If you’ve ever been told that you need to eat more protein during perimenopause and menopause, you might have thought:
“OK… but what does that actually look like?”
Because being told to eat more protein is one thing.
Knowing how to do it in real life, when you’re busy, feeding a family, working and trying to maintain some sort of social life, is another.
The good news?
You don’t need to completely change your diet.
You don’t need to eat huge portions of meat or rely on protein shakes.
And you certainly don’t need to make every meal complicated.
A really simple place to start is by including a good source of protein at each meal and spreading your intake throughout the day.
Why does protein matter more in midlife?
Protein is important throughout life, but it becomes particularly important as we move through midlife and beyond.
It helps support:
- Muscle mass and strength
- Recovery from exercise
- Bone health
- Satiety and fullness
- Overall nutrition as we age
We naturally become more prone to losing muscle as we get older, which is one of the reasons combining adequate protein with resistance training is so important.
But before you start worrying about hitting a perfect number every single day, focus on something much simpler:
Make protein a regular part of your meals.
Start with breakfast
Breakfast is often the meal where protein is easiest to overlook.
Toast, cereal or fruit might be convenient, but they may not provide much protein on their own.
Try adding one of these:
- Eggs with wholegrain toast
- Greek yoghurt with berries, seeds and nuts
- Cottage cheese with fruit or tomatoes
- Overnight oats made with Greek yoghurt or protein powder
- A smoothie made with milk, Greek yoghurt and fruit
- Smoked salmon with eggs
- Tofu scramble with vegetables
You don’t have to completely change your favourite breakfast.
Just ask:
“How can I add some protein to this?”
For example, keep your porridge — but add Greek yoghurt, milk, nuts or seeds.
Build a protein-packed lunch
Lunch can easily become a bowl of soup, a sandwich or a salad with very little protein.
Instead, think about adding a clear protein source.
Good options include:
- Chicken, turkey or lean meat
- Tuna, salmon, prawns or mackerel
- Eggs
- Cottage cheese
- Tofu, tempeh or edamame
- Lentils, chickpeas or beans
- Quinoa
Some easy combinations include:
Chicken and avocado wrap
Tuna and bean salad
Eggs on wholegrain toast
Lentil soup with a side of cottage cheese
Chicken, quinoa and roasted vegetable bowl
Tofu and edamame stir-fry
The goal isn’t to make lunch Instagram-worthy.
It’s simply to make sure there’s a meaningful source of protein on your plate.
Don’t forget snacks
If you’re struggling to get enough protein across the day, snacks can help.
Try:
- Greek yoghurt
- Cottage cheese
- Two boiled eggs
- Edamame beans
- Hummus with vegetables
- A handful of nuts and seeds
- Cheese with an apple
- Roasted chickpeas
And remember that a snack doesn’t have to be labelled a “protein snack” to count.
Real food is absolutely fine.
Make small upgrades to meals you already eat
This is probably my favourite way to increase protein because it doesn’t require a complete diet overhaul.
Try:
- Stirring Greek yoghurt or protein powder into porridge
- Adding beans or lentils to soups, curries and casseroles
- Topping salads with chicken, tuna, eggs or tofu
- Replacing some rice with quinoa or edamame
- Adding seeds and yoghurt to fruit
- Keeping cooked eggs, chicken or tofu ready in the fridge
- Adding extra chicken, tuna, egg or tofu to wraps and sandwiches
These small changes can add up over the course of the day.
Animal or plant protein?
Both can absolutely have a place in a healthy, balanced diet.
Animal-based protein comes from foods such as:
- Chicken, turkey, beef, pork and lamb
- Fish and seafood
- Eggs
- Milk, yoghurt and cheese
Many animal-based protein foods provide all nine essential amino acids.
Plant-based protein comes from foods such as:
- Lentils, chickpeas, beans and peas
- Tofu, tempeh and edamame
- Nuts, seeds and nut butters
- Quinoa
- Oats and other wholegrains
- Seitan
- Pea, soya and rice protein powders
Some plant proteins are lower in one or more essential amino acids, but eating a variety of plant-based protein foods throughout the day can provide a good balance.
You don’t need to obsess over combining specific foods at every meal.
Variety across the day is what matters.
And you don’t have to choose one approach.
A diet containing a mixture of animal and plant proteins can work perfectly well too.
So, how much protein do you actually need?
This is where things can become unnecessarily complicated.
Protein needs vary depending on factors such as body size, activity levels, age and individual circumstances.
Rather than becoming obsessed with hitting a perfect number, start with the basics:
Include a protein-rich food at every meal.
Then, if you want to get more specific about your individual protein and calorie needs, that’s something you can work out based on your own circumstances.
Keep it simple
You don’t need to completely change the way you eat.
You don’t need to eat “perfectly”.
And you don’t need to hit your protein target every single day without fail.
Instead, try this:
Breakfast: Where is my protein?
Lunch: Where is my protein?
Dinner: Where is my protein?
Snack: Could protein help here too?
If your breakfast is currently just toast, start there.
If lunch is usually soup, add some beans, chicken, eggs or another protein source.
If you already eat plenty of protein, great — keep doing what you’re doing.
The aim is simply to make protein a consistent part of your diet, rather than something you have to think about at the end of the day when you realise you’ve barely eaten any.
One small change is enough to start.
Try improving your breakfast this week.
Then build from there.
Because healthy eating in midlife doesn’t need to be complicated.
It just needs to be realistic enough that you can actually stick with it.
Donna x