Are You Eating Enough Protein After 50? Why It Matters More Than You Think
For most of my life, I never really thought about protein.
I ate meat. I ate eggs. I drank milk. Surely I was getting enough.
And if you'd asked me whether I ate a pretty healthy diet, I would have said yes.
Then I got older.
Suddenly I was hearing about protein everywhere—and I'll admit, at first I thought it was another diet trend.
Turns out, I had seriously underestimated how important it was.
Especially now.
Protein isn't just for bodybuilders
I think this is where a lot of women my age get tripped up.
We grew up associating protein with men lifting enormous weights at the gym and drinking giant shakes afterward. 😂
But protein isn't primarily about building big muscles.
It's about giving our bodies the building blocks they need to maintain the muscle we already have.
And that becomes increasingly important as we age.
Beginning in midlife, we naturally tend to lose muscle unless we're actively doing something to preserve it.
That matters for much more than how our arms look in a sleeveless shirt.
Muscle helps us climb stairs.
Carry groceries.
Get up off the floor.
Maintain our balance.
Ride a bike.
Travel.
Garden.
Stay independent.
I don't strength train because I'm trying to become a bodybuilder at 65.
I strength train because I want to be a very capable 75- and 85-year-old.
And protein is part of that picture.
So how much protein do we actually need?
There's no single perfect number for every woman.
Your needs can vary depending on your age, body size, activity level, overall health and whether you're trying to maintain or build muscle.
The standard adult protein recommendation is about 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, but research on healthy aging has led many experts to suggest that older adults may benefit from somewhat higher amounts—often around 1.0–1.2 grams per kilogram per day.
For someone who weighs 150 pounds, for example, 1.0–1.2 g/kg works out to roughly 68–82 grams of protein per day.
Some people may need more or less, particularly depending on exercise and medical conditions.
And this is important: more isn't automatically better.
If you have kidney disease or another medical condition that affects your dietary needs, this is something to discuss with your doctor or a registered dietitian rather than simply increasing protein on your own.
The bigger surprise for me was WHEN I was eating it
This was an eye-opener.
I'd have a little protein at breakfast.
Maybe some at lunch.
And then I'd eat the majority of it at dinner.
Sound familiar?
Instead of thinking only about my total protein at the end of the day, I started paying attention to whether I was including a meaningful source of protein throughout the day.
That changed the way I build meals.
Now my first thought is often:
Where's my protein?
Then I build around it.
Breakfast might include eggs, Greek yogurt or a protein shake.
Lunch might be turkey, chicken, tuna, cottage cheese or leftovers from dinner.
Dinner might be chicken, fish, lean meat, beans or another protein source along with vegetables and whatever else we're having.
Nothing exotic.
I'm simply much more intentional about it.
And no, I don't eat perfectly
This is probably worth saying because social media can make healthy eating look ridiculous sometimes.
I'm not weighing every piece of chicken for the rest of my life.
I don't travel with containers of perfectly portioned food.
And I am certainly not giving up pizza or pasta. 😂
I'm trying to build a way of eating that works in my actual life.
That means when we go out for breakfast, I might order an egg-white omelet with ham and tomatoes.
If we're going out for dinner, I'll look for a good protein option and then enjoy the rest of my meal.
If I'm hungry between meals, I try to choose something that gives me some protein rather than automatically reaching for something that won't keep me satisfied very long.
It's not perfection.
It's awareness.
Protein isn't a magic weight-loss trick
I want to make this clear because there's a lot of nonsense online.
Simply eating more protein doesn't magically make body fat disappear.
Weight management is much more complicated than one nutrient.
Total calories still matter. Activity matters. Sleep matters. Muscle matters. Health conditions and medications can matter. And menopause and aging can affect the whole picture too.
But protein can be helpful because it supports muscle and tends to be satisfying, which can make it easier to build meals that keep you fuller.
For me, the biggest benefit was that paying attention to protein made me start paying attention to how my meals were actually put together.
I had spent years saying, “I eat pretty healthy.”
But once I looked more closely, I realized that “healthy” was a very broad description.
I needed to understand what my body actually needed.
Start with one meal
If all of this sounds like one more thing you're supposed to track, don't make it complicated.
Tomorrow morning, look at your breakfast and ask:
Where's the protein?
Then do the same thing at lunch.
That's it.
You don't need to overhaul your entire diet by Monday.
Maybe you add Greek yogurt to breakfast.
Maybe you put more turkey on your sandwich.
Maybe you add chicken or shrimp to your salad.
Maybe you keep a protein shake around for the days when life gets crazy.
Small changes count.
And once they become normal, you make another one.
That's been one of the biggest lessons of this whole stage of my life.
I'm not eating this way just to weigh less
Would I like to maintain a weight where I feel comfortable?
Absolutely.
But that's not enough of a reason for me anymore.
I want muscle because I want strength.
I want strength because I want independence.
And I want independence because there is still way too much life I intend to live.
That's why protein matters to me now.
Not because I'm trying to eat like a 25-year-old fitness influencer.
Because I'm trying to take very good care of the 65-year-old woman I am today—and the 75- and 85-year-old woman I hope to become.
And she's going to need those muscles. ❤️
Have you ever actually paid attention to how much protein you're eating in a day? You might be as surprised as I was.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Please consult with a healthcare professional before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle.
