Protein Needs for Women in Peri- to Post Menopause

We can all probably remember the anti-fat and anti-carb crazes in the not so distant past. Fast forward to today, instead of vilifying a macronutrient, protein is the current golden child. Walk down any isle in the grocery store and you’ll see products galore listing the amounts of protein per serving, with “added” protein in some of the oddest products. Pop Tarts, Bottled water, boxed Mac and cheese? Oh geez! 

Protein is touted as the food to keep us strong and make us thin at the same time. 

Protein is crucial, yes—but how much you need depends on age, muscle mass, hormone changes, kidney health, medical conditions, and even daily activity levels.

Right out of the gate, I am not a nutritionist or dietician. I am not prescribing a diet or telling you what to eat. That said, as a personal trainer specializing in women’s health peri-to-post menopause, I get asked often “how much should protein I eat?”  

Here’s the updated, evidence-informed breakdown of how much protein is helpful, when it becomes too much, and why listening to your own body still matters more than following any trend.

Why Protein Needs Increase With Age
As we age, our bodies become less efficient at using protein to maintain muscle. Seniors are encouraged to eat enough protein to help with maintaining their muscle mass. Which in turn can help with fall prevention, recovering from exercise, bone density, active metabolism, and independence as we age. 

To be clear though, you have to actually exercise and do strength training to maintain muscle mass. Just eating extra protein alone does not build muscle. 

Protein Needs for Women in Menopause
As women go through menopause and beyond, muscle loss accelerates and changes how the body handles blood sugar, body fat, and energy levels. The Menopause Coaching organization I belong to recommends menopausal women eat 0.54–0.9 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day.

150-lb woman: 81–135 g/day
180-lb woman: 97–162 g/day

Why such a wide range? Because lifestyle, muscle mass, and activity level vary widely.
Higher end (0.8–0.9 g/lb):
Lots of activity
Weight lifting
Active and trying to improve body composition

Lower-to-mid range (0.54–0.7 g/lb):
Sedentary days
Smaller appetites
Health conditions requiring moderation

High Protein, Kidney Health, & Type 2 Diabetes
I’ve been in the fitness industry for nearly 30 years so I’ve seen my share of fad diets. We come to see the truth of trending diets in hindsight. We all see know how the fat-free craze of the 90s, early 2000s coincided with a rise in obesity, likely due to the added sugar in so many prepare foods. Spaghetti sauce? Salsa? Soup? Really?! Ick. But I digress.
  
I worry what the long term effects of the protein craze will be.  High-protein diets can strain the kidneys—especially in people with existing kidney disease and type-2 diabetes. According to many health care experts, some folks without existing kidney health issues are over taxing their kidneys by eating excess amounts of protein. This is a major reason why “more protein” is not universally safe advice.

For people with type 2 diabetes, moderate protein intake can improve satiety, support balanced blood sugar, reduce cravings, maintain muscle. 

Excessively high protein intake—especially at single meals—may strain kidneys (particularly if diabetes is long-standing), add excess calories to daily intake, cause glucose spikes in some individuals.

Those with kidney disease and type 2 diabetes should talk to their health care provider for recommended amounts of protein.

Tune into Your Body 
It’s recommended to eat protein and healthy complex carbohydrates after a challenging workout. A simple walk with the dog is not the same as sprint intervals or a full body strength training routine.  Which brings me to what I always encourage folks to do; Tune into what your body is asking for, vs blindly eating certain amounts of macronutrients because an influencer told you to.
 
Building muscle does take protein, and time.
If you regularly workout but are not gaining muscle you may need to up your protein intake. You can track your body fat and muscle mass percentages on specialized home scales. They aren’t the gold standard for determining muscle, water, body fat, etc, but they can at least help you track changes. 

Do you know how much protein you are eating?
Protein is incredibly valuable, especially for menopausal women, but it’s best to talk with a qualified nutritionist/dietician instead of following influencers or aiming for extreme quantities. There is no one size fits all amount of protein. 

This article shares high protein sources beyond just eating chicken. I include it here because it has a protein calculator to determine how much you need, based on age, gender and activity level. Try it out and plug in different activity levels and it’ll show how much protein needs can vary. If you're eating high levels of protein, but mostly sedentary, the result could be weight gain and/or overly taxed kidneys. 

