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Everything You Need to Know About the Menopause Diet: 5 Secrets
- Jane Mackay
- May 6, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 4
Menopause can feel like a minefield when it comes to food.
One expert says one thing.
The next says the opposite.
And meanwhile, your body’s changing in ways you never expected.
👉 Should you cut carbs completely?
👉 Is sugar really the enemy?
👉 What’s the best way to lose the weight creeping around your middle?
This blog will give you the five essential food truths every woman needs to know during menopause...plus practical, no-fuss steps you can take today.
Let's dive into the blog...
Contents
Secret 1: Your Body Needs Different Nutrients in a Menopause Diet - Don't Ignore Them
In your 40s and 50s, the rules change.
What worked before may no longer cut it.
Midlife isn’t about dieting harder—it’s about nourishing smarter.
Here’s what your body’s crying out for:
Calcium
Include plenty of calcium-rich foods in your diet, like dairy products, leafy greens, tinned fish and fortified plant-based drinks.
Calcium is essential for maintaining bone health and preventing osteoporosis, a common concern for menopausal women.
Omega-3
Prioritise foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like oily fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts.
Omega-3s can help with inflammation, our mental health, our nervous system, our skin and our heart health during menopause.
Phytoestrogens
Add sources of phytoestrogens into your meals like tofu, miso, edamame beans, flaxseeds, lentils and chickpeas.
Phytoestrogens can mimic the effects of oestrogen in the body, helping to alleviate menopausal symptoms like hot flushes and night sweats.
Flaxseeds are a powerhouse food in menopause! Add them to oats, smoothies, soups, salads...these ones are a great option.
Protein
Protein is so important in midlife as it keeps our energy up and supports our muscle mass (which is in decline).
More muscle means you’ll burn more calories at rest. High quality sources are grass-fed and organic meat and poultry, eggs, fish, nuts and seeds.
Learn more about protein in my blog 'Protein Breakfast Ideas for Menopause'
Carbs
And we do need carbs! But what we need are the complex ones, not the refined ones.
Complex carbs are oats, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, broccoli, cauliflower, courgettes and onions.
Fibre
Fibre from fruit and vegetables - get it from green leafy vegetables that are packed full of fibre, vitamins and minerals.
Limit Sugars
You might be vigilant about your overall nutrition, but are you aware of the sneaky presence of hidden sugars?
Hidden sugars are essentially sugars that are added to foods during processing, often without being explicitly labelled as such.
These sugars can lurk in seemingly innocent products like yogurt, sauces and even bread.
Checking for hidden sugars is crucial because they can wreak havoc on your health in several ways.
They contribute to weight gain and can increase your risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
They can also lead to energy crashes and mood swings, disrupting your daily activities and overall well-being.
Hidden sugars can also exacerbate menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and mood swings, making it even more challenging to navigate.
By being vigilant about reading food labels and choosing whole, unprocessed foods whenever possible, you can avoid the pitfalls of hidden sugars and support your health during menopause.
Limit caffeine and alcohol
These can exacerbate hot flushes and no end of other symptoms like insomnia, anxiety, irritability and headaches.
Understanding and prioritising these essential nutrients in your menopause diet can make a significant difference in your overall well-being, symptom management and weight loss goals.
And if you're looking for a supplement to take alongside, have a look at my blog:
Secret 2. A Well-Organised Kitchen really is important for Eating Better in Menopause
It sounds simple, but this one shift makes a huge difference.
When your kitchen is chaotic, so are your food choices.
Take Sarah, one of my clients.
She’d come home late, stare into a messy fridge, and end up ordering takeaways.
She wanted to eat better—but the path of least resistance won every time.
Once we cleared out the clutter, stocked her staples, and batch-cooked a few key meals, everything changed. Healthy eating became easier, not harder.
Try this:
Ditch the hormone disruptors: Swap plastic containers and Teflon pans for glass and ceramic. Choose natural cleaning products.
Shop with a list: It keeps you focused and stops impulse buys.
Batch cook once a week: You’ll thank yourself on tired days.
Prep visible snacks: A fruit bowl or hummus and chopped veg beats a rummage for biscuits.
A little planning now makes it so much easier to eat well all week.
Secret 3: Emotional Eating is Real...but it's not Inevitable
It's easy to fall into the trap of emotional eating or mindless snacking, especially when you've not slept and your mood is all over the place.
Getting your blood sugar under control is vital.
If you do need to snack, try to have something like an apple and almonds, hummus and veg sticks or yogurt and fruit.
Identify your triggers. Take note of situations or emotions that trigger your cravings or emotional eating episodes.
Are you more likely to reach for unhealthy snacks when you're stressed or bored?
Understanding your triggers is the first step to regaining control over your eating habits.
Try to find other coping mechanisms. Instead of turning to food for comfort, explore other coping mechanisms to manage stress or negative emotions.
This could include deep breathing exercises, going for a walk, journaling, or a hobby you enjoy.
Secret 4: Quick Fixes Won't Work!
It’s tempting to go all in on the latest diet craze.
But ultra-low calorie diets backfire: they stress your body, mess with hormones, and aren't sustainable.
It’s so important for you to maintain a healthy weight and prioritise nutrition.
An ultra low calorie diet is not going to be sustainable in the long run, not to mention the side effects and lack of nutrients.
You might be interested in my blog post '5 Menopause Myths That Every Woman Needs to Know' too.
Here's what to do:
A small calorie deficit
Try using this calculator to work out your maintenance calories and then take off 15-20% to find your calorie target
Less snacking
By sticking to three balanced meals a day, you give your body ample time to properly digest food and to maintain that small calorie deficit as above.
An eating 'window'
Try to eat all your meals in a 12 hour 'window', moving up to 14 hours if you can (so if you eat at 8pm don't eat again until at least 8am the next day).
This can improve your metabolic rate and help with weight loss and overall health.
Smaller meals
Think about making every meal smaller but more nutrient-dense. Think more protein and fibre but keeping calories in check.
Prioritise reducing stress and improving sleep
Take a look at my blog 'How to Sleep in Menopause - in 5 Steps'
Strength training to maintain muscle
More muscle means more calories burnt at rest.
Understand this is not going to happen overnight.
It may be a cliché, but you must look at your diet in menopause as a marathon, not a sprint.
Playing the long game will be far more beneficial to your health and your long-term goals.
Secret 5: Declining Hormones are Largely Responsible for the weight around your middle
Is your mind blown by this one?
If you’ve suddenly found yourself carrying more weight around your tummy—it’s not a moral failing.
It’s biology.
As oestrogen declines, fat is redistributed from your hips and thighs to your waistline.
It’s a hormonal shift—not laziness or lack of discipline.
But you can work with your body:
Emphasise protein at every meal
Manage stress and cortisol levels
Sleep 7–9 hours a night
Strength train to build lean muscle
Avoid extreme dieting
You won’t lose the weight overnight. But with the right strategy, you’ll feel stronger, leaner, and more in control.
Download your Menopause Meal Plan + 30 Recipes!
Menopause nutrition doesn’t need to be complicated.
It’s about cutting through the noise and tuning into what your body really needs now.
So if you're tired of the confusion and ready to feel better—start here.
If you're serious about getting to grips with the best way forward, why not download my Menopause Meal Plan + 30 Recipes as the starting point for your menopause health journey?
And if something here clicked with you — or if you're trying one of these approaches already — I’d love to hear your experience. Drop a comment below!
You've got this. And you don’t have to do it alone.
DISCLAIMER: This page does not provide medical advice; it is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek professional medical advice on any of the topics covered on this page.
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