Paleo shake mix, ramp up the blender speed slowly to keep it creamy.)
2. Your shake can be thickened by adding ice cubes or thinned by adding cold water. Enjoy!

Need some yummy ideas? I’ve got over 60 recipes in my Loaded Smoothie Cookbook. It’s FREE… and guaranteed to be a game-changer for fat loss and overall health.* Claim yours here.

Eat by the Plate Every 4–6 Hours

Breaking your fast with a loaded smoothie is a smart, effective way to start the day. Then, you’ll want to eat by the plate every four to six hours. The magic trifecta of protein, healthy fats, and fiber can manage menopause symptoms, help you reach your ideal weight, balance blood sugar, and help you look and feel your best.

Every meal should contain:

• Clean, lean protein: 0.75–1 gram per pound of your ideal body weight, divided among 3 meals. So if your ideal body weight is 150 pounds, you would need between 113 and 150 grams of protein daily. That’s about 40–50 grams of protein per meal.
• Non-starchy veggies: 2+ servings (more is better)
• Healthy fats: 2–4 servings (less if you increase slow low carbs)
• Slow low carbs: 0–2 servings (less if you increase healthy fats)

Close the Kitchen After Dinner

Eat by the plate and then close the kitchen for the evening. You’ll want to stop eating about three or four hours before bedtime (and no, that does not mean staying up later!).

If you’re having bedtime hunger pangs, take a look at your food journal. Ensure that you ate enough healthy food for dinner, and that no problematic foods are slipping in that can create blood sugar imbalances. Have a glass of water, too. One study showed that just one glass before bed shut down hunger pangs for everyone.¹⁴

Final Thoughts

When you harness the power of eating by the plate, focus on specific foods I’ve listed here, and maintain meal timing strategies, you’ve got a powerful foundation to manage the numerous miseries that menopause can present.

Even if you do experience menopausal symptoms, eating these foods will ensure that those symptoms don’t take you down. I’m living proof that you can come out of menopause looking and feeling better than ever… and that all starts with the end of your fork!

Support menopausal symptoms, improve estrogen balance, and reduce inflammation with our Menopause Support Packets. Each comes with 3 softgels that include annatto with geranylgeraniol (GG), CoQ10, and DIM.* Putting them together in a single, convenient pack makes it easy to ensure you don’t miss a single day of great health. Order yours here.

Before you go…

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The views in this blog by JJ Virgin should never be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Please work with a healthcare practitioner concerning any medical problem or concern. The information here is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or condition. Statements contained here have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

References:

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11. https://cleanhealth.edu.au/blog/fat-requirements-for-optimal-hormonal-health/
12. Freeman MP, Hibbeln JR, Silver M, Hirschberg AM, Wang B, Yule AM, Petrillo LF, Pascuillo E, Economou NI, Joffe H, Cohen LS. Omega-3 fatty acids for major depressive disorder associated with the menopausal transition: a preliminary open trial. Menopause. 2011 Mar;18(3):279–84. doi: 10.1097/gme.0b013e3181f2ea2e. PMID: 21037490; PMCID: PMC3195360.
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14. University of Washington Study. 2002. Reported in Integrated and Alternative Medicine Clinical Highlights. Aug 4:1(16).