What to eat (and avoid) during menopause: tips from a nutritionist

A balanced diet can help you manage some menopause symptoms and protect your long-term health. Eating plenty of oily fish, soya, pulses, wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, with enough calcium and vitamin D, supports your bones, heart, mood and weight. Cutting down on alcohol, caffeine and spicy food can help with hot flushes. Diet won’t stop menopause symptoms on its own, but it can make a real difference alongside other treatments. Here’s what the evidence says, and how to put it into practice.

Quick facts

• No single “menopause diet” works for everyone, but a Mediterranean-style diet is a good place to start.
• Calcium and vitamin D are essential for protecting your bones after menopause.
• Oily fish, nuts, seeds and fibre-rich foods support your heart health.
• Soya foods may slightly reduce hot flushes for some people.
• Alcohol, caffeine and spicy food can trigger hot flushes.
• Diet works best alongside regular exercise, especially strength training.

Want a diet plan that fits your symptoms and lifestyle? A Nutrition Consultation with a Hertility Registered Nutritionist can build a personalised plan to support you through menopause.

How can diet help with menopause symptoms?

Diet can help in three main ways:

1. It can ease some symptoms. Cutting down on triggers such as alcohol, caffeine and spicy food may reduce hot flushes. Some foods, such as soya, may help a little too.
2. It protects your long-term health. Falling oestrogen increases your risk of osteoporosis and heart disease. Eating enough calcium, vitamin D, fibre and healthy fats helps protect your bones and heart.
3. It supports your weight, energy and mood. Hormone changes affect where your body stores fat and can make it harder to manage your weight. Regular, balanced meals help keep your energy steady and support your overall wellbeing.

Diet isn’t a replacement for medical treatment. If your symptoms are affecting your daily life, treatments such as HRT can help. Read more about menopause symptoms and treatments.

What should you eat during menopause? 8 ways food can help 

1. Follow a Mediterranean-style diet

A Mediterranean-style diet is a good foundation for menopause. It’s well researched for heart health, which matters more after menopause, when your risk of heart disease rises.

This way of eating is based on:

• vegetables, fruit, pulses, wholegrains, nuts and seeds
• fish, especially oily fish
• olive oil and other unsaturated fats
• smaller amounts of dairy, eggs and lean meat
• limited red and processed meat, and ultra-processed foods

It’s rich in fibre and healthy fats, and it supports a healthy weight. Some studies suggest it may also help with symptoms such as hot flushes and low mood, but the evidence for that is less clear.

2. Eat oily fish twice a week

Oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout, herring and anchovies, contains omega-3 fats, which support your heart health and help maintain normal cholesterol levels. This matters after menopause, when lower oestrogen means your risk of heart disease rises.

How much to eat. The NHS recommends at least two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily. A portion is about 140g. Most people can safely eat up to four portions of oily fish a week.

If you don’t eat fish. Plant foods such as walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseed (linseed), hemp seeds and rapeseed oil contain a type of omega-3 called ALA. Your body can only convert a small amount of ALA into the omega-3s found in fish, so if you don’t eat oily fish, you could consider an omega-3 supplement.

3. Get enough calcium and vitamin D for your bones

Oestrogen helps protect your bones. After menopause, bone density falls more quickly, which increases your risk of osteoporosis. Around half of women over 50 will break a bone, mainly because of osteoporosis. Bone loss is silent, so you may not notice it until you have a fracture.

Calcium. UK guidance recommends 700mg of calcium a day for adults. Aim for two to three portions of calcium-rich foods a day, such as:

• milk, yoghurt and cheese
• calcium-fortified plant milks and yoghurts
• tofu made with calcium (check the label)
• tinned fish with edible bones, such as sardines, pilchards and salmon
• white bread, which is fortified with calcium in the UK
• green leafy vegetables, such as kale and broccoli

If you have osteoporosis, your doctor may recommend more calcium, or a supplement.

Vitamin D. Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium. The NHS recommends a daily 10 microgram supplement, especially between October and March, when there isn’t enough sunlight in the UK to make enough. Oily fish, eggs and fortified foods also contain some vitamin D.

Exercise matters too. Weight-bearing and strength exercise, such as brisk walking, dancing and lifting weights, help keep your bones strong.

4. Include soya foods

Soya foods contain isoflavones. These plant compounds act like a much weaker form of oestrogen in the body.NICE guidance notes that isoflavones may help reduce hot flushes for some women, although the effect is modest and varies from person to person. There’s also some early evidence they may help with vaginal dryness.

How to include them. Try two to three portions a day of foods such as:

• soya milk and yoghurt
• tofu and tempeh
• edamame beans
• soya mince

Choose calcium-fortified soya products to support your bones too. Some processed soya foods contain fewer isoflavones.

A note on supplements. Eating soya as food is considered safe for most people. Isoflavone supplements are different: product quality varies, and NICE advises caution if you’ve had breast cancer. Speak to your doctor before taking them.

5. Eat more pulses, wholegrains and fibre

Lentils, chickpeas, beans, oats and wholegrains are rich in fibre and protein. They help keep your energy steady, support a healthy weight and look after your heart and gut.

