How to Eat More Protein: A Simple Guide for Women

If you’ve ever struggled with losing weight, feeling hungry between meals, or wanting to support your body through midlife changes, there’s one nutrient that can make a big difference: protein.

Many women don’t eat enough for optimal health. But getting enough protein and spreading your intake across the day can:

• help you feel fuller for longer
• reduce cravings and energy crashes
• support lean muscle and strength
• make weight loss (if that’s your goal) much easier.

In this post, we’ll dig into why protein is so important, how to structure your day to get enough, practical ideas for a high protein breakfast, and vegetarian options. Let’s get you set up for sustained energy, strength, and satisfaction.

If you’d find it helpful to listen to a podcast about it too, check out this episode here:

Why Protein Is a Game Changer

Protein is more than just a fitness buzzword. Here’s why it deserves centre stage in your diet:

1. Muscle and strength
   Once we hit our thirties, muscle mass tends to decline, and this accelerates when we reach menopause. Eating enough protein (combined with resistance exercise) helps prevent this decline, maintain strength, and protect our bones.

2. Fullness and appetite control
   Protein slows digestion and keeps you feeling fuller for longer, which can help reduce snacking and support weight loss.

3. Stable blood sugar and sustained energy
   A protein-balanced meal prevents rapid glucose spikes and crashes, leading to fewer energy slumps and cravings.

4. Recovery, repair & immunity
   Every cell in your body depends on amino acids from protein for repair, immune function, skin, hair, and more. After exercise, protein is crucial for muscle repair.

5. Metabolism, fat loss and toning up
   Protein has a higher thermic effect (energy cost to digest) than carbs or fats. This, alongside the fact it helps you build muscle, can boosts your metabolism, support fat loss, and (if you do strength training) lead to the slimmer, ‘toned’ look that many women are seeking.

How Much Protein Do We Need?

To keep things simple, aiming for around 100g of protein per day (or more) is a great target for many women.

You could also get more specific with this and multiply your target bodyweight in kg by 2, to get a target that suits your body and goals.

As an example, a goal weight of 70kg would be a target protein intake of 140g.

If this feels a bit too high, you can multiply your target bodyweight by 1.6 for a more achievable target that’s still beneficial. In this example: 70 x 1.6 = 112.

If your goal weight is 60kg, your protein range would be 120g if we multiply by 2 (or 96g if multiplying by 1.6).

For simplicity and achievability, I generally suggest aiming for at least 100g, and up to 150g depending on your preferences. More than that amount is often fine too, but can then mean protein is taking up the ‘calorie space’ of other key nutrients. So it’s better to cap it at 150g and then make sure you’re fueling yourself well with carbs and healthy fats too.

In my experience as a personal trainer and nutritionist, many women find they are eating less than 1o0g to start with, and increasing their intake makes a noticeable difference to how they feel.

How to Get Enough Protein Into Your Day

To hit at least 100 g protein in a day, this is a good rough structure to aim for:

• Breakfast: 25 – 45 g

• Lunch: 25 – 30 g

• Dinner: 25 – 45 g

• Snacks: 10 – 20 g total

Of course this doesn’t have to be perfect – it’s just helpful to spread it out like this where you can.  Keep scrolling for ideas on how to do this for each meal.

What IS a really good idea, is to get a decent amount of protein into your first meal (i.e. breakfast – whatever time that may be).

This gives your body a nice big dose of the amino acids (the ‘building blocks’ for our body) it’s been missing since you last ate, so it can continue working on repairing and maintaining muscle, strength, and healthy hormones.

Plus, the more protein you front-load (i.e. early in the day), the more stable your appetite and energy tend to be, and the less likely you are to overeat later.

High Protein Breakfast Ideas

Here’s an infographic from my Instagram page with some info and breakfast ideas.

And here are some other specific ideas – both animal and plant based.

Animal-based options (if you eat meat / dairy / eggs)

• Egg & cottage cheese scramble
  Scramble 2 whole eggs + 2 egg whites (~16 g) with ½ cup (120 g) low-fat cottage cheese (~14 g). Add spinach, tomato, herbs. Total: ~30 g.

• Greek yoghurt + protein oats
  Use 200 g full-fat or low-fat Greek yoghurt (~18–20 g) stirred with ½ cup oats cooked in milk (~6–8 g) + add a scoop of protein powder (~20 g). Total ~45 g.

• Smoked salmon & eggs on whole grain toast
  Two eggs (12–14 g) + 75 g smoked salmon (~15 g) over two slices of whole grain toast. Plus a small pot of Greek yoghurt or ricotta. Total ~35–40 g.

• Turkey or chicken sausage + eggs + beans
  Grilled lean turkey or chicken sausage (say 100 g, ~20 g protein) + 2 eggs (~12 g) + half-cup baked beans (~6 g) = ~38 g.

Vegetarian / plant-based options

You don’t need meat to hit high protein. Here are some vegetarian ideas:

• High-protein smoothie bowl
  Use Greek yoghurt or a plant-based high-protein yoghurt, a scoop of protein powder, milk (dairy or plant-based high-protein), oats, nut butter, seeds. You can easily land 25–35 g or more.

