24 Cycle-Safe Date Night Dinners That Your Man Will Love Too

There are lots of “healthy” types of food that women might like and really enjoy (especially when it comes to food substitutions and healthier versions of a calorie-dense food), but men will often think it’s weird, call it bird food, maybe even outright say it’s disgusting and ask for the “normal” food with “regular” ingredients and no "weird” substitutions. Some men can immediately tell when something is vegan or gluten-free unless it’s made really well.

So, if you have a really yummy recipe that uses alternative ingredients, like honey instead of processed sugar or oat flour instead of wheat, it might be a good idea to not even tell your man what’s different about the recipe (unless he has his own intolerances or diet observations). Or, like in the case of pasta, you can easily make him regular noodles and make yours with zoodles or grain-free noodles. After all, what matters most is that it tastes delicious, right?

Recipe Tips

If you don’t have a personal favorite recipe for any of the meal ideas below, utilize Pinterest to find any and every recipe under the sun! With the following recipe ideas, there is plenty of room to tweak them according to preference. For example, if you or your man aren’t a fan of quinoa, simply swap it for brown rice or roasted potatoes. If you have an allergy to an ingredient, just omit it or switch it for a related food. Most recipes that aren’t listed as dairy-free or gluten-free can be made so. Experiment and have fun! And, of course, if you’re both not drinking wine, then swap it for sparkling cider, Le Croix, or your favorite mocktail.

If you haven’t heard the term EVOO before, it means extra virgin olive oil, which is a healthy and natural fat as well as one of the best oils you can use for cooking and eating. Coconut oil and avocado oil (which has a more neutral taste than coconut) are also healthy options for cooking. For butter options, definitely opt for grass-fed butter.

You can always add in leftover veggies, or, if you’re planning on using certain veggies for the dinner, make your prep easier and quicker by chopping up the veggies earlier and storing them in a glass container. Check your recipes and make a list of ingredients to get before shopping. If you want to keep things simple or if you don’t feel like making everything from scratch, hop over to Whole Foods, Sprouts, or Trader Joe’s for foods like hummus, coconut whipped cream, sorbet, etc. Dishes like crock pot dinners and pot roasts are super easy and just need to be prepped ahead of time to slow-cook. Tip: every savory/sautéed dish tastes better with diced onions and minced garlic! Spices and seasonings do wonders to help flavors, so use them generously.

Date Night Prep

Unless you both want a cozy PJs type of night in, a date night dinner would be even cuter if you wear a nice outfit, do your makeup and hair, and show some effort for your time together. Especially if you’re dating and your boyfriend often takes you out to dinner and pays for you, then looking nice and cooking for/with him can be a sweet way to show some pampering in return. Even married couples who’ve been together for years could always use a reminder to continue to “date each other” and make intentional time special! 

To give your meals a fancy lift, sprinkle freshly ground pepper or an herb for a pretty garnish. Arrange some flowers, light some candles, and break out the nice table settings to set up your ambiance! If you really want to go the extra mile, put out some little appetizers, press play on a romantic Spotify playlist, and pour each of you a glass of wine to enjoy while you cook.

Now let's get into the meals and recipes for each phase of your cycle!

Menstrual

You need a good amount of iron-rich proteins with water-rich fruits and veggies to help your body stay hydrated during your menstrual phase. While you’re feeling low-energy and maybe more cozy than flirty, this might be a good night for those comfy PJs with a movie and dessert (where those brownies at?). Here are some recipe ideas: 

• Shrimp risotto and scallops seared in lemon butter with fresh garlic. Serve watermelon salad with feta on the side. Bake some healthy lemon bars for dessert (maybe find a recipe that uses collagen powder, honey, and lots of egg yolks).

• Crab cakes or crab legs with veggie patties, served with guacamole, roasted sweet potato fries, veggie cakes, and kale salad. Dark chocolate brownies with avocado cacao frosting for dessert.

• Lamb or beef pot roast served with buttered brown rice or mashed potatoes, or paleo sweet potato chili. Banana pudding for dessert.

• Grilled steak with garlic-butter mashed potatoes and/or pureed cauliflower, sautéed broccoli, and steamed beets. Paleo berry cobbler or crisp for dessert.

• Poke bowls with salmon, crab, or lobster and avocado, mango, cucumber, shredded carrots, and ginger. Or have fun making homemade sushi rolls! Fruit plate and homemade coconut ice cream for dessert.

• Kebabs with lamb meatballs, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, and cherry tomatoes served with saffron rice or couscous. Homemade chocolate avocado truffles or peanut butter truffles for dessert.

