by Jeani Hunt, MS, RD, CD (updated 2025)

The Stress of Eating at Restaurants with PCOS

A lot of my PCOS clients love to enjoy a night out on the town! BUT, then, comes the panic – will I be able to manage my PCOS and continue my progress while I eat out? Good news – you totally can enjoy dining out with friends without sacrificing progress on your PCOS journey! Forget lame advice like skipping dessert or getting salad dressing on the side. Instead try these tips and let me know what you think!

What Does a PCOS-Friendly Balanced Meal Look Like?

PCOS-friendly meals are balanced with protein, complex carbs, healthy fats and fibrous vegetables. You’re aiming for about 25% of your meal being protein (which translates into 15-30 gram), 25% of your plate being carbohydrate preferably coming from whole grains or complex carbs (1)) and around 50% of your plate from fiber-rich fruit and veggies. Plus, you’ll want a healthy fat from olive oil, nuts, seeds or avocado to support hormone health.

What Foods Are Good for PCOS?

I generally find a Mediterranean Style diet helps my clients treat their PCOS symptoms, and it’s backed by science (2). There’s a lot of wiggle room to customize this, but a Mediterranean Dietary Pattern includes lots of fruits and veggies, whole grains and beans, lots of healthy fats from olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocado, lots of fish and seafood and is lower in white meat and even lower in red meat and ultra-processed foods.

There’s some evidence for soy foods (3), beans (4), low glycemic index foods and high antioxidant foods (5) as being healthy for PCOS as well, so I recommend taking any opportunity to include these in your meals.

Finding PCOS-Friendly Restaurants

While I think you can eat pretty much anywhere with PCOS, certain restaurants might be a bit more friendly toward your PCOS goals. Here are some types of restaurants that work well for PCOS:

• Health-conscious restaurants – with options like grain bowls and hearty salads
• Asian restaurants – with tofu, fish and chicken dishes paired with veggies
• Indian restaurants – where you can get Daal, vegetable-forward dishes and whole grain breads like roti
• Mexican restaurants – where you can get beans, proteins, avocado and fajitas
• Mediterranean restaurants – where you can get hummus, salads, fish and olives
• Seafood restaurants – where you can get oily fish with seasonal veggies

My Top Tips for Eating Out with PCOS

• Avoid eating too many carbs – This means, avoid a meal that consists of bread, bruscetta, pasta and a sweet dessert, which are all carb-based. Instead, swap some of those dishes out for more protein and vegetable forward dishes like grilled fish, salads, veggie sides or a meat course. 
• Mine the appetizers, specials and side dishes for nutrient-dense foods – I find that seasonal veggies, seafood specials, healthy fats like olives and nuts and other exciting and healthy foods can often be found in these sections of the menu rather than main dishes. Don’t forget to take a peek and see tasty and nutritious foods you can add to your meals.
• Request extra veggies – A lot of times curries, soups, ramen and other foods come with just a few little floating veggies – who wants that? Ask for extra. They may charge you a buck. I say no big deal for your health!
• Add tofu, salmon or other protein – Add to salads, sandwiches, pasta and other dishes. This will add protein and fat to whatever you’re eating to slow the digestion and add delicious flavor.
• Add avocado – Any chance to get that healthy fat in! Get it on your taco, burrito, salad, sandwich or just on the side.
• Consider sipping organic or biodynamic wine – It’s full of anti-oxidants and part of the Mediterranean diet, known for being anti-inflammatory and good for managing blood sugar.
• Alternate alcohol with water or bubbly water – this one is just good common sense – you’ll thank me in the am.
• Eat seasonally – enjoy veggies at the peak of their season – that’s when a lot of chefs will highlight them in a special dish.

Top Tips for Ordering Takeout with PCOS

Takeout is a bit different from dining out at a nice restaurant. It can be enjoyed in your PJs in front of the TV, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be healthy or help you keep moving toward your PCOS goals. Here are my top tips for getting takeout with PCOS:

• Include protein and balance – Look for a protein, a veggie and a carb in meals when you have PCOS. This can be a burrito with beans (protein), tortilla (carb) and some grilled veggies, salsa, guac, etc. (veggies). It can be a burger with a small side salad. It can be an Indian curry with veggies and chicken or chickpeas over rice.
• Ask for veggies – Folks with PCOS need veggies for the fiber and the antioxidants. One thing fast food and takeout are often missing is veggies – you can ask for extra veggies in curry or pho, on a sandwich or go for a side salad.
• Order multiple dishes to find balance – If you’re eating food where one dish is meat, one is veggie and others are carb – resolve to share or eat multiple meals and get one of each. Leftovers are great too!
• Look for whole grain options – Whole grains are great for PCOS! Some takeout places have the option to order with brown rice or whole grain breads (think roti or paratha at Indian restaurants).
• Get other add-ons to maximize nutrition – If you’re feeling like the dish is unbalanced, you can often add avocado, protein like fish or chicken or tofu or grilled veggies to dishes at takeout places.

Specific Takeout Meals for PCOS

Teriyaki or Thai Food – If you get a noodle dish, avoid getting rice. Consider protein and vegetable based dishes like tofu or chicken curry with brown rice, any vegetable-based stir fry type dish, soups like Thom Ka and Tom Yum, spring rolls and more.

Bahn Mi – Try the tofu bahn mi to get in that soy protein. Plus, pick either a sandwich or rice noodles, not both. Get extra picked veggies. 

Indian Food – Be mindful of the portions of rice you’re eating along with all the good flavorful dishes. Consider getting whole grain roti instead of naan and/or brown rice instead of white.

Burger Places – Add whatever veggies you like on your burger, consider swapping bun out or not eating the entire bun. Get salad with your fries. Avoid sugary beverages.

Italian Food – Don’t neglect the appetizers – consider ordering some seasonal veggies or burrata with veggies instead of something carb heavy, then focus your carbs on fresh pasta. Also, take a peak at the fish dishes (Italians know how to make some tasty fish).

You Can Have Fun Dining Out and Ordering Takeout With PCOS

Just because you have PCOS doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy dining at a nice restaurant or ordering takeout and watching a movie. It just means you need to be a little more conscious of what you’re eating when you do those things. Frankly, most folks could stand to follow these guidelines.

To summarize, don’t forget to try for a balanced meal with protein, veggies and whole grains when you’re eating outside the home, but if you slip a little it’s no big deal. The joy of being social with friends and family is also important and healing!

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