Protein, why women need it: The Midlife Nutrient Women Are Getting Completely Wrong

Let’s Talk About Protein — Because Somehow This Got Way More Confusing Than It Should Be

I know you hear it everywhere:

“Eat more protein!”

“You need more protein!”

“Women under-eat protein!”

And truly… with the number of times this gets shouted on the internet, you’d think we’d all know what it means by now.

But three things happened recently that made me realize something:

Women still don’t know what protein actually is, how much they need, or why it matters.

And it’s not because women are careless or lazy. It’s because NO ONE taught them. (And the people who should be teaching them — often… aren’t.)

Let me tell you the three moments that pushed me over the edge and into writing this.

1. The Doctor’s Office Incident

I was sitting in a waiting room — a place I no longer go and I overheard a practitioner tell a woman: “Just aim for 20 grams of protein per meal.”

Twenty. Grams. Per meal. 

For a grown adult woman. (This is absurd.)

My boys — who weigh under 70 pounds — eat that in a day without trying.

And listen, I’m not trying to put down clinicians, AND if your provider tells you that 100g of protein a day is “too much,” I would… very politely… question their nutrition training.

This moment stuck with me because this is the guidance women are getting. And it’s keeping them tired, hungry, frustrated, and completely confused.

2. The Peanut Butter Moment

I was standing in the school parking lot with some moms when one said,

“Don’t worry, my kiddo had protein before practice,  peanut butter with apple slices!”

God bless her.

But peanut butter is not a protein. It is a fat. A delicious fat, yes. A high-protein food? Absolutely not.

Women aren’t stupid — they’re misinformed.

3. The Protein Bar That Lied

A mom showed me her afternoon snack and said, “I’ve been trying to get more protein in!” The bar was:

• 200 calories

• 15g of protein

• Filled with sugar alcohols, processed oils, and 14 ingredients I couldn’t pronounce

This again is not “high protein.”

And that’s when it hit me: Women are trying.  Really trying. They just don’t have accurate information.

Nutrition is a lot like perimenopause — most of us are out here navigating blind.

This is exactly why I started this blog.

It feels like God put a nudge on my heart:

“Teach them. Make it simple. Make it honest.”

So here we go.

Protein Matters More After 35 — Here’s Why

Protein isn’t a trend. It’s biology. As estrogen and progesterone begin to fluctuate (hi, perimenopause), everything changes:

• You break down muscle faster

• You recover slower

• Your appetite shifts

• Your metabolism becomes more sensitive

• Blood sugar gets spikier

• Bone density becomes vulnerable

• Strength becomes harder to maintain

Protein becomes the backbone for:

• muscle

• Bone

• Metabolism

• hunger control

• hormone stability

• healthy aging

• fat loss that actually lasts

Women are gaining weight because they’re eating everything except protein. But let’s go deeper into something most people don’t understand…

It’s Not Just the AMOUNT of Protein — It’s the PERCENTAGE

Women always ask:

“How many grams should I eat?”“Is 90g okay?”“Is 100g enough?”

Here’s the truth:

If you’re eating 1600 calories and only 90g is protein…

✓ You’re hungry all the time

✓ Your blood sugar crashes

✓ You snack more

✓ Your metabolism slows

✓ Your cravings skyrocket

✓ You hold onto fat

✓ Your workouts don’t “show”

✓ You recover poorly

✓ You lose muscle

✓ Your body composition declines

Protein controls your entire metabolic environment.

This is why women feel like their body is “changing overnight.” It’s not overnight.  It’s low protein + aging + hormones. 

And then there’s the part almost EVERY woman is missing…

The Science: The Leucine Threshold

Women need around 2.5g of leucine per meal to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. That means 30–40g of high-quality protein per meal.

Anything significantly LESS than that? You’re not building or maintaining muscle. You’re coasting.

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon says it best:

“Muscle is the organ of longevity.”  And protein is what FEEDS that organ.

Science finally caught up. This isn’t hype. It’s real.

What Happens When You Don’t Eat Enough Protein

Let’s make this beautifully simple:

If you don’t eat enough protein…

You lose muscle

You gain fat

Your metabolism slows

You get hungrier

You crave sugar

Your blood sugar becomes unstableyou look “puffier”

Your workouts stop making a visible difference

Your perimenopause symptoms feel worse

You age faster

Under-eating protein is the FASTEST way to look and feel older than you are.

A Story From My Coaching (The Part Where It Gets Real)

Here’s the funniest part: every single woman who comes to work with me — and I mean every single one — thinks she’s “eating enough protein.”

Then we look at her food log 60g. 70g. Maybe 80g on a “good” day.

Women have been taught to fear protein.

To fear meat.

To fear calories.

To fear food.

And I get to un-teach all of that. I’ll never forget a client who said: “Hollie, I don’t think I’m low protein… I mean, I eat peanut butter and yogurt!”

We then take a look at her food log and she cried. Not because she felt ashamed (that’s not what I do) — but because she finally understood why she felt exhausted, puffy, inflamed, hungry at 3pm every day…and why her workouts weren’t translating into results.

She wasn’t broken. She wasn’t lazy.  She was under-proteined. AND truly was never taught the correct way to fuel her body 

Foods Women THINK Are Protein (But Totally Aren’t)

Let’s lovingly correct this:

NOT protein:

• Nutspeanut butter

• Cheese

• Hummus

• Granola

• Oats

• Trail mix

• Protein chips

• Brownies that call themselves “protein brownies”

• “Energy Bites”

• Cereal

• Collagen (great for hair/skin, NOT muscle)

• Yogurt with 7–10g

• Bars with 10–15g

• Smoothies with no protein added

These foods are fine.

They’re just not protein.

REAL Protein Sources

• Chicken

• Turkey 

• Salmon

• Shrimp

• Tuna

• Lean beef

• Pork tenderloin

• Greek yogurt (15–20g+)

• Cottage cheese

• Eggs 

• Whey protein

• Plant protein (if needed)

• Tofu / tempehfish

Our ancestors weren’t worried about “protein cookies.” They ate meat. They got strong.  They lived.

THE SIMPLE SOLUTION: Eat Like a Grown Woman

Three meals.

Thirty to forty grams each.

Protein FIRST.

This alone will change:

• Your hunger

• Your cravings

• Your energy

• Your metabolism

• Your body composition

• Your mood

• Your strength

• Your results

Answer hunger with protein.

Not pretzels.

Not crackers.

Not your kids’ snacks.

A Quick (But Important) Word About Vegetarianism

I hear this all the time:

“I don’t like meat.”

“That’s too much meat.”

“I’m trying to be more plant-based.”

Listen — if you’re vegetarian for spiritual, ethical, or cultural reasons, I respect that deeply. But if you’re avoiding meat because you “don’t like it,” yet eating:

protein chips

processed fake meats

bars full of chemicals

seed-oil-soaked snacks

granola

cereal

vegan cookies

pea-protein isolate everything

…I’m going to challenge you.

Most women cannot maintain the body, energy, and metabolic health they want in midlife without animal or fish protein.

Not because you’re doing anything wrong. But because plant-based protein requires:

Intentional planning

Precise combinations

Higher volumes

Supplementation

Most women don’t do that — because no one taught them to.

Animal protein is the most bioavailable protein on earth.

Your body ABSORBS it better.

Your body USES it better.

Your body BUILDS MUSCLE with it better.

This is not judgment.  It’s physiology.

Why This Matters to Me (The Faith Layer)

I don’t believe God created our bodies to be confusing.

I believe He created us with intention — including our nutritional needs.

Protein isn’t about perfection or dieting.

It’s about stewarding the only body you get on this earth.

I truly believe this work — teaching women the truth about their bodies — is a calling.

Not skinny.

Not smaller.

Not chasing aesthetics.

Strong. Clear-minded. Energetic.Healthy enough to live the life He has planned for you.

Protein Isn’t Trendy — It’s Necessary

Getting protein right changes EVERYTHING:

• Your hunger

• Your energy

• Your workouts

• Your metabolism

• Your body composition

• Your confidence

• Your aging

• Your strength

• Your health

• Your LIFE

This is why I will teach protein until I’m 80 years old and still lifting.

How much protein do women really need?

Most midlife women need 100–130g per day, and the most important part is 30–40g per meal to actually stimulate muscle maintenance or growth.

Twenty grams per meal is not enough — not for women in perimenopause, not for women lifting, and not for women trying to protect their metabolism.

What happens if I don’t eat enough protein?

Low protein =

• More hunger

• More cravings

• Slower metabolism

• Higher body fat

• Worse perimenopause symptoms

• Faster muscle losspoorer recovery

• Aging that hits harder and earlier

Under-eating protein is one of the fastest ways midlife women lose muscle and gain stubborn fat.

What’s the simplest way to get started?

Build every meal around 30–40g of protein.

Then add veggies, carbs, and healthy fats.

Eat like a grown woman — real food first, protein-forward, three solid meals.

Within a week, you’ll feel the difference in your hunger, energy, and mood.

Protein, why women need it: The Midlife Nutrient Women Are Getting Completely Wrong