Follicular

The follicular phase needs a good portion of healthy fats and lighter proteins. Preferred carbohydrates are lower in calories and low on the glycemic index due to a slower metabolic rate.

• Savory rotisserie chicken and roasted potatoes (baby golden or sweet potatoes) and honeyed Brussels sprouts and/or roasted carrot sticks. Fruit parfaits with blackberries, kiwi, clementine slices, granola, and yogurt or coconut whipped cream for dessert.

• Indian chicken curry with a coconut-based sauce, a red lentil or butternut squash soup, buttered saffron rice, and steamed broccoli. Mango sorbet for dessert.

• Mediterranean baked cod with crab cakes, served with buttered brown rice or quinoa, sautéed cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and green beans, or a salad with romaine lettuce, spinach, goat cheese, pomegranate seeds, praline pecans, and Italian dressing. Citrus olive oil cake for dessert.

• Hearty turkey or chicken pot pie, mixed greens salad, and gluten-free cornbread with honey/grass-fed butter. You can mix in ½ -1 cup of shredded pepper jack cheese to your favorite cornbread recipe, pour it into a cast iron pan, spread raw honey on top before baking, and then add butter on top after baked. Sweet potato crisp with whipped cream or peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream for dessert.

• Mexican beef and/or chicken fajitas with bell peppers, pineapple, onion, and garlic with cilantro-lime rice and guacamole with plantain chips. Banana splits with coconut milk ice cream/whipped cream and sliced almonds for dessert.

• Spaghetti Bolognese with grass-fed ground beef sautéed with onions, diced carrots and mushrooms, tomato pasta sauce, Italian seasoning, and noodles or gnocchi. Served with sautéed green beans and roasted cauliflower. Lemon or raspberry sorbet topped with pomegranate seeds for dessert.

Ovulatory

Hello, sunshine! Ovulation needs plenty of vitamin B-rich foods with complex carbs, light protein, and healthy fats. Here are some ideas to play with! 

• Charcuterie-style prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe chunks or bacon-wrapped dates. Spinach salad with dried figs, goat cheese, and pomegranate seeds with grilled salmon or chicken. Dark chocolate pistachio truffles or homemade dark chocolate-covered strawberries for dessert.

• Savory lamb lollipops, garlic-butter mashed potatoes or baked sweet potatoes, and apple walnut salad. Raspberry peach sorbet for dessert.

• Tropical ahi tuna tacos or grilled halibut with mango salsa, cilantro-lime buttered rice, guacamole, and homemade pina coladas or virgin pina colada smoothie. 

• Seared steak with garlic and basil, sautéed green beans, buttered brown rice, and butternut squash soup. Paleo brownies and ice cream for dessert. 

• Gluten-free biscuits with beef and vegetable stew (crock pot-friendly). Or use ground beef and mashed potatoes and bake into a shepherd’s pie! Healthy apple crisp for dessert.

Luteal

Keep calm, hormones! Slow-digesting, complex carbs and high fat foods are needed to help balance fluctuating moods along with good protein to stabilize blood sugar and a spiked metabolism. 

• Roast chicken or grilled steak, steamed beets with grass-fed butter, quinoa muffins, and raw honey. Peach crisp or paleo apple cake for dessert. 

• Honey-glazed salmon and homemade pineapple coconut shrimp with veggie fried rice. Mango pudding for dessert.

• Chicken strips sautéed with sliced zucchini, diced onions, and carrots, moistened with bone broth, seasoned with salt, cinnamon, and ginger, mixed with roasted sweet potato chunks, and served on buttered spaghetti squash. Paleo pumpkin pie cups with coconut whipped cream for dessert. 

• Baked cod or salmon with lemon and dill, quinoa or roasted sweet potato, garlic hummus or roasted red pepper hummus sprinkled with walnuts, focaccia and EVOO mixed with Italian herbs and black pepper. Raspberry sorbet with pomegranate seeds for dessert.

• Chicken alfredo pasta or zoodles, pesto chicken, sourdough garlic bread or rolls, and white wine. Lemon bars for dessert.

• Spaghetti and paleo beef meatballs, marinara sauce with sautéed onions, mushrooms, and garlic, sourdough garlic bread or rolls, sautéed spinach and red wine. Berry sorbet or coconut-based vanilla ice cream with amaretto cookies for dessert.

• Chicken lettuce wraps with paleo Pad Thai or Mongolian beef stir-fry. Coconut-based mochi for dessert.

Closing Thoughts

Queue up a playlist of romantic dinner music, break out the tasting spoons, and let the romantic vibes begin! If you want more information about eating according to your cycle, check out the tips and recipes on the feminine fitness app 28.

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