Recipe 4: Grilled Chicken & Veggie Kabobs

Lifestyle |
4 min read

Written By

Mallory Junggren

Published

July 30, 2025

Medically reviewed by

Alyssa Dweck MS, MD, FACOG, MSCP, Chief Medical Officer

Summertime is the perfect time to incorporate some delicious grilled menu options into your routine.

One dish that’s just as delicious as it is beneficial?

Grilled chicken kabobs loaded with colorful veggies like peppers, zucchini, and onions.

There are several reasons why this menu item is a great choice for supporting your health and wellness during menopause. Not only is it rich in protein, which is important for maintaining and supporting muscle health, but it also contains a myriad of veggies that may help to cull certain menopause symptoms.

So how exactly can this recipe help?

Chicken Provides Lean Protein for Muscle & Mood Support

Grilled chicken is a fantastic source of lean protein, which is especially important during menopause, as many women tend to lose muscle mass due to a normal condition of aging called sarcopenia.¹ Additionally, estrogen decline can accelerate muscle loss, and protein is a key nutrient to maintaining strength, supporting metabolism, and stabilizing blood sugar^2,3—something that may help to reduce fatigue and irritability, which can accompany perimenopause and menopause. Bonus: amino acids that are found in protein can also potentially help to synthesize neurotransmitters like serotonin, which theoretically supports improved mood stability.⁴

Certain Veggies Provide an Antioxidant Boost

Colorful red and yellow bell peppers, zucchini and onions aren’t just pretty on a skewer—they’re loaded with supportive antioxidants like vitamin C and quercetin, that can help to combat inflammation,⁵ which has been known to contribute to joint discomfort during menopause.⁶ Zucchini provides the benefits from having high water content and being a viable source of fiber; both helpful for digestion and bloating⁷—which can be impacted during this transitional time.

Keeping Blood Sugar in Check

Balancing blood sugar is a big deal during menopause because women can be more at risk for developing conditions, like diabetes.⁸ Spikes and crashes of one’s blood sugar may also potentially exacerbate already present symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and cravings.⁹ Meals that contain nutrient dense ingredients, like grilled chicken and fresh veggies, especially when paired with complex carbs, can help keep blood sugar steady thanks to the combination of protein, fiber, and slow-digesting carbohydrates.¹⁰

Give it a Try!

These easy grilled chicken kabobs are easy to prep, cook quickly, and provide a great variety of nutrients. We hope you give this recipe a try and let us know what you think in the comments below!

Ingredients

1lb of boneless skinless Chicken Thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup of Olive Oil
1/3 cup of Soy sauce
1/4 cup of Honey
1 tsp minced Garlic
1 Red Bell Pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Yellow Bell Pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
2 small Zucchinis cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Red Onion cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tbs chopped Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Whisk Olive Oil, Soy Sauce, Honey, Garlic and Salt & Pepper in a bowl
Add diced Chicken, Bell Peppers, Zucchini and Red Onion to the bowl. Toss until all ingredients are coated.
Cover and place in the refrigerator for 1-8 hours.
If you use Wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before skewering the Chicken and veggies. Pre heat the grill while the skewers are soaking.
Skewer a Zucchini first followed by a Bell Pepper, then Chicken, Red Onion and Bell Pepper and repeat until the skewer is full. Repeat this on each skewer until Chicken and veggies are gone.
Place each skewer on the grill and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side until Chicken is cooked through. (Place skewers over non heat on the grill and close the lid for 5 minutes if needed to cook the Chicken)

Additional Cooking Options:

Broiler method: preheat the broiler, grease a sheet pan with cooking spray. Place the skewers in a single layer on the sheet pan. Cook for 5 minutes then flip the skewers and continue cooking for 5 minutes.

For a quick instructional video on how to put this recipe together, check out the below clip:

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