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How hormonal health is transforming the F&B space

Meal kit developer Green Chef has launched its first-ever female-focused recipe box, designed to help manage symptoms and reduce the burden of hormonal health issues across all life stages.

With the menopause market expected to be worth $24.4 billion (€20.8 billion) by 2030, food and beverage (F&B) manufacturers are seeking to tap into consumer calls for nutrition and recipes that support hormonal health.

Green Chef entered the market earlier this month with its first recipe box catering to female health. The dishes are designed to provide tailored nutrient-rich meals for every stage of hormonal health, including premenstrual syndrome (PMS), perimenopause, menopause, and other hormone-related conditions.

“Women can spend around 3,500 days of their life menstruating, but the impact it has on energy, mood, productivity, and wellbeing is still too often ignored,” registered nutritionist Lily Keeling, senior recipe development manager at Green Chef, told Ingredients Network.

Championing a holistic approach to hormone health

The UK brand wanted to create nutritionally balanced meals that support hormonal shifts while also saving time, energy, and mental bandwidth.

In a Green Chef survey of 2,000 UK women aged between 16 and 60 years, nine in 10 (90%) respondents said their menstrual or menopausal symptoms affect daily life. Respondents cited fatigue, mood changes, and disrupted diets as their main challenges.

Almost three-quarters (72%) of menopausal women taking part in the survey said they wanted more education around nutrition.

Designed to appeal to consumers’ demands for convenience, the meal kits are aimed to provide functional nutrition in easily accessible, prepared formats that remove menu planning from the eating experience, with tailored recipes designed to support women to feel fuelled, balanced, and in control of their hormone health.

“The last thing women need when managing symptoms is to worry about what’s for dinner and if they’re eating the right things,” Keeling added.

Honing formulations for hormonal health

Hormonal health is increasingly influencing recipe developments and finished products in the F&B space.

“Hormone creation and normal hormone fluctuation are supported with controlled blood sugars, healthy fats for hormone production, and a diverse gut microbiome,” said Keeling.

Traditionally, developments in managing hormonal health within F&B have focused on supplements, while food product developments have remained limited. However, increasingly, this is expanding to functional snack and beverage products.

Brands with recent female-led food launches include HI Foods, which has designed a selection of pantry products that strive to support female bodies across all stages of hormone health, including postnatal, perimenopause, and post-menopause. Built on the close relationship between food and hormone health, the products use whole-food ingredients, and are free from additives and emulsifiers.

Mena, hailed as a menopause-friendly food brand, launched on the market in November 2023. With its range of on-the-go snack bars and at-home breakfast cereals and breads, Mena aims to offer natural food alternatives to traditional counterparts to help alleviate menopausal symptoms by incorporating ingredients containing oestrogens and phytoestrogens into its product collection.

Incorporating ingredients to support hormones

Slow energy-release carbs, omega-3s, unsaturated fats, fibre, and fermented foods are among the leading ingredients that support the gut-hormone link. Fish and plant-based foods are sources of omega-3s and unsaturated fats, which prompt hormone production.

Ingredients that support gut health, in turn, are beneficial for hormonal health. Prebiotic fibres, such as beans, pulses, and vegetables, as well as fermented foods like kimchi and kefir, are examples of foodstuffs that have links to improved gut health.

Wholegrains and a diet based on lots of fruit and vegetables also contribute to a general healthy diet, which supports hormones.

“There is also some emerging evidence about phytoestrogens present in soy-based foods such as tofu, tempeh, and edamame that may help with hormone-related menopause symptoms too,” said Keeling.