The Ultimate Perimenopause Diet Plan: 12 Essential Nutrients

If you’re going through perimenopause, you unfortunately might be familiar with a variety of uncomfortable symptoms that can come with this transition. While there are lots of ways to cope with perimenopause symptoms, one effective, natural, and simple way is changes in diet.

So, what’s in the ultimate perimenopause diet? What should you be eating and how can that help your symptoms? Here’s your go-to perimenopause diet plan, including tons of different nutrients and delicious recipes to try at home.

Perimenopause and eating: what’s the link?

During perimenopause, reduced estrogen production leads to a variety of symptoms that can affect your eating habits, including what you want to eat, how much you’re eating, and your metabolism.

What’s happening to my metabolism during perimenopause?

Estrogen plays multiple roles in women’s bodies beyond the sexual and reproductive systems. Research indicates estrogen influences the central nervous system, potentially increasing food intake and basal metabolism. Declining estrogen levels can lower your basal metabolism and reduce the appetite-suppressing effects, often resulting in increased calorie intake.  

Other areas in which estrogen influences energy metabolism in the body are:  

• Liver: Estrogen boosts glucose production from noncarbohydrate sources in the liver.  ‍
• Skeletal muscle: Estrogen enhances insulin sensitivity within skeletal muscle, promoting glucose uptake into cells.  ‍
• Pancreas: Estrogen increases insulin secretion and impacts the beta cells in the pancreas.  

As estrogen declines in perimenopause, it causes a metabolic shift, making it easier to accumulate fat. As fat levels increase, inflammation increases, contributing to chain reaction symptoms.  

Does perimenopause change my eating behaviors?  

Perimenopause can be a stressful time for many women because of the changes occurring in the body, and the influences some of the symptoms have on everyday life. 

Stress can significantly impact eating behaviors by increasing cravings, appetites, and trigger emotional eating.  

Does perimenopause cause any food aversions?

Hormonal fluctuations can also cause food aversion in some women. Changes in hormone levels can cause changes in taste and smell sensitivity in some. Changes in digestion that happen during perimenopause can also change how some foods are tolerated and cause discomfort.  

Do you eat a lot during perimenopause? 

Estrogen can have an appetite suppressing effect in our bodies, so as estrogen declines, some women will feel like their appetite is growing. 

Sometimes hormone fluctuations also have the opposite effect in some women, making them feel less hungry or have changes in food preferences. 

Benefits of a perimenopause diet

Following a perimenopause diet plan can help support your overall health and alleviate perimenopause symptoms.The goal of an ideal perimenopause diet is to achieve a balanced intake that supports muscle mass, brain health, bone strength, hormone balance, sustained energy levels, and emotional well-being. 

It boosts your overall health

Eating a consistent well-balanced diet can support your overall health in numerous ways. It will reduce your risk for chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, and obesity.  

A healthy diet can also help support your gut microbiome. Your gut microbiome is a community of microorganisms that live in your digestive tract. They play a particularly significant role in digesting food, absorbing nutrients, and helping to maintain overall health by interacting with our immune system, helping produce vitamins, and even communicating with our brain to influence mood, appetite, and stress.  

It alleviates perimenopause symptoms

What you eat and drink during perimenopause can support long-term health but also help relieve symptoms like hot flashes, weight gain, brain fog, depression, and anxiety. The right perimenopause diet can also help preserve muscle.

Plant-based diets have been used to help decrease the amount and severity of hot flashes in perimenopausal women. One study found that following a plant-based diet led to a 96% decrease in moderate to severe hot flashes.  

Diets that support gut microbiome have been shown to reduce the severity of depression and anxiety symptoms, which are common perimenopause symptoms. There’s also evidence to support that the same diets could also help treat menopause-induced changes in body composition and metabolism; menopause can disrupt the gut microbiome.

Will a diet address my perimenopause belly fat and weight gain?  

The average women gains five pounds during perimenopause. This is because the rate of fat mass increases while muscle mass gain decreases with the changes in hormones and changes in basal metabolism with aging. While this can be uncomfortable, eating a well-balanced diet and adding in movement every day can be beneficial in managing your weight.  

