Ask most women over 50 how much protein they need and the answer is a shrug, or a number they remember from a diet in the nineties. The figure printed on labels, 50 grams a day, was set as a minimum for an average sedentary adult. It was never a target for a woman in midlife trying to keep her muscle, her energy, and her appetite steady.
The number
Research groups focused on ageing have converged on a higher range for adults past middle age: roughly 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, with more for those who are active or recovering from illness (Bauer et al., 2014). For a woman of 68 kilograms, that is 68 to 82 grams a day. Spread across three meals, it is about 25 grams per meal.
That is the number. Not a heroic bodybuilding figure; a steady 25 grams, three times a day.
Why gluten-free eating falls short
Wheat contributes more protein to the average diet than people realise. Bread, pasta, and cereal are quiet sources. Their gluten-free replacements are made from rice, tapioca, corn, and potato starches with very little protein at all (Vici et al., 2016). A woman who swaps her wheat products for gluten-free versions and changes nothing else can lose 10 to 15 grams of daily protein without noticing.
At 30 the body forgave that. After 50, with estrogen falling and muscle harder to keep, it does not.
What 25 grams looks like
Three eggs. A cup of Greek yoghurt or cottage cheese. A palm-sized piece of chicken, fish, or tofu. A cup of cooked lentils plus a tablespoon of seeds. A scoop of a gluten-free protein powder in milk.
Not a large amount. The difficulty is not quantity; it is remembering to put it on the plate first, at every meal, including breakfast and lunch, where it usually goes missing.
A plate-by-plate week
Breakfast: eggs and greens, or yoghurt with seeds. Lunch: leftovers from dinner, or a tin of sardines or salmon on a salad, or a lentil soup with a boiled egg. Snack: cottage cheese, a hard cheese with an apple, roasted chickpeas. Dinner: protein first on the plate, vegetables second, starch last and smallest.
Batch-cooking protein on Sunday, a tray of chicken thighs, a pot of lentils, a dozen boiled eggs, makes the weekday version almost automatic. I cover the ninety-minute version of that in a separate post next month.
Two cautions
If you have been told to limit protein, or you manage a kidney condition, ask your healthcare provider what range is right for you. And for those with celiac disease, a protein powder must say gluten-free on the label; many are processed alongside wheat-based products.
Protein-first, done for you. The free 5-Day Gluten-Free Reset hits 25 grams at every meal without a calculator. Nothing to count, nothing to weigh. Get the free guide.
From a celiac herbalist and food educator.
References
Bauer J, Biolo G, Cederholm T, et al. Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: a position paper from the PROT-AGE Study Group. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 2014;15(8):542–559.
Vici G, Belli L, Biondi M, Polzonetti V. Gluten free diet and nutrient deficiencies: A review. Clinical Nutrition. 2016;35(6):1236–1241.
Paddon-Jones D, Rasmussen BB. Dietary protein recommendations and the prevention of sarcopenia. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. 2009;12(1):86–90.
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This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Gil Gavrilovic is a Holistic Health Practitioner and Herbalist and is not state-licensed, state-certified, or state-registered as a Colorado health-care professional. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.
