How Much Protein Do Women Over 40 Actually Need? (And Why Most Are Getting It Wrong)

I went from vegan to paleo almost overnight. Here's what that taught me about protein — and why it matters more than ever after 40.

I didn't discover protein because of a fitness trend. I discovered it because my gut was in crisis.

For years I'd been vegetarian, then vegan. I believed in it. I felt like I was doing the right thing for my body. And then I was diagnosed with leaky gut, and a functional medicine doctor ran a full intolerance panel — and the results completely changed how I ate.

Beans. Legumes. Full grains. The foundations of a plant-based diet. All of them showing up as intolerances. Not minor ones either.

So almost overnight, I went paleo. Clean animal protein, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds. Lots of healthy fats — avocado, olive oil, eggs. It felt radical. It felt completely contrary to everything I'd believed about food.

And I felt extraordinary.

The inflammation that had been quietly running through my body started to calm. My digestion settled. My energy changed. I was eating more fat than I ever had and losing weight without trying. And I kept thinking — what is actually happening here?

What was happening, I now understand, was that my body was finally getting the protein it needed. Consistently, across the day, from clean sources it could actually absorb.

That was my first real lesson in protein. Everything since has built on it.

Why Protein Matters More After 40

Here's the thing about perimenopause that most fitness content skips over: as oestrogen declines, your body becomes less efficient at using protein to build and maintain muscle. You need more of it — not the same amount, more — just to stay where you are.

And most women are already under-eating protein before perimenopause even begins.

The research is consistent on this. Women over 40 need somewhere between 1.6 and 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day to support muscle protein synthesis. For a woman of 65kg, that's around 100–130 grams of protein daily. Spread across the day — not in one meal.

This is not a trend. This is physiology. Your muscles, your bones, your metabolism, your hormonal health — all of them depend on adequate protein. And if you're strength training, as I hope you are, the demand goes up further. You are breaking down muscle tissue in training. Protein is what rebuilds it.

The Biggest Mistake Women Over 40 Make With Protein

I see this constantly. Women over 40 who think they're eating enough protein, who genuinely believe they've got it covered, and when we actually look at what they're eating — they're falling significantly short.

But the most common mistake isn't just the amount. It's the timing.

Protein doesn't work if you front-load it. Your body uses protein straight away — it doesn't store it for later. So eating all your protein in one meal doesn't work the same way as spreading it consistently across the day.

You need to spread it across the day. Every meal, every snack — always with protein. This is something my functional medicine doctor drilled into me early on, and it's stayed with me ever since.

The other mistake? Ultra-processed protein products. Right now protein is everywhere — protein bars, protein cereals, protein yoghurt, protein everything. And a lot of it is full of additives, artificial sweeteners, and ingredients that don't serve your gut or your hormones.

Get your protein from real food first. Top it up with a clean supplement if you need to. But the foundation needs to be whole, clean sources.

What My Own Day Actually Looks Like

I'm not going to give you a perfect meal plan. This is just honestly what works for me.

Breakfast — gluten-free sourdough made from buckwheat and quinoa with cottage cheese. Or two eggs with turkey fillet and goat cheese. Sometimes both. I always start the day with protein — it sets the blood sugar rhythm for everything that follows and means I'm not chasing it for the rest of the day.

Pre-training snack — if I'm training first thing, a banana with almond butter or a date with peanut butter. If I need something faster, a plant protein shake with banana. Quick, clean, enough.

Lunch — this is my biggest meal. Lean chicken or fish — we eat a lot of fish in our house. Sardines in the oven, salmon when the budget allows. Vegetables, good fats, always a clean protein at the centre.

Afternoon snack — if I've trained hard, sometimes water kefir with a scoop of protein powder. Or fruit with nuts. I never eat fruit alone — always something alongside it to keep blood sugar stable.

Dinner — lighter. A soup with two eggs, or yoghurt with fruit. My body doesn't need as much in the evening, and I don't force it.

The thread through all of it: protein at every meal, every snack, spread consistently across the day. Clean sources first. Supplements to top up, not to replace.

On Protein Powders — Use Them Wisely

I use protein powder. I'm not against it. But I'm very selective about which one.

There is so much marketing noise around protein supplements right now that it's almost impossible to know what you're actually buying. Most mainstream protein bars and powders are ultra-processed — they're convenient, they hit the numbers, and they're full of things you don't need.

If you're going to use a protein powder, use one that has a short, clean ingredient list, no artificial sweeteners, and a source you trust. I use Aavalabs protein — genuinely clean, well-formulated, and something I'd recommend to the women I work with. If you want to try it, use the code SOULSCULPTAAVA at aavalabs.com for a discount.

But use it as a supplement. Not as your primary source. Real food first, always.

On Vegetarian and Vegan Protein

I want to be clear: I don't think everyone needs to eat animal protein. My shift to paleo was medical — it was specific to my intolerances and my gut health at that time. I've since reintroduced dairy and eat a much more varied diet.

If you're vegetarian or vegan, you can absolutely get adequate protein. But you need to be more intentional about it, especially after 40. Legumes, tofu, tempeh, dairy if you include it, eggs if you include them — these all need to be present consistently and in sufficient quantities.

The mistake isn't choosing plant-based protein. The mistake is assuming it's automatically enough without checking.

Whatever your approach to eating — check the amount, check the distribution across the day, check the quality of the sources. Those three things matter more than whether it comes from animals or plants.

Where to Start

If this is new territory for you, don't overhaul everything at once. Start with one thing:

Add a source of protein to every meal and every snack this week. Just that. See how it feels. Most women notice a difference in energy and satiety within days.

Then, if you want to go further, look at the quantities. Track for a few days — not forever, just to understand where you actually are versus where you need to be. Most women are surprised.

And if you're strength training — which I hope you are — make sure you're eating protein within a couple of hours of your session. That's when your muscles are primed to use it.

Protein is one piece. Strength training is another. Together, they're the foundation of what your body needs in perimenopause and beyond.

Every Thursday at 10:15 CET, we Strength train live online — Strength x Pilates, built specifically for women navigating this phase of life. Every session recorded, unlimited replays, train whenever your week allows.

→ [Try a free sample class at soulsculptmethod.com]

Or keep reading:

• [Why Women Lose Muscle After 40 — And Exactly How to Stop It]

• [Fasting in Perimenopause: Why Strength x Pilates Changes the Rules]

  
  

With strength & softness, Shaini ♡

Shaini Verdon is the founder of SoulSculpt Method. E-RYT 500, Pilates instructor, NASM Women's Fitness Specialist, FRC Mobility Specialist. Based in Cantabria, northern Spain.