Maria Bez is a Registered Nutritional Therapist and Kinesiologist, mother of a trans son, and health professional. Helping trans people stay healthy or address certain physical or emotional symptoms through an MTF diet or an FTM diet and lifestyle is a topic very close to her heart.
Making healthy food choices can have physical benefits for anyone, including those on an MTF or FTM diet. If you buy locally grown fruits and vegetables, it doesn’t have to cost anything and can help you feel good, too.
Please note that we use terms like AMAB (assigned male at birth), MtF (male to female), and trans-female interchangeably to ensure understanding across all age groups, cultures, genders, and identities. For more information, see: glossary of terms.
The benefits of a proper FTM and MTF diet include:
- Achieve your ideal hormone balance
- Reducing body dysphoria
- Gives you a sense of control in life
- Addressing other health issues
- Improving the appearance and fit of garments
- Boost your mood, energy and self-esteem
- Helping sleep
- Reducing depression and anxiety
As a transgender person on an MTF or FTM diet, you will have varying nutritional needs depending on what hormones you are taking and your overall health. I have outlined some general tips and considerations below. These guidelines are not a substitute for advice from a medical practitioner.
Let’s start with the basics: Generally, our diets consist of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. The variety of these essential elements determines how healthy our overall diet is. Too much of one way or the other can lead to an unbalanced, unhealthy diet. My healthy eating plate chart outlines what proportions of fat, protein, etc. you need.
Finding the Right Nutritional Balance in Your MTF or FTM Diet
Protein
Protein is found in meat, fish, nuts, seeds, tofu, and eggs. There are no specific protein recommendations for transgender individuals. However, if you are a transgender man looking to build muscle, a slightly higher protein intake may be beneficial in terms of weight gain. If you are a transgender woman trying to maintain a healthy weight, protein is also beneficial as it helps control insulin, also known as the ‘fat storage hormone’.
As a guide, I usually tell my clients that a piece of meat or fish the size of your palm is enough for one meal. For transgender men, I would advise them to be careful about overdoing it and consuming too much protein – for example, protein powders for building muscle, as this can lead to kidney problems. My advice for those looking to gain muscle mass is to consume moderate amounts of protein and do weightlifting.
Oil
Fats are a key component of any healthy, balanced MTF or FTM diet. They can be divided into good and bad fats. Here we will focus on the good fats.
Hormones are made from fat, so it’s important to eat good fats to help with hormone development. Fat is also important because it coats your nerve cells, helping you cope with stress and stay emotionally balanced.
Good fats include avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds and oily fish. Be wary of products marketed as healthy. For example, did you know that ‘healthy spreads’ are usually grey before being bleached by the manufacturer to look like butter? Who would want to eat that?! It’s best to eat foods in their most natural form (i.e. a little butter on your toast is healthier than a grey mush)!
Saturated fats (bad fats) can lead to increased blood fats (triglycerides) and unhealthy cholesterol. Bad fats include products such as cheese and processed oils found in deep-fried foods and chips.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are primarily sugars and starches that your body breaks down into glucose for energy. These include potatoes, rice, pasta, grains, and sugars. These foods make it harder to lose fat because your body uses them for energy before it uses fat.
Consuming too many refined carbs can cause blood sugar levels to rise, which can trigger fat storage instead of fat burning. It can also trigger high cortisol, which can worsen feelings of anxiety. When insulin and cortisol get too high, they work to reduce testosterone.
Ideally, you should include carbs in your MTF or FTM diet to help boost your energy levels, but try to choose healthier, unrefined versions: for example, whole grain rice, pasta, whole wheat bread, cereals and starchy vegetables (potatoes, carrots, bacon).
Other healthy food choices include unprocessed fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Avoid products high in animal fat.
It’s also important to make sure you’re getting enough fiber from vegetables.
How Should a Healthy Nutrition Plate Be?
Check out my healthy eating plate diagram showing ideal portions. Colourful vegetables are important as they provide protective phytonutrients. Vegetables such as peppers, beets, carrots, tomatoes and squash have been shown to protect against disease and aging.
Specific MTF and FTM Diet Guidelines for Transgender Individuals
Lower Testosterone Levels in Transgender Women
- Cut down on meat but make sure you get protein from other sources like nuts, seeds, eggs
- Lower cholesterol by reducing saturated fats, processed foods, and fried foods (french fries, fish and chips)
- Increase soy content from tofu, miso, soy sauce, edamame beans
- Consume organic food
Lowering Estrogen Levels in Transgender Men
- Increase your fiber intake from vegetables
- Increase flaxseed
- Increase sulfur-containing foods: eggs, meat, fish, nuts, seeds
- Increase organic food
- Reduce caffeine
- Reduce processed foods
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Should You Count Calories?
Counting calories won’t make you eat healthier. If you count calories and that’s all you’re talking about, you’d think an avocado and a donut would be equal (an avocado has 250 calories and a jelly donut has 252 calories), but they’re not.
Avocado:
- They are burned at a higher rate than other types of fat.
- Increase fat burning speed
- It allows the body to burn more calories after eating
- It reduces appetite and reduces the desire to eat after meals.
Donut does none of the above!
Sample Daily Menu for a Transgender Man (FTM Diet)
Breakfast
- Scrambled eggs, avocado and tomatoes on sourdough bread
Lunch
- Chicken or tuna salad with lots of colorful ingredients (tomatoes, beets, peppers, lettuce, sweet potatoes, flax seeds)
Evening meal
- Meat or fish with half of your plate covered with vegetables
Snacks
- Nuts and seeds with a piece of fruit
To behave
Daily Menu Sample for Transgender Women (MTF Diet)
Breakfast
- Eggs with tomatoes, avocado or soy yogurt sprinkled with nuts and seeds)
Lunch
- Salad with meat, fish or eggs (tomatoes, beets, peppers, lettuce, sweet potatoes, flax seeds)
Evening meal
- Meat or fish with half of your plate covered with vegetables
To behave
I like to make a big frittata (effectively a thick omelette) using 10 eggs and lots of veggies. I then store it in the fridge and eat a slice for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s a quick way to add something healthy to your diet and helps control blood sugar. It can last up to four days in the fridge.
The Importance of Hydration
Water is vital to our health. It helps regulate our blood pressure, aids concentration and detox. Aim to drink one to two litres of water throughout the day.
Alcohol can disrupt blood sugar levels and hormones and make depression worse. Always drink alcohol in moderation and try to consume less than seven units per week.
References:
- Bedell, Sarah. (2014). Pros and cons of herbal estrogens for menopause. Pros and cons of herbal estrogens for menopause.139 (10), Pages 225-236.
- Gomes, S., Jacob, M., Rocha, C., Medeiros, M., Lyra, C., & Noro, L. (2021). Expanding the boundaries of gender: A systematic review of food and nutrition in transgender populations. Public Health Nutrition, 1-14. doi:10.1017/S1368980021001671
- Linsenmeyer, W., Drallmeier, T., and Thomure, M. Towards gender-affirming nutritional assessment: A case series of adult transgender men with diverse nutritional problems. Food J 19, 74 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-020-00590-4