Why it matters for weight. As oestrogen falls, your body tends to store more fat around your middle rather than your hips and thighs. Fat around your middle is linked with a higher risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Fibre-rich foods keep you fuller for longer, which can help you manage your weight. Strength training also helps reduce fat around your middle.

How much fibre. UK guidance recommends 30g of fibre a day, and most people eat much less. Simple ways to get more include:

• choosing wholegrain bread, pasta and rice
• adding pulses to soups, stews and salads
• leaving the skin on potatoes

6. Eat a wide variety of fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants, and they support your heart and gut health. Aim for at least five portions a day, and go for as much variety and colour as possible.

Mood and brain fog. Changing oestrogen levels can affect brain chemicals such as serotonin, which can contribute to low mood, anxiety and brain fog during menopause. Studies suggest that a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, is linked with better mental health. Your gut bacteria may also play a role in mood. Fibre-rich foods and fermented foods, such as live yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi, help support a healthy gut. We should be aiming for 30g a day of fibre a day to lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer.

7. Snack on nuts and seeds

Nuts and seeds provide protein, fibre, healthy fats and minerals such as magnesium and zinc. Eating a small handful (around 30g) of unsalted nuts a day is linked with lower cholesterol and a lower risk of heart disease.

Sleep. Poor sleep is a common menopause symptom, often caused by night sweats or anxiety, and it can affect your appetite and cravings. Some foods, such as nuts, seeds, oats, dairy, eggs and poultry, contain nutrients involved in sleep, such as magnesium and tryptophan. The evidence that eating them improves sleep is limited, but they’re a healthy part of your diet either way. Cutting down on caffeine later in the day is more likely to make a difference.

8. Don’t forget protein

As you get older, you naturally lose muscle, and this speeds up after menopause. Eating enough protein, alongside strength exercise, helps maintain your muscle and bone strength. Include a source of protein at each meal, such as fish, eggs, dairy, tofu, pulses, nuts or lean meat.

Nutrition for menopause symptoms

Nutrition and diet can play a big role in managing menopause symptoms. Eating a healthy diet can help to reduce hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and weight gain. 

Importantly, it can also reduce your risk of associated health conditions, like osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. These can result from low levels of oestrogen postmenopausal. 

As people progress through the stages of menopause, it’s common for body weight to fluctuate. There are several ways to manage the symptoms of menopause, including lifestyle changes and hormone replacement therapy.

What foods should you avoid during menopause?

No food is off limits, but cutting down on some can help with symptoms and your long-term health:

• Alcohol. It can trigger hot flushes and night sweats, disrupt your sleep and worsen low mood. Drinking above the UK low-risk guidelines (14 units a week) also increases your risk of breast cancer.
• Caffeine. It can trigger hot flushes and affect your sleep. Try to avoid it after midday.
• Spicy food. It’s a common trigger for hot flushes.
• Salt. Too much raises blood pressure, which increases your risk of heart disease. 
• Ultra-processed and sugary foods. These are often high in salt, sugar and saturated fat, and low in fibre, which can make it harder to manage your weight.

Everyone’s triggers are different, so it can help to keep a note of what seems to set off your hot flushes.

Everyone’s needs are different, so a Nutrition Consultation can help you build a plan that suits you.

Should you take supplements during menopause?

Most people can get what they need from a balanced diet. But some supplements are worth considering:

• Vitamin D. A daily 10 microgram supplement is recommended for everyone in the UK, especially in autumn and winter.
• Calcium. This is only needed if you can’t get enough from food, or your doctor advises it.
• Omega-3. An supplement may be worth considering if you don’t eat oily fish.

What about menopause supplements? Many supplements are marketed for menopause, such as black cohosh, red clover and evening primrose oil. There’s little good-quality evidence that they work, product quality varies, and some can interact with medicines. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before trying them.

Lifestyle tips that work alongside your diet

• Stay active. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as brisk walking or cycling. Add strength exercises on at least two days a week to protect your bones and muscles. Regular exercise can also help with mood and sleep.
• Look after your sleep. Keep your bedroom cool, and use layers of bedding you can easily take off. Try to go to bed and get up at similar times. You can also try to avoid caffeine after midday to help with your sleep.
• Manage stress. Stress can make symptoms feel worse. Yoga, mindfulness, time outdoors or talking to a counsellor can help.
• Stop smoking. Smoking can make hot flushes worse, and it increases your risk of osteoporosis and heart disease.
• Keep cool. Dress in layers, keep a fan nearby, and choose cold drinks rather than hot ones during a hot flush.

For more ideas, read our 8 ways to help with perimenopause symptoms.

Get personalised nutrition support with Hertility

Everyone’s menopause is different, and so is the right diet. A Nutrition Consultation with a Hertility Registered Nutritionist gives you a personalised plan to support your symptoms, weight, bones and heart health, whether you’re in perimenopause or menopause.

If your symptoms are affecting your daily life, a Menopause Consultation gives you time with a menopause specialist to talk through treatment options, including HRT.

Not sure where to start? Take the Online Health Assessment and we’ll build a personalised plan around your symptoms and goals.