Main Dishes for Preventing Menstrual Cramps (Recipes)

Are you on a quest for healthy recipes that can help prevent painful periods and menstrual cramps? Look below for inspiration! In this section, you'll find an array of recipes for main dishes that are naturally rich in anti-cramping nutrients such as vitamin B6, vitamin B3, zinc, calcium, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids. But before you get started on these recipes, make sure you have perused the section Diet for Menstrual Cramps and the page Foods for Menstrual Cramps which focus on delivering more general information about menstrual cramps and nutrition.

Super-Nutritious Broccoli Salad with Apples and Cranberries

This highly nutritious anti-cramping salad features ingredients that deliver a good wallop of nutrients that help fight menstrual cramps, including vitamin B6, vitamin B3, calcium, zinc, and magnesium. Thanks to the broccoli, it also contains some omega-3 fatty acids.

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Romaine and Smoked Salmon Salad

Salmon is brimming with vitamin B3. One study found that vitamin B3 was effective at reducing menstrual cramps in nearly 90% of symptomatic women. Salmon also contains plenty of vitamin B6 which plays a key role in the synthesis of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is thought to promote physical and emotional well-being and reduce pain. Also the carrots featured in this salad are rich in both vitamin B3 and vitamin B6.

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Upgrade Your Salad-Making Tools!

Toss out that old plastic bottle and invest in an elegant salad dressing shaker made of high-quality glass! Don't know which one to pick? Try Trudeau's wonderfully-designed vinaigrette mixing bottle – it has a large spout opening, dripless design, and three mouthwatering recipes printed on it for easy reference.

See it on Amazon.com

Do you live in the UK? Typhoon manufactures a similar glass shaker which is available from Amazon.co.uk.

Ginger and Cucumber Salad

In traditional Chinese medicine, ginger has been popularly used as a remedy for menstrual cramps, and a large body of anecdotal evidence from around the world validates the use of ginger as an anti-cramping remedy.

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Iced Watercress and Mint Soup

This light, peppery soup with a smooth creamy texture is rich in pyridoxine, a vitamin that helps ease menstrual cramps. Thanks to the yoghurt, this dish also provides plenty of calcium and zinc, both of which are thought to alleviate menstrual cramps.

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Barley Soup with Carrots and Parsley

Rich in vitamin B3 and vitamin B6, carrots are a great weapon in your anti-cramp arsenal. Also the yoghurt contained in this soup is helpful as it is loaded with calcium and zinc, both of which may help alleviate menstrual cramps.

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Broccoli and Barley Soup

Broccoli, the key ingredient in this soup, packs a slew of nutrients that help alleviate and prevent menstrual cramps, including magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin B3, calcium, zinc, and vitamin E.

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Scandinavian Spinach Soup with Boiled Eggs

Listen to Popeye and eat your spinach! The nutritional profile of spinach makes it an excellent health food and an important vegetable for women who suffer from painful menses. It provides an ample supply of many nutrients that have been shown to fight menstrual cramps, including vitamin E, vitamin B6, and magnesium.

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Nourishing Nettle Soup

While low in calories, nettle is supercharged with nutrients that help alleviate pain associated with menstruation. Also yoghurt, which is used to garnish this intriguing jade-green soup, is helpful as it is loaded with calcium and zinc.

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Chicken and Apple Salad

This anti-cramping salad recipe pairs meaty chicken with crunchy apples and luscious grapes to create a wonderful culinary sensation. But the benefits of this salad are not limited to culinary sensations; it can also provide health benefits for women. Chicken is rich in vitamin B6 and zinc, both of which can help thwart menstrual cramps, while apples provide antioxidant protection.

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Steamed Asparagus with Sesame Seeds

Turbo-charge your diet by eating asparagus, a highly nutritious vegetable that is a popular remedy for menstrual cramping in India. The sesame seeds featured in this mouth-watering dish deliver an abundance of anti-cramping nutrients, including vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium.

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Apple and Carrot Salad with Goji Berries

Apples, carrots and goji berries are jam-packed with nutrients. Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin B3 and vitamin B6, two important weapons in your anti-cramp arsenal, while goji berries are loaded with magnesium, a key mineral for preventing menstrual pain. Also the ginger featured in this recipe can bring relief: In traditional Chinese medicine, this powerful root plant has long been used as a remedy for menstrual cramps, and a large body of anecdotal evidence from around the world validates the use of ginger as an anti-cramping remedy.

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Risotto with Crimini Mushrooms and Arugula

Here's a simple recipe for making risotto that's full of nutrients and flavor. Thanks to the crimini mushrooms and brown rice, this dish is zinc and vitamin B6.

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Anti-Inflammatory Salmon Salad

Salmon is brimming with vitamin B3. One study found that vitamin B3 was effective at reducing menstrual cramps in nearly 90% of symptomatic women. However, the exact mechanisms by which niacin alleviates menstrual pain have not been proven. In addition, this salad is rich in vitamin B6 which can reduce pain.

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Carrot and Avocado Salad

Avocados are supercharged with vitamin E which has been shown to treat primary dysmenorrhea. An adequate intake of vitamin E a few days prior to the onset of and during menstrual bleeding has been shown to both reduce menstrual pain and to limit the amount of blood lost during menses. These positive effects associated with a significant intake of vitamin E are thought to result from the ability of vitamin E to inhibit prostaglandin synthesis.

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Arugula, Avocado and Tomato Salad

Avocados are loaded with vitamin E which has been shown to be effective for treating primary dysmenorrhea. A substantial intake of vitamin E a few days prior to the onset of and during menstruation been shown to significantly reduce menstrual pain as well as to limit the amount of blood lost during menstruation. The potential of vitamin E to alleviate menstrual problems is believed to result from its ability to inhibit prostaglandin synthesis.

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Wholewheat Pasta with Nettle Pesto

This pasta dish featuring young nettle won't sting your mouth; it will only do your body good. Young, blanched nettle leaves are completely edible, and they are crammed with nutrients that help alleviate pain associated with menstruation. What's more, the whole wheat pasta this recipe calls for provides a healthy, lower glycemic alternative to the traditional white pasta.

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Stir-Fried Asparagus with Quinoa Noodles

Not only is this asparagus dish downright delicious, it also makes an excellent meal for alleviating menstrual pain. In India, asparagus is commonly used to reduce menstrual cramping. The ginger featured in this is analgesic in nature and can further reduce pain caused by menstruation.

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For more recipes that help prevent and control menstrual cramps, please visit the main recipe directory of HealWithFood.org's Guide to Fighting Menstrual Cramps.