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 Canada's Food Guide with extra attention to protein, fibre and calcium.
• check your daily calcium intake against Canadian advice (1,000 to 1,200 mg a day) and follow Health Canada's vitamin D advice.
• make heart-healthy swaps for saturated fat and salt, and use Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Health.
• manage weight and energy in a steady, realistic way, and know when to see your family doctor first.
• use a symptom and food diary to spot your own possible triggers for hot flashes and poor sleep.
• read the Nutrition Facts table and the "High in" symbol quickly and judge claims made for menopause supplements.
• prepare for a doctor's 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 Canada's Food Guide as your base, then give extra attention to fibre, whole grains and protein to support energy, fullness and muscle in midlife.

   • Building your menopause plate
   • Fibre and whole grains
   • 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 1,200 mg a day, mostly 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 flashes, sleep, mood and brain fog, and what the evidence says about supplements and plant estrogens.

   • Hot flashes and possible triggers
   • Sleep, mood and brain fog: food and drink habits
   • Plant estrogens, soy and menopause supplements

   Symptom and food diary

7. 7Shopping, labels and supplements

   Shop with confidence, read labels in seconds and understand which supplements Canadian guidance actually recommends in midlife.

   • Shopping for menopause-friendly meals
   • Reading food labels quickly
   • Supplements: what Canadian 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 family doctor conversation and your 90-day plan

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

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

   Doctor's 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 family doctor.
• BuilderMenopause plate guideBuild a balanced meal that follows Canada's Food Guide 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 fish such as salmon or trout once or twice 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 Canadian food labels quickly in the grocery store, 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 1,200 mg a day women need, then check your vitamin D habit.
• TemplateDoctor's appointment prep sheetPull together your symptoms, diary patterns and questions on one page so you can make the most of a short doctor's 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.