Menopause Friendly

Menopause changes plenty of things — and while food can't solve everything, it's still one of the most useful tools in the toolbox.

For Forkin Cooking, Menopause Friendly means focusing on nutrient-dense foods that earn their place on the plate.

Protein foods, vegetables, fruit, dairy, legumes, nuts and seeds all have something useful to contribute.

What earns the Menopause Friendly badge on this site — built around the shifts that hit hardest in peri and post: muscle loss, slower gut, bone thinning, dropping iron stores, and energy that turns into belly fat faster than it used to. Every serve must hit ALL of the below:

Protein ≥ 20g — protects muscle and bone as oestrogen drops. Eggs, chicken thigh, salmon, prawns, Greek yoghurt, tinned fish, mince, tofu.

Fibre ≥ 5g — keeps a slower gut moving and helps mop up circulating oestrogen on the way out. Oats, beans, lentils, berries, leafy greens, roast veg.

A clear calcium source — bones are losing density quietly; every plate should put some back. Yoghurt, cheese, tinned sardines or salmon with bones, tofu, kale, broccoli, almonds, tahini, fortified milks.

A clear iron source — periods can get heavier before they stop, and stores run low. Red meat, oily fish, eggs, lentils, beans, dark leafy greens, fortified oats, pumpkin seeds.

A clear healthy-fat source — supports hormones, brain and joints, and keeps meals satisfying. Extra virgin olive oil, avocado, oily fish, nuts, seeds, tahini.

At least one nutrient-dense whole food — leafy greens, cruciferous veg, berries, oily fish, eggs, legumes, whole grains, nuts or seeds. No beige plates.

Not high in added sugar — under 10g added sugar per serve, or no added sweetener in the ingredient list at all. Sugar spikes hit harder on this side of forty.

Miss any one of those and the badge does not show. No partial credit.

Don't get distracted by products targeting menopause.

Good food was doing the job long before the marketing department arrived.

Every generation discovers the same truth.

Your mum was probably right about eating your vegetables.