While looking at diet and food might be the first place you turn, experts advise being careful with calorie deficits. Reducing calorie intake can counteract efforts to lose weight and hinder long term success. Calories are essential for providing energy to the body. Research has shown that when calorie intake is insufficient, the body enters a “survival mode” where it adapts by reducing its metabolic rate. The adjustment can make it harder to achieve and sustain weight loss.  

If you’re looking to lose belly fat and stop weight gain during perimenopause, you can boost your metabolism by gaining muscle mass and strength training, getting enough sleep, and eating enough (especially protein!). 

The ultimate perimenopause diet: 12 nutrients

Ready to try adjusting your diet to promote your overall health and alleviate perimenopause symptoms? Here are some foundational nutrients to add to or continue to eat in your diet.

1. Fiber

Fiber-rich foods like quinoa, chickpeas, black beans, Brussels sprouts, apples, pears, almonds, and flaxseeds help support a healthy gut microbiome, reduce the risk of chronic disease, and aid in weight management.  

Research has shown a healthy gut can lower the risk of uterine cancer, improve physical performance, reduce symptoms of depression, and improve cholesterol levels to help lower risk of heart disease.  

2. Protein  

Protein sources like chicken, turkey, whole eggs, egg whites, lentils, and tofu are crucial for getting enough protein to support muscle maintenance, regulate blood sugar levels, and help control appetite.  

Aim for around 0.8- 1.2g of protein per kilogram of your body weight every day.  

3. Omega-3  

Omega-3s help lower triglyceride levels in your blood, reduce blood pressure and support cognitive function. They also have anti-inflammatory properties that may help reduce joint pain and stiffness.  

Additionally, adequate omega-3 intake has been shown to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety. Women are more than twice as likely to experience depression than men; omega 3s have been used as an alternative form of treatment for depressive and cognitive disorders in menopausal women.  

SMASH (salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring) are great sources of omega-3 fatty acids and are beneficial to include in your perimenopause diet.  

4. Seeds  

Chia seeds, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds are great sources of fiber, omega- 3s, magnesium, vitamins, phytoestrogens, and tryptophan.  

Seeds aid in improving sleep and muscle relaxation, reducing anxiety, and providing plant-based estrogens. 

5. Nuts  

Nuts are a major source of plant-based protein, fiber, and unsaturated fatty acids.  

According to the American Heart Association, frequent nut consumption is associated with a lower risk of developing hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD), total cancer, and all-cause and cause-specific mortality.  

Research has also shown that nuts contain melatonin, which can help improve sleep.

6. Vitamins and minerals  

Calcium and vitamin D are important for bone support and preventing osteoporosis. Adequate levels of calcium and vitamin D can come from fortified cereals, dairy products, green leafy vegetables (kale, broccoli, bok choy, collard greens), almonds, sesame seeds, and chia seeds.  

Vitamins B, C, and E can help reduce hot flashes, support skin, immune function, and energy levels. Colorful fruits and vegetables, currants, sauerkraut, and eggs are good sources of these nutrients.  

7. Whole foods  

Whole foods refer to food consumed in their natural or minimally processed state. Examples of whole foods include fresh fruit and vegetables, good quality proteins, healthy fats, and whole grains. Whole foods might sometimes take longer to prepare, but they’re incredibly beneficial, especially compared to processed foods, refined sugars, and unhealthy fats.  

Research has shown that ultra-processed foods are associated with higher levels of endocrine disruptors. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interfere with the endocrine system, impacting hormone signaling, production, secretion, and elimination.  

8. Whole grain carbohydrates  

Whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, farro, quinoa, barley, oatmeal, and buckwheat are some examples of whole grain carbohydrates. These carbohydrates are a major source of fuel because of their slow burn, which allows for sustained energy—especially when paired with other nutrient dense foods.  

9. Water  

Maintaining proper hydration is important for sustaining energy levels and promoting overall health. Try exploring various methods to boost your water intake, such as herbal teas, seltzers, or water infused with lemon and mint, or incorporating hydrating foods like cucumbers, watermelon, and romaine lettuce, can significantly enhance your hydration levels.  

Research has shown that as women go through menopause changes, hormones influence their sensitivity to water and thirst. It is important to stay mindful that you’re drinking enough water, because you might not feel the effects of dehydration until they really catch up to you. 

On average, women need about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of water per day. This changes with activity and hotter climates where you need more water!  

