Protein is an essential part of a healthy diet. This is particularly true when you’re in the peri or post menopause because your body is naturally losing muscle and bone mass. To maintain and build muscle and bone your body needs protein as it forms the building blocks of these tissues.
Without definite action, your body will lose muscle mass after your mid-thirties. At the age of fifty it’s losing around one per cent each year. Of course, to build muscle you need to be active and use your muscles to lift weights. Building muscle gets harder for menopausal women so you might find that you aren’t seeing changes as quickly as you used to when you were younger. Don’t despair! Keep going, crank up the weight gradually but don’t be afraid to build it up to a heavy weight. To build muscle mass it’s better to do fewer reps with heavy weights than lots of reps with light weights.
The other vital ingredient is that you’re consuming plenty of protein.
How much protein do I need to eat?
You will find very varied guidance when it comes to protein requirements from less than 1g of protein per kg of body weight up to 2.4g per kg for super active women. Our requirements probably go up rather than down as we get older.
Most of us aren’t eating enough protein.
I am not a dietician. There are lots of great ones you can follow including Renee McGregor. Everybody has different requirements which vary with gender, age, activity levels, medical problems and more. Whenever possible and certainly if you have specific dietary needs or issues, seek a personal opinion from a registered dietician.
It’s best to spread protein intake through the day rather than consume it all in one go, your body can’t cope with this and just excretes it out. A good tip is to have a decent portion of protein with every meal. Not only will this help you hit your protein target but it will help you to feel full which makes it easier if you’re trying to avoid unhealthy snacking. You should also aim to have some protein (along with some carbs) soon after exercise to refuel your body and help muscle synthesis.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of looking at calories when you examine the ingredients on a food packet. Try looking at the amount of protein instead and see how that food would help you reach your target. Focusing on nutrition to nourish your body is better than focusing on dieting to lose weight.
Which foods contain most protein and how can you include it in every meal?
The following ideas are some suggestions. They are what I use in my own quest for a healthy menopausal body. They might not be right for you but these are the foods I’m trying to include more of in my day, to go alongside my strength sessions:
Eggs of any sort – 1 egg has around 5g of protein. Omelette anyone?
Greek yoghurt – check the label, a decent one will have 10g of protein per 100g of yoghurt (some of the ‘Greek Style’ ones have less).
Cheese – Super easy to add to anything for an extra bit of protein. If you can stomach it, I know many people don’t like it, but cottage cheese is really high in protein and is one of those really easy food that doesn’t need any prep.
Tuna – a tin contains around 26g of protein. Great for a sandwich filler or with a salad and jacket potato.
Fish generally. I mentioned tinned tuna because it’s high protein, super convenient and popular but all fish is good. Salmon, cod, mackerel, basa, sardines etc. Tinned, frozen, smoked, however you want it. Perfect for a main meal with potatoes and steamed veg. I love a good kedgeree too.
Sea food – can I tempt you to prawns, mussels or crab? Not everyone’s favourite but a good high protein addition to your day. Lobster is great too but I don’t think many of us have the luxury of being able to eat it very often!
Nuts and seeds – almonds and pumpkin seeds are particularly high so are great to add to your yoghurt, salads or on their own as a snack. You’ll get around 1.5 to 2g of of protein per tablespoon. Walnuts, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, add any of them to anything! We’re often so tied up with the view that nuts are too high in calories ad miss out on the benefits they give us.
Beans – again any sort but if you’re stuck for a quick meal you can do worse than baked beans on toast. A whole tin has about 20g of protein. Edamame, kidney, black, borlotti, you choose but they’re handy for adding to casseroles or salads to pump up the protein content. Tofu is included here because it’s made from soy beans; you’ll get 8g of protein in a 100g serving.
Meat – I’m trying to eat a bit less meat but there’s no getting away from the fact that it’s an amazing source of protein. An average chicken breast will give you around 50g of protein so it does pack a punch.
Other sources of protein
You might think that rice, pasta and bread are all about the carbs but they do actually contain protein too, particularly rice. Not as much protein as the high protein foods above but enough to make them an important part of the picture.
What about protein powders, drinks and bars?
While it’s entirely possible to get enough protein through your daily diet there are times when a protein product might help. For example, you know you want to have some protein after a long run but you just have zero appetite, then a protein powder in a drink or smoothie can be helpful. The important thing is not to use these as meal replacements. The other important thing is to look at the other ingredients in what you’re consuming. For example, many of the protein bars are high in sugar syrups binding everything together. Most of the time you’d be better buying a packet of nuts or making your own bars.
I live in the real world and know that sometimes we need a bit of help and convenience so I’m not against using protein products as long as they are good quality and not as a substitute for eating well.
Personally I use Protein Rebel’s Accelerate Plant Protein Powder after a long of intense workout. It’s got 23g of protein in a serving plus I like that is has sodium too so it’s perfect after a really sweaty long run. My favourite thing to do is to mix it with milk, half a banana and some ice cubes in the smoothie maker – yum! (use code juliet15 to get 15% off).
I hope this gives you some ideas and motivation for boosting your protein intake. It really is an important thing for active, peri and post menopausal women to do to get the most out of strength work. They really do go hand in hand.
I’d love to know how much attention you pay to protein. Are you trying to eat more? What are your tactics? Share your favourite protein rich meals and snacks in the comments or on social media.
Sign up for my newsletter below for tips and motivation for your ‘menopausal running’.
Featured image: jackmac34 at Pixabay
