Once the ovaries of a woman ceases to function and the menstrual cycle does not occur for more than 12 months at a stretch it is known as the onset of menopause. This usually happens after 40-45 years of age. When a woman undergoes menopause, it can affect her in numeric ways, like bad mood, decreasing sex drive, loss of memory, and heart and bone problems. Also menopause affects the digestion system making the situation worse. To solve this problem, one can concentrate on changing the meal plan of a menopausal woman. If you are going through menopause, you should be careful of your diet. Here are some meal plans which you may find useful.

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Planning meals for women going through menopause

If you are going through menopause, try to eat 5/6 frequent meals rather than 2/3 meals. And make sure you have 250-300 calories per meal. Here are a few meal plans that can be helpful for you.

  • Breakfast is an important meal and you must not skip it, because if you skip it, it can lead to overeating the next meal, and thus a slow metabolism. Moreover, it should include foods from as many groups as possible. Try to consume some fruits, a little amount of grainy food, a serving from the dairy section, and a little bit of fat. Including Calcium rich food in your diet is important because menopausal women tend to have chances or osteoporosis among other problems.
  • Since you should eat small meals, you must eat a small snack between breakfast and lunch. However, make sure you take low calorie and nutrient rich healthy food for snacks. A small amount of fruit and dairy serving could be a good option for snack between breakfast and lunch.
  • Having a balanced lunch is always essential, more so if you are a woman going through menopause. Apart from fruits and vegetables, preferably boiled or raw, you can also take some hummus with pita breads made of whole wheat. You can also take a bit of salad made of lettuce, tomatoes etc with it.
  • Next you have the afternoon snack. A balanced and healthy snack must include half cup of fruit, some grain items, and a bit of oil. For example you can have a few snackers made of whole grain, with a little peanut butter, and some freshly sliced fruits such as green apples. This should not be too heavy, nor it should be too less, leading to craving of some unhealthy snacks later in the evening.
  • It is important that you count your calories for each meal, and dinner is no different. For dinner you can have one and half a cup of vegetables, one serving of grainy food, some amount of meat or fish, preferably grilled, a little bit of oil, and one serving from the dairy products. For example you can have two steaks of salmon with some couscous, and some leafy vegetables like spinach alongside. Salmon is rich in Omega 3 fatty acid, and is good for the heart, since menopausal women always suffer from chances of a heart attack.

If you are a menopausal woman, you can plan your meals in the ways mentioned above, and it will be good for your health.