10. Tryptophan  

Tryptophan is the precursor to melatonin and can help support quality sleep. Foods high in tryptophan include:

• Almonds  
• Cheddar cheese  
• Kidney beans  
• Oat flakes 
• Peanuts  
• Salmon  
• Sunflower seeds  
• Tofu  
• Tuna  
• Turkey breast  
• Whole eggs  

11. Fermented foods  

Fermented foods are important in introducing beneficial bacteria into our gut microbiome to promote healthy functioning. As estrogen declines, gut micro bacteria is altered, which can influence changes in weight, bloating, skin, brain function, and sleep.  

Fermented foods are gut-friendly and can help combat some of these changes. Examples of fermented foods are kimchi, pickles, sauerkraut, miso, and plain greek yogurt.  

12. Phytoestrogens  

Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring substances that hold a lot of structural similarities to the estrogen produced in our bodies. They can interact with estrogen receptors in the body, mimicking and modulating the effects of estrogen. While mild, phytoestrogens can be used to help alleviate some of the symptoms of perimenopause by providing their estrogenic effect.  

Some examples of foods high in phytoestrogens include soy products (tofu, soy milk, tempeh), edamame, flaxseeds, lentils, and sesame seeds.  

Perimenopause diet plan: meal ideas  

How can you get all of these helpful nutrients in? Here’s a sample perimenopause diet plan for a day.

Breakfast

Start with chia seed pudding with almonds and berries.  

Research shows that decreases in estrogen in the morning can increase cortisol levels increasing feelings of anxiousness in the morning. You can combat this with some proteins and fats.  

Take 2 tbsp of chia seeds and mix them with hot water until they get thick or gel-like. Mix in about 1⁄2-3⁄4 cup of greek yogurt. Sprinkle some cinnamon, almonds, and berries!  

Lunch

For lunch, try a tofu vegetable stir fry.

Research has shown that plant-based foods and soy rich diets can help improve hot flash symptoms. Mix some of your favorite vegetables (e.g., broccoli, zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, onions, peppers) with tofu in some soy sauce with rice!  

Dinner

For dinner, have a delicious salmon bowl with avocado, edamame, cucumbers, kimchi, pomegranate seeds, and brown rice.

Salmon is rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which can help support brain and cognitive function and decrease anxiety and depression symptoms. 

Bake some salmon and plate it with avocado (healthy fats), edamame (phytoestrogens), gut- friendly fermented kimchi, brown rice (complex carbohydrate), cucumber (hyrdrating), and top it off with pomegranate seeds.  

Snacks

For snacks during the day, try: 

• Dark chocolate-covered strawberries, full of healthy fats and antioxidants ‍
• Sharp cheddar cheese and hard-boiled eggs, full of healthy fats, protein, and tryptophan to promote melatonin production‍
• Mixed vegetables (snap peas, carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, radishes, yucca) and guacamole and whole grain crackers, full of complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and fiber

Perimenopause diet guidelines

Looking for more meal ideas? To build your own, follow these perimenopause diet guidelines for how many nutrients you should try to include in your daily or weekly meal plans:

• 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight every day
• 3–4 portions of vegetables per day  
• 1–2 portions of fruit per day  
• 10z–1.5 lb of red meat (boiled, steamed, or fried) per week  
• 4oz of deep-sea fish twice per week  
• 1 oz of unsalted nuts or oily seeds per day  
• 1 serving of legumes at least once a week  
• 1 oz of dietary fiber per day

The ultimate perimenopause diet: the bottom line 

Your diet plays a key role in managing perimenopause symptoms and enhancing your overall health. Hormonal shifts and decreased estrogen levels during perimenopause cause changes in metabolism and appetite, increasing the risk for weight gain, hot flashes, mood swings, and reduced energy levels.  

A balanced diet rich in fiber, omega 3-fatty acids, seeds, nuts, vitamins, minerals, whole grains, water, fermented foods, and phytoestrogens can support gut health, hormone balance, bone strength, and emotional well-being.  

Your diet and your hormones go hand in hand, and understanding how your hormones fluctuate during perimenopause can guide you in choosing the best foods for your body. Utilizing tools like Oova’s Perimenopause Hormone Kit can help you monitor how your diet impacts estrogen (E3G), progesterone (PdG), and LH levels during this transitional phase—and how your diet is helping manage your symptoms.