My second suggestion would be:
Tacos with:
Crispy corn tortilla (corn tortillas, both crispy and soft, have a lower glycemic index than flour tortillas, which will help keep blood sugar more stable)
Your choice of protein (carne asada, steak, carnitas, chicken, barbacoa)
Black or pinto beans (beans are great lower glycemic index sources of carbs as well as soluble fiber)
Fajita veggies
Romaine lettuce
Toppings of your choice, including guacamole (a great source of healthy fat!), any of their salsa options, cheese (if you and dairy get along), sour cream (again if you and dairy get along)
PCOS-friendly options from Panera
Panera has three great salad options that include protein, lots of veggies, and healthy fats:
Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken with apple or seasonal fruit cup side
Greek Salad with chicken added, and with an apple or seasonal fruit cup side
Southwest Caesar Salad with Chicken with apple or seasonal fruit cup side
I’d skip the sandwiches at Panera because all of their bread options are high glycemic load options.
Their warm bowls are preferable to the sandwiches because they use a blend of brown rice and quinoa. Quinoa is a great PCOS-friendly carb source, but brown rice has a high glycemic load and can derail blood sugar. If you opt for a bowl, you might consider just not eating some of the rice/quinoa mix to lessen the total glycemic load of the meal. Of the bowl options, the Mediterranean Bowl with Chicken would be my pick because it’s got a good protein source, veggies, and healthy fats.
PCOS-Friendly options from chick-fil-A
I’ll admit that I didn’t really think Chick-fil-a would have anything PCOS-friendly, but they do!
My top picks include:
Grilled chicken nuggets with zesty buffalo sauce or garden herb ranch sauce (their lowest sugar sauce options) and paired with the kale crunch side.
Market salad with grilled fillet - I’d skip the harvest nut granola and sub in avocado lime ranch dressing, creamy salsa dressing, garden herb ranch dressing, or light Italian dressing for the zesty apple cider dressing to lower the sugar content.
PCOS-Friendly Options from subway
Subway salads used to be a quick go-to travel option, and now they’ve upped their game to add No Bready Bowls to their menu!
My top options are:
pcos-Friendly Options from burgerFi
Most burger places, as you’ll read below, are not super PCOS-friendly. They have limited menus that include burgers and fries, neither of which are so great for PCOS. BurgerFi has burger bowls, including a cheeseburger bowl, so you can enjoy a cheeseburger-esque meal without the bun and without having to feel like a weirdo ordering a burger with a lettuce wrap or without a bun (not that you should feel like a weirdo, but… sometimes I feel that way!).
pcos-friendly options from in-and-Out/Five guys/etc.
Burger places are a little tricky. Some have gluten-free buns, and I definitely enjoy a burger on a gluten-free bun on occasion.
However… as a frequent meal option, gluten-free buns are really no better than wheat buns in terms of blood sugar.
If you’re headed to a burger place, I’d check to see if they have a lettuce wrap option (In-and-Out and Shake Shack do!). That’s going to be your best bet. If they don’t, I’d just be prepared to eat it with a fork and knife and toss the bun. I’d recommend adding as many veggies toppings as they’ve got, cheese if you eat dairy, and maybe even splurging for a slice of bacon on top.
For sides, if French fries are your only option (and they often are!), I’d suggest skipping a side unless it’s a special treat. If they offer a side salad option, you can pile your burger and toppings on the side salad and make a burger salad out of it.