Complete Menopause Nutrition Course

What you will be able to do

• explain the stages of menopause and what food can and cannot do to support your health.
• build balanced meals that follow New Zealand's Eating and Activity Guidelines with extra attention to protein, fibre and calcium.
• check your daily calcium intake against the Nutrient Reference Values for women (about 1,000 to 1,300 mg a day) and know when to ask your GP about vitamin D.
• make heart-healthy swaps for saturated fat and salt, and keep alcohol within New Zealand's low-risk drinking advice.
• manage weight and energy in a steady, realistic way, and know when to see your GP first.
• use a symptom and food diary to spot your own possible triggers for hot flushes and poor sleep.
• read New Zealand food labels quickly (the nutrition information panel and Health Star Rating) and judge claims made for menopause supplements.
• prepare for a GP appointment and follow a 90-day plan of small, lasting changes.

1. 1Menopause and food: what changes and what food can do

   Understand the stages of menopause, the changes in your body that affect what you eat, and the honest truth about what food can and cannot do.

   • Perimenopause, menopause and after: the basics
   • What food can and cannot do
   • Getting to know your own patterns

   Symptom and food diary

2. 2Your menopause plate

   Use New Zealand's Eating and Activity Guidelines as your base, then give extra attention to fibre, wholegrains and protein to support energy, fullness and muscle in midlife.

   • Building your menopause plate
   • Fibre and wholegrains
   • Protein at every meal

   Menopause plate guide

3. 3Bones: calcium, vitamin D and movement

   Learn why bones need more care after menopause and how calcium, vitamin D and weight-bearing activity work together.

   • Why bone health matters after menopause
   • Calcium: 1,000 to 1,300 mg a day from food
   • Vitamin D and weight-bearing activity

   Calcium and vitamin D intake checker

4. 4Looking after your heart

   Understand why heart health needs more attention after menopause and the everyday food and drink choices that support it.

   • Why heart health matters more after menopause
   • Fats, salt and fibre for a healthy heart
   • Alcohol, caffeine and your heart

   Label cheat sheetSymptom and food diary

5. 5Weight, appetite and energy in midlife

   Understand why weight and body shape can change around menopause, and how to manage weight and energy in a steady, realistic way.

   • Why weight and body shape can change
   • Gentle weight management that lasts
   • Steadier energy through the day

   Menopause plate guideSymptom and food diary

6. 6Symptoms and everyday eating

   Explore how food, drinks and habits relate to hot flushes, sleep, mood and brain fog, and what the evidence says about supplements and plant oestrogens.

   • Hot flushes and possible triggers
   • Sleep, mood and brain fog: food and drink habits
   • Plant oestrogens, soya and menopause supplements

   Symptom and food diary

7. 7Shopping, labels and supplements

   Shop with confidence, read labels in seconds and understand what New Zealand guidance says about supplements in midlife.

   • Shopping for menopause-friendly meals
   • Reading food labels quickly
   • Supplements: what New Zealand guidance actually says

   Menopause-friendly shopping listLabel cheat sheet

8. 8Planning your week

   Turn what you have learned into a realistic week of meals, with batch cooking, eating at work and eating out covered.

   • Your 7-day menopause meal plan
   • Batch cooking and eating at work
   • Eating out and social occasions

   7-day menopause meal plannerMenopause-friendly shopping list

9. 9Your GP conversation and your 90-day plan

   Prepare for a useful GP appointment about menopause, know the warning signs that need checking, and build a 90-day plan you can stick to.

   • Preparing for your GP appointment
   • Warning signs to get checked
   • Your 90-day plan and keeping going

   GP appointment prep sheet90-day menopause nutrition planCalcium and vitamin D intake checker

• TrackerSymptom and food diaryLog your symptoms, sleep, meals and drinks each day for four weeks so you can spot your own patterns and take clear notes to your GP.
• BuilderMenopause plate guideBuild a balanced meal that follows New Zealand's Eating and Activity Guidelines and covers the extra things that matter in midlife: protein, calcium, fibre and healthy fats.
• Planner7-day menopause meal plannerPlan a week of simple, balanced meals with protein at each meal, calcium foods every day and oily fish once a week.
• ListMenopause-friendly shopping listA ready-made list of everyday, affordable foods that make balanced midlife meals easy. Tick what you need and add your own.
• CardsLabel cheat sheetPocket cards that help you read New Zealand food labels quickly in the supermarket, so you can choose foods that support your heart, bones and energy.
• CalculatorCalcium and vitamin D intake checkerAdd up the calcium in what you ate and drank today and compare it with the 1,000 to 1,300 mg a day women need, then check your vitamin D habits.
• TemplateGP appointment prep sheetPull together your symptoms, diary patterns and questions on one page so you can make the most of a short GP appointment about menopause.
• Planner90-day menopause nutrition planTurn the course into 13 weeks of small, steady changes, one food focus and one movement focus at a time, with a weekly check-in.