5 Recipes for Perimenopause
Mar 27, 2024
Reading time: 4 minutes
In our previous post, we discussed the Top 5 Foods to help mitigate Perimenopausal Symptoms. As delicious as these foods are by themselves, variety is the spice of life, and people get bored quickly!! Keep reading to find 5 delicious recipes using these foods as ingredients offering different ways to incorporate them into your diet.
The top 5 foods of focus:
- Raspberries
- Flax seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Broccoli sprouts
- Sauerkraut
In this refreshing kombucha Peach Raspberry Mocktail, you get the gut-healing benefits of the probiotics as well as the hormone-supportive benefits from both the raspberries and the kombucha.
Peach Raspberry Mocktail
Makes: 2 Servings Time: 5 minutes Author: Stacey Zacharias RituWell™ Intern
Ingredients
- 4 oz clean water
- ½ cup of frozen peach slices
- ½ cup frozen raspberries
- 16oz original kombucha (or ginger kombucha to spice it up!)
- Fresh mint
Directions
- Blend water, peach slices, and raspberries until chunky (or smooth if you prefer a puree)
- Pour into a tall glass
- Add kombucha and stir gently
- Top with fresh mint
These Cherry Walnut Oat Cups are exceptional for a quick breakfast but are also an incredibly filling snack. They are great for batch cooking and freezing to have on hand for those rushed mornings. High in protein, fat, and fiber they work to balance blood sugar levels and offer hormone support.
Cherry Walnut Oat Cups
Makes: 18 muffins Time: 25 minutes prep + 25 minutes bake Author: Stacey Zacharias RituWell™ Intern
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups gluten free quick oats (we use One Degree organic, gf, sprouted oats)
- 1 Tbsp ceylon cinnamon
- ½ tsp celtic sea salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1 Tbsp fresh ground flax seeds
- 2 Tbsp hemp hearts
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup dried cherries
Wet Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cup coconut milk
- ½ cup apple sauce
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 tsp vanilla
Directions
- Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl
- Blend all wet ingredients in high power blender
- Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix well
- Let stand 15 minutes to absorb moisture
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350℉
- Line muffin tin with bleach free parchment liners
- Spoon into muffin pan
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown
- Transfer to a cooling rack to avoid moisture build up
As we age, we need to prioritize nutrient-dense meals. This Miso Nourish Bowl is no exception. The protein, fat, and fiber work to balance blood sugar levels. The broccoli sprouts and pumpkin seeds work to remove excess estrogen and toxins, helping to balance hormones relieving perimenopausal symptoms.
Miso Nourish Bowl
Makes: 4 servings Time: 20 minutes Author: Stacey Zacharias RituWell™ Intern
Ingredients
- 2 cups pre-cooked sprouted short grain brown rice, divided
- 4 cups of your favorite greens, divided (we love arugula and baby spinach)
- 1 cup chopped cucumbers, divided
- 1 cup chopped carrots, divided
- 1 cup chopped peppers, divided
- ½ cup kimchi (or sauerkraut), divided
- 12-16 oz. of pre-cooked chicken, divided (we use leftover roast chicken- cook once, eat twice)
- 1 cup broccoli sprouts, divided
- ¾ cup pumpkin seeds, divided
- ¾ cup sunflower seeds, divided
- ½ cup chopped green onions, divided
Directions
- Place ½ cup rice in a bowl beside 1 cup of greens
- Top with chopped veggies and kimchi
- Add chicken
- Sprinkle with broccoli sprouts, seeds, and green onions
- Drizzle Tahini Miso Dressing over top
Miso Tahini Dressing
Makes: approx. 1 ½ cups Time: 5 minutes Author: Stacey Zacharias RituWell™ Intern
Ingredients
- ½ cup tahini
- 1/4 cup water (or more for desired consistency)
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp gluten free tamari
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp honey
- 2 Tbsp organic miso
- 1 large garlic clove
- ½ inch fresh, peeled ginger
Directions
- Blend all ingredients in a high power blender
- Drizzle on nourish bowl or store in a glass jar for up to 1 week in the fridge
This Sauerkraut Salad will make your microbiome sing as you offer prebiotics and probiotics to feed and power the beneficial gut bacteria and create harmony in your guts, supporting excess hormone and toxin removal.
Sauerkraut Salad
Makes: approx. 1 ½ cups Time: 5 minutes Author: Stacey Zacharias RituWell™ Intern
Ingredients
- ½ cups sauerkraut
- ¼ cup shredded carrots
- ½ small red onion. sliced
- 1 apple, chopped
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- ½ tsp dried dill
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Toppings:
- Broccoli sprouts
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
Directions
- Mix ingredients in a bowl
- Allow to sit 30 minutes before serving
- When serving, top with broccoli sprouts and sprinkle with seeds
- Enjoy cold!
Packed with protein, fat, and fiber, this quick and easy Chocolate Pudding is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth while supporting your hormones and balancing your blood sugar levels.
Chocolate Pudding
Makes: 4 servings Time: 10 minutes prep + 30 minutes chill time
Author: Stacey Zacharias RituWell™ Intern- Adapted from Meghan Telpner’s Chocolate Chia Pudding for Digestive Health
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup almond milk
- ⅓ cup raw cacao
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 2 Tbsp flax oil
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 scoop unflavored protein powder (or chocolate protein powder- but you will have to adjust the amount of cacao to taste)
- 2 Tbsp of honey, optional- to taste
Toppings:
- Raspberries
- Pumpkin Seeds
Directions
- Place all ingredients in blender
- Blend until smooth
- Pour into 4 jars
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes
- When ready to serve, sprinkle each serving with pumpkin seeds and a handful of raspberries.
A few other ways to include these great foods:
- Raspberries- add to smoothies and smoothie bowls; raspberry chia jam; muffins.
- Flax seeds- add 1 Tbsp fresh ground flaxseed to ½ cup apple sauce (sprinkled with cinnamon).
- Pumpkin seeds- mix into a trail mix for snacking; ¼ cup ground pumpkin seeds to replace ¼ cup flour in baking; add to muffins or granola.
- Broccoli sprouts- blend into smoothies and smoothie bowls; add to sandwiches, salads, nourishing bowls, or omelets!
- Sauerkraut- use it as an add-on for sandwiches, soups, or stews; check out these dessert recipes from Wild Brine, Sauerkraut Brownies and No Bake Brownie Bites!!
Written by Stacey Zacharias, Rituwell™ Intern