SAMPLE MEAL PLAN FOR A DAY
Here’s a sample day of meals that hits the updated protein range of 0.54–0.9 g per pound of bodyweight for a typical menopausal woman.
This plan is based on needs for a 150-lb woman with a protein goal of 81–135 g/day.   

Sample Day of Eating: 0.54–0.9 g Protein per Pound

BREAKFAST  (25–40 g protein)
Option A: Greek Yogurt Power Bowl (Easy, high-protein)

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (20 g)
• ¼ cup high-protein granola (4–6 g)
• ½ cup berries
• 1 tbsp chia seeds (2 g)

Total: 26–28 g

Option B: Protein Veggie Omelet

• 2–3 eggs (12–18 g)
• ½ cup egg whites (12 g)
• Veggies + ¼ cup shredded cheese (6–7 g)

Total: 30–37 g

Option C: Protein Coffee + Cottage Cheese

• 1 scoop whey or plant protein mixed into coffee or milk (20–25 g)
• ¾ cup cottage cheese (17 g)

Total: 35–42 g

MID-MORNING SNACK (10–20 g)
Option A: Apple + Cheese

• 1 medium apple
• 1–2 oz cheese (7–14 g)

Option B: Protein Bar

• Look for bars with 12–20 g protein.

Option C: Edamame

• 1 cup steamed edamame (17 g)

LUNCH (25–40 g)
Option A: Chicken & Veggie Bowl

• 4 oz cooked chicken breast (28 g)
• Roasted veggies + quinoa or brown rice
• Olive oil + lemon

Total: 28–32 g

Option B: Lentil & Feta Salad (Vegetarian)

• 1 cup cooked lentils (18 g)
• ¼ cup feta (4 g)
• Veggies + dressing
• Add pumpkin seeds (3–5 g if desired)

Total: 22–27 g

Option C: Turkey Wrap

• 3–4 oz sliced turkey (18–24 g)
• Whole-grain wrap (4–6 g)
• Spinach + hummus (2 g)

Total: 24–32 g

AFTERNOON SNACK (10–20 g)
Option A: Cottage Cheese + Fruit

• ½–¾ cup cottage cheese (12–17 g)
• Pineapple, berries, or peaches

Total: 12-17 g

Option B: Nuts + Protein Shake

• ¼ cup almonds (6 g)
• ½ shake (10–12 g)

Total: 16-18 g

Option C: Hard-Boiled Eggs

• 2 eggs (12 g)

Total: 12 g

DINNER (30–45 g protein)
Option A: Salmon + Veggies

• 5–6 oz salmon (30–36 g)
• Roasted veggies (varies)
• 1/2 cup lentils (10 g)

Total: 40-46 g

Option B: Stir-Fry with Tempeh

• 5 ounces tempeh (21 g)
• Stir-fry veggies + soy sauce (varies)
• 1/2 cup sweet potato (4 g)
• 1/2 cup edamame (9 g)

Total: 34 g

Option C: Beef or Turkey Chili

• 1.5 cups chili with lean turkey or beef

Total: averages 30–40 g protein depending on recipe

OPTIONAL EVENING SNACK (5–15 g)

• Greek yogurt (½ cup = 10 g)
• Protein hot chocolate (8–12 g)
• A few slices of deli turkey (9–12 g)

You can easily dial intake down or up depending on:

• hunger
• workout intensity
• kidney health considerations
• blood sugar response
• overall energy levels

To be completely honest, I had AI generate this sample meal plan, because so many people are turning to AI for workout plans, diet plans, everything. 🙄 This plan didn't hit the fiber recommendation of 25 grams a day for women. I tweaked the plan by adding in lentils, edamame and tempeh, This is why it's important to track everything you pop in your pie hole for at least a week to learn about your nutritional intake. Just FYI, there are 4 calories per gram of protein, 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate, and 9 per gram of fat. If you aren't tracking your macros, a simple app can help you do that. I've used the Lose It app in the past. Noom has a free version. Of course if you need/want more guidance seek out a registered nutritionist or registered dietitian. 

Do you have a favorite way to add protein into your day? I eat a lot of beans, tofu, sardines (this is my favorite brand, and no I don't make money of links!), and some salmon, chicken. I've started eating edamame and roasting them myself. They have protein and fiber. I really ought to up my tempeh intake since it hits the protein, fiber and probiotic marks. How awesome is that!?