Nutrition for Menopause: What to Eat (and why)

Food hits differently in midlife. What used to keep you full for hours now barely gets you through a meeting. Bread has suddenly decided it wants to live on your stomach rent-free. Your jeans are confused, your appetite’s unpredictable, and your cravings have gone rogue. Your metabolism didn’t “slow down,” it packed its bags and pissed off on a sabbatical. The snacks you used to get away with (yep, that whole box of chocolate fingers) now hangs around like an uninvited guest, and suddenly your body wants to consume every carb in sight. Welcome to the hormonal plot twist nobody warned you about

The Hormone-Food Connection

Estrogen does more than run your menstrual cycle, it also helps regulate metabolism, insulin, and fat storage. So, when it starts to dip, your body burns energy a little slower and stores it a little faster (usually right where your jeans fasten). Add in poor sleep, stress, and maybe a dash of “I cannot be bothered to cook tonight”, it’s easy to feel like your body’s out to get you. But it’s not. It just needs a bit more nutritional kindness.

What Your Body Actually Needs

You don’t need to eat like a wellness influencer to feel good. Just aim to focus on real, nourishing foods that support your hormones, energy, and mood.

Here’s where to start:

• Protein: Your new best friend. It helps maintain muscle, keeps you full, and supports metabolism. Think eggs, chicken, tofu, lentils, Greek yogurt — and don’t be afraid of adding a little extra.

• Healthy fats: Your hormones are made from fat. Avocados, nuts, olive oil and salmon all help with brain health, energy, and keeping hot flushes in check.

• Fiber: Keeps your gut happy, helps with bloating, and balances blood sugar levels. Load up on veggies, beans, oats, and fruit with skin on (yes, the apple peel matters even though it tastes like eating soil).

• Calcium & Vitamin D: As estrogen drops, bone density can too. Dairy, fortified plant milks, almonds, leafy greens, and getting out in the sunshine (or supplements if needed) all help.

• Iron: No not the Philips steam. Especially important if you’re still in perimenopause and losing blood irregularly. Red meat, spinach, and legumes are great options.

The Sneaky Stuff That Makes You Feel Worse

No judgment here, we all have our coping snacks. But if your symptoms feel worse some days, these might be the culprits:

• Caffeine: Great for mornings, not so great for hot flushes or anxiety. Try cutting down or swapping one cup for herbal tea (or at least decaf after lunch)

• Alcohol: Everyone likes a drink, no one likes a drunk. But seriously, booze is a known hot flush trigger and sleep wrecker. Think of it as an occasional treat, not a nightly reward

• Sugar: Quick highs, quick crashes, mood swings galore. Try balancing treats with real meals so your energy stays steady

  
  

Basically: moderation beats misery and hard-core dietary restrictions. You don’t need to live off kale and green smoothies every day, just fuel your body with what it actually needs

Real-Life Tips (Because we understand you're busy)

• Eat breakfast. Skipping it just sets you up to inhale everything like a Henry hoover at 3 p.m

• Plan snacks. Nuts, boiled eggs, fruit (things that actually fill you, not just tease you)

• Hydrate. Dehydration can make you tired, grumpy, and even mimic hot flushes

• Cook once, eat twice. Batch cooking saves time and sanity

• Don’t restrict, find balance. Restrictive eating adds stress, and stress messes with hormones. Don't call it a 'diet'.

  
  

If you want your body to work with you, you have to feed it like you care about it because it’s doing its best, even when you’re not feeling your best.

A Little Reminder

Your body is adapting. Menopause isn’t a punishment, it’s a reset button. Food choices aren't about perfection and there will be days you've scoffed more chocolate than Willy Wonka. But that's okay. Eat to fuel not to “fix”