Health & Beauty
How are microplastics affecting you?
Women’s Institute leads new parliamentary group inquiry into the true scale of the microplastics problem.
12 January 2026
This article first appeared in our International Women’s Day 2026 issue of My Green Pod Magazine. Click here to subscribe to our digital edition and get each issue delivered straight to your inbox
Menopause is a significant life stage that deserves more visibility, understanding and support.
This International Women’s Day (08 March), we wanted to use food as a way to show up for anyone who is navigating perimenopause or menopause, and celebrate nourishment, balance and wellbeing through thoughtful, plant-based cooking.
While everyone’s experience of perimenopause and menopause is different, food can play an important role in supporting energy levels, digestion and overall health during this time.
The two recipes we’ve provided for this article focus on whole, nourishing ingredients such as legumes, mushrooms, tofu and fresh herbs – chosen for both their flavour and their function. To ensure they’re as supportive as they are delicious, both dishes have been selected and nutritionally analysed by our in-house nutritionist, Catrina Gell (ANutr).
Our spring-inspired Primavera Beans are light and fresh, combining fibre-rich legumes, leafy greens and nutritional yeast to help support energy, metabolism and brain function.
The Miso Mushroom & Silken Tofu Orzotto (opposite page) delivers comforting, creamy goodness, with plant-based protein, fibre and naturally occurring isoflavones from silken tofu – ingredients often included in menopause-supportive diets.
These recipes are about cooking with care, listening, learning and using food as one small but meaningful way to support the women in our lives.
Serves 4; 24g protein/serve
A creamy, comforting orzotto made with mushrooms, chickpeas and silken tofu. Silken tofu contains plant-based isoflavones, which are often included in menopause-supportive diets, alongside protein and fibre to help support sustained energy.
Ingredients
Before you start
Large frying pan or wide saucepan, blender, ladle, wooden spoon
Method
Prep the ingredients
Finely slice the leek, tear the mushrooms, finely chop the garlic, rinse and drain the chickpeas and finely slice the chives
Cook the base
Heat a drizzle of oil or plant-based butter in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and fry until golden. Remove from the pan.
Add another drizzle of oil, then add the leeks. Fry for 5-6 minutes until soft and slightly caramelised. Add the garlic and miso, then fry for another minute. Pour in the orzo and toast for 2 minutes.
Build the sauce
Add the tofu, chickpeas, stock, soy sauce and nooch to the pan. Stir well to combine and simmer for 10 minutes until the orzo is done, stirring constantly to avoid sticking. Add a splash more water to loosen if needed. Stir in half the mushrooms.
Finish and serve
Add the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. Spoon into bowls. Top with the reserved mushrooms, chives and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Serves 2
This fresh, spring-inspired bean dish includes ingredients such as nutritional yeast and legumes, which provide B vitamins to support energy, metabolism and brain function. A mix of greens and herbs adds fibre and antioxidants to support overall wellbeing during menopause.
Ingredients
For the beans
Serve with
Before you start
Large frying pan
Method
Prep ingredients
Finely slice the spring onions. Peel and finely slice the garlic. Half the lemon, juice one half and cut the remaining half into wedges. Trim the asparagus then cut into 1cm slices on the angle. Finely chop the dill and mint.
Cook beans
Heat the olive oil in the large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the spring onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute or two before adding the butter beans, including their liquid and 100ml water. Bring to a simmer and stir in the plant-based cream cheese until emulsified.
Finish beans
Stir in the asparagus (and frozen peas and broad beans if using) and simmer for 2-3 minutes until tender but still with bite. Remove from the heat, stir in the nooch and lemon juice. Taste and season with salt, pepper and more lemon juice if needed.
Serve
Top the beans with the snap peas, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of cracked black pepper. Serve with crusty buttered sourdough.
Women’s Institute leads new parliamentary group inquiry into the true scale of the microplastics problem.
Dr Scilla Elworthy looks at why women understand change, and the role they could play in the transition to a sustainable future.
Soil Association’s Helen Browning explores how diversity in farming can support solutions for climate, nature and health.
Two inspiring women from Yeo Valley Organic share advice for International Women’s Day.
