Protein is having a major moment right now. You’ve likely come across advice pushing very high daily intakes. You may have heard that women over 40 aren’t getting enough. And you’ve probably noticed protein being added to just about everything – from bars and cereals to yoghurts, drinks and desserts, even foods that were never short on protein in the first place. It’s no wonder it feels a bit overwhelming.

Protein is important. It supplies the amino acids your body relies on for muscle maintenance, repair, neurotransmitter creation, immune support, blood sugar regulation and countless other functions happening every second.

Yet, for many people, protein isn’t the missing link it’s often made out to be.

Before you make dietary protein the whole story…

In my clinical experience, most people are already getting a reasonable amount of protein across the day. It might not be absolutely spot on but generally they are doing ok. Part of what informs our understanding of dietary protein requirements are some inspiring processes that are going on inside you without you giving them any direction.

Did you know that no matter your age, adults make about 300g of new proteins every day? Each protein in the body is undergoing what’s known as “turnover”. You may have heard me speak or write about how cells have a lifespan. For example, some of the cells that line your digestive system live for only a day or two, while certain bone cells live for two decades. It’s the same for proteins – they too have different lifespans. There are proteins the liver makes that are replaced every hour, some muscle proteins will be replaced every 45 days and connective tissue proteins, like those in our knee joints, are replaced every six months or so. Dr Donald Layman’s work (as heard on Simon Hill’s podcast, The Proof) took my knowledge of this further and adds to our awe-inspiring understanding of these concepts, noting that about four times every year we’ve replaced the equivalent of every protein in our body. All of this is taken into consideration when it comes to guidelines for how much dietary protein we need to consume because the amino acids that make up the protein we eat are needed to build all of our body proteins.

It’s also important to consider a bigger dietary picture, that contributes to how your body might use amino acids (protein) along with your general wellbeing. I have met too many women lately who literally only eat with a focus on protein-containing foods. Breakfast is a protein shake or one or two protein bars. Lunch is a piece of cold cooked chicken, a few boiled eggs or protein bars/shake and dinner is a piece of meat, poultry or fish. When I ask how they feel, very few answer the question. The reply I commonly receive is some version of “I thought this was how we are supposed to eat these days.” So beyond protein, it is really helpful to consider:

• Am I eating enough real food?
• Am I getting enough vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, essential fats, and colourful plants with all of their unique compounds?
• Am I giving my body the broad spectrum of micronutrients it needs, rather than focusing on one macronutrient at the expense of everything else?

Because when one nutrient gets all the attention, other equally essential nutrients can quietly get crowded out. Nutrients such as iron, zinc, iodine, selenium, vitamin B12 (alongside the other B vitamins), vitamin C and essential fatty acids are also essential for energy, hormone health, immune function, brain function and so much more.

Don’t fall for the protein halo

Manufacturers are very quick to jump on a trend, and right now protein is a very marketable word. Yet, adding protein to a highly processed food does not automatically make it nourishing. A protein-fortified bar, cereal, yoghurt or dessert may still be low in micronutrients, high in fake food ingredients, and far-removed from the foods your body recognises best. You cannot beat whole, real foods. Eggs, fish, poultry, meat, lentils, beans, tofu, tempeh, nuts and seeds bring more than just protein to the table. They offer a matrix of nourishment that fortified products simply can’t replicate.

Is there a better way to think about protein?

I’d love protein to feel less like a panic point and more like a practical check-in.

• Am I including a quality source of protein with most meals?
• Am I eating enough overall?
• Am I building meals that support steadiness, satisfaction and nourishment?
• Am I focusing on food quality, not just one number?

That is where I would begin.

How much protein do you actually need?

There isn’t one perfect number for everyone. Your protein needs are influenced by your age, size, activity level, muscle mass, health picture, appetite, digestive capacity, unique biochemistry and what else is happening in your life. Our current understanding is that 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is the range. If you are an athlete or train like one, you potentially need more. It’s more accurate if we know someone’s lean body mass to reference their protein requirements, but we tend not to know that so we benchmark it against total body weight. Body composition concerns can arise in a weight loss setting if protein intake goes below 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight.

Let’s put that in real world terms. If you weigh 70kg, 1.2g/kg body weight is 84 grams protein per day. If you go for 1.5g/kg body weight it’s 105 grams of protein. An egg contains about 6.3g, 220g of meat, poultry or fish gives you 50g protein, 100g lentils provides 9g protein and 1 cup of edamame has 17g protein. Nothing in nature is 100 per cent protein. The highest a food gets is 25 per cent protein (animal flesh) and I can’t help but wonder if we were supposed to eat huge amounts of protein, there would be more concentrated “offerings” in nature. The metabolic byproducts of protein metabolism include ammonia which we don’t want to accumulate inside us. The liver converts ammonia into urea which the kidneys then allow to exit the body via urine. So robust liver and kidney function are important pieces of protein metabolism.

Social media is having a moment where most people are marketed to as if they are an athlete, without this always being said, leading many women to think they need much more protein than they do. Many women describe feeling “pressured” to eat “so much protein” and they stress about not hitting these targets. There’s no health in stressing plus when we zone in on one macronutrient, we can miss having a more ideal overall dietary pattern which is after all, what actually contributes the most to our wellbeing.

So rather than chasing a number you saw online, start by looking at your meals.

• Is there a quality source of protein there most of the time?
• Are you eating enough overall?
• Do you feel steady, satisfied and well nourished?
• Are you recovering well from movement?
• Are you maintaining and/or building muscle?
• Do you have the energy to live the life you’re asking your body to live?

Those answers are often far more helpful than trying to force your body into a target that may not be appropriate for you.

Do protein needs change around perimenopause?

Around perimenopause, it can become more important to pay attention to the nutritional foundations that support muscle, blood sugar steadiness, recovery and body composition. Protein can absolutely be part of that – but it is not the whole story. We still need minerals, vitamins, fibre, essential fats and the micronutrients that support hormone metabolism, nervous system function and energy production.

Do you need to count protein grams?

Counting can quickly become another source of pressure and noise in an already rowdy world. A simpler place to start is this: include a quality source of protein with most meals, then build the rest of the plate with colourful plants, wholefood carbohydrates, nourishing fats and the flavours (like spices and herbs