5 tips to supporting your PCOS at holiday meals
We’re coming up on Thanksgiving and heading into the holiday season which may involve increased stress and anxiety around food choices, body image, and eating in social settings. This time of year often brings disruptions to normal routines, exposure to diet talk, and pressure to navigate comments or expectations from family and friends. Eating during the holidays can be especially overwhelming if you are working hard to manage PCOS symptoms like insulin resistance and hormone imbalances. Here are 5 practical strategies to support your PCOS and still enjoy food during the holidays.
1. Neutralizing the all-or-nothing mentality
All-or-nothing thinking can lead to guilt, shame, and feeling out of control with food. Here are some common all or nothing thoughts and ways to reframe them in a more supportive and flexible way:
“I need to restrict carbs to manage my PCOS” → “I can include carbohydrates in a way that supports my energy and blood sugar by balancing them with protein, fat, and fiber”
“If I don’t eat perfectly, I’m not doing enough to manage my PCOS” → “Supporting my PCOS is about progress, not perfection. Flexibility is part of sustainability”
“I’ll start fresh after the holidays” → “I can continue to support my hormones through the holidays by eating foods that are both satisfying and stabilizing”
2. Eat consistently throughout the day
It’s important to have a consistent intake of food to keep your blood sugar balanced throughout the day, especially with PCOS. Here are some tips to keeping yourself fed and still able to enjoy your favorite foods:
Start the day with a balanced breakfast that includes complex carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and healthy fats. This combination helps regulate cortisol and insulin responses, promotes stable blood sugar levels, and provides steady energy to start the day. This can reduce intense cravings, support mood, and help maintain energy throughout the day.
Eat every 3 to 4 hours to support blood sugar stability and reduce common PCOS symptoms like intense cravings, low energy, and irritability. Long gaps between meals can lead to blood sugar dips, which trigger hunger that feels urgent and harder to respond to mindfully. Regular eating helps prevent those crashes, supports hormone balance, and reduces the likelihood of overeating later in the day.
Plan ahead for travel or delayed meals. Holiday schedules can be unpredictable, with long travel days, late dinners, or extended events where food isn’t always accessible. Pack balanced snacks that include protein and fiber. Planning ahead helps you feel more in control and better able to support your energy and hormone balance.
3. Give yourself full permission to eat
The holidays only come one time per year and food is a meaningful part of what makes them special. Approach meals with neutrality and give yourself space to enjoy them fully without guilt or rigid expectations. Flexibility, satisfaction, and trust in your body help you become more in tune with managing your PCOS and nurturing a positive relationship with food.
Remind yourself that no food is off-limits. Restriction can lead to stronger cravings.
Add at least one source of protein and vegetables, then include your favorite sides for enjoyment.
Try pairing dessert with a balanced meal or snack to support blood sugar and insulin response.
Choose foods based on how they support your energy, comfort, and satisfaction, not just what you think you “should” eat.
Avoid labeling foods as good or bad, all foods offer something whether its nutrients, satisfaction, or connection and can be included in a PCOS eating pattern.
4. Tune into your body’s cues
PCOS can make it harder to recognize hunger and fullness cues due to hormonal imbalances, insulin resistance, or years of chronic dieting. During holiday meals, it’s okay to slow down, pause, and check in with how your body is feeling. Assessing how you feel without judgement can help you know when you are truly hungry or comfortably full.
Pause halfway through a meal to ask yourself how the food is feeling in your body.
Eat without distractions when possible so you can focus on taste, satisfaction, and your appetite.
It’s okay to choose the foods you want and to say no to the ones you don’t.
Remind yourself that you can stop eating and come back to food later, you don’t have to get it all in now.
5. Set boundaries around diet talk and food comments
Holiday gatherings can often come with unsolicited comments about food choices, weight, or health. These comments can trigger shame or pressure to eat or not eat in ways that don’t align with your needs. Here are some ways to create boundaries around uncomfortable conversation:
Reframe negative food comments to focus on the flavor, temperature, texture, and satisfaction factor of the foods vs their impact on one’s body.
Change the subject to something neutral and lighthearted.
Remind yourself that you don’t have to justify your choices to anyone.
As you head into the holidays...
Navigating food during the holidays with PCOS can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to come from a place of control or restriction. Consistency, flexibility, and self-trust can help you support your hormones while still enjoying the foods and traditions that matter most to you. Your body deserves care and nourishment, during the holidays and every day.
If this season feels especially overwhelming or you’re looking for personalized support with nutrition for PCOS, work with us here at Feed Your Zest! We are a team of dietitians here to help you create a more peaceful, sustainable approach to food and PCOS that works for your life.