• Tofu scramble + legumes
  Crumble 150 g firm tofu (~16 g) and sauté with vegetables, then add 2 tablespoons of cooked lentils or beans (~4–6 g). Serve with wholegrain toast. You can boost with a sprinkle of hemp seeds (~6 g per 2 tbsp). Aim ~30 g.

• Paneer / cottage cheese breakfast bowl
  Use ~150 g paneer (~20 g) or cottage cheese, add sautéed vegetables, grains (quinoa, barley) or legumes, and top with seeds or nuts.

• Chickpea flour pancake + Greek yoghurt
  Make a thick pancake using chickpea (gram) flour (½ cup = ~10–12 g protein) and blend in protein powder or serve with a high-protein Greek yoghurt topping. Add nuts or seeds. Combined total can approach 25–30 g.

• Overnight oats + legumes / seeds
  Mix oats + milk or high-protein milk + yogurt + a scoop of protein powder + sprinkle of chia/hemp/flax/nut butter. Then add cooked edamame, beans or nuts. This layered approach can hit 25–35 g.

What about Protein Powder?

Whey protein (or vegan protein if preferred) can be an incredibly helpful option that makes it a lot easier to reach your protein target. It’s not essential, just very convenient, cost-effective, and many women like the taste of it.

Most (although not all) of my online coaching clients find protein powder works great for them to boost their intake at breakfast, or to have as a health-supporting snack to curb afternoon cravings.

I wrote all about it in a separate article, so you can find out lots more about it here:

Lunch, Dinner & Snacks: Practical Protein Strategies

After a strong protein breakfast, here are some ideas for the rest of your day.

And here are some more specific ideas…

Lunch (25-40 g protein)

• Grilled chicken or turkey salad with quinoa, beans, or lentils

• Tuna or salmon salad stuffed in a whole grain wrap

• Lentil or bean-based soup + side of Greek yoghurt or cheese

• Vegetarian stir-fry: tofu, tempeh or seitan + vegetables + brown rice / whole grain noodles

Dinner (25-45 g protein)

• Baked or grilled fish (salmon, cod, trout) + vegetables + a grain

• Lean meat (beef, pork, chicken) stir-fry or roast

• Vegetarian chilli: beans, lentils, textured soy protein

• Paneer / cottage cheese curry or grilled halloumi + legumes + vegetables

Snacks (10-20 g total)

• Greek yoghurt or other high protein yogurt (so many options in the supermarkets nowadays – look for SkyR, Arla, Kvarg, or anything that has around 20g protein for less than 200 calories)

• Cottage cheese + fruit

• Hard boiled eggs

• Edamame

• Protein bar or shake

• Reduced fat hummus + vegetable sticks or whole grain crackers

• Reduced fat cheese slices + whole grain toast

(Why reduced fat hummus or cheese? Mainly because to get enough protein from the full fat version of these foods, you’d need to have a serving size that would deliver a significant amount of extra calories too. This is fine if weight loss isn’t a goal – it’s just helpful to make the swap if you are aiming to lose weight).

By distributing protein across meals and snacks, you keep your body fed with amino acids throughout the day, optimising muscle health and helping you stay full.

Sample Day: ~100-110g Protein (Including a 25-45g Breakfast)

Here’s a sample day that hits ~100+ g protein:

Tips to Make High-Protein Eating Work in Real Life

1. Meal prep & batch cook
   Roast chicken, bake tofu or tempeh to snack on or add to meals, use pre-cooked tins of beans or microwave sachets of lentils, batch cook meals like a high protein chilli. Having protein ready saves time and makes it far easier to get into each meal.

2. Stock high-protein snacks
   Greek yogurt, boiled eggs, edamame, cottage cheese, beef jerky, meat or smoked salmon slices, protein bars for an occasional convenient on the go option, and protein powder are all great. Aim to keep at least one or two options handy for when you need them.

3. Mix plant + animal proteins
   Even if you eat meat, diversifying sources (legumes, dairy, eggs, plant proteins) gives you varied amino acids and extra nutrients.

4. Gradual increase
   If you’re currently getting, say, 50 g per day, increasing too fast may cause digestive discomfort. Adding an extra 10-20g daily is great to start with, then gradually build from there.

5. Hydrate and include fibre
   It’s always helpful to ensure you’re drinking enough water, plus eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains for good digestion.

6. Pair with strength training
   Protein works best when your body has stimulus (e.g. strength training) to maintain and build muscle.

7. Watch total calories & balance
   While protein is important, you still want a balanced intake of healthy fats, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

If you’d love to add strength training to your routine but don’t know where to start, check out my strength training plans here:

Get Strong – Stronger Through Menopause Strength Training Plans

How to Eat More Protein – Final Thoughts

Getting enough protein can make a huge difference to your energy, appetite, strength, and overall health. By aiming for around 100g daily, mixing both animal and vegetarian protein sources, and using protein powder when needed, you’ll feel fuller for longer, protect your muscles, and support your body through midlife and beyond.

Of course, knowing exactly how to put this into practice can feel overwhelming at times. That’s where working with a nutritionist and personal trainer can be so valuable. As both, I can help you find the right balance of protein for your goals and lifestyle, and guide you through strength training to maintain muscle, boost confidence, and live your best life for decades to come.

If you’d love to have personalised support with your nutrition and training, let’s make a plan that works for you.

You can find more about having me on your team here:

Online Weight Loss Coaching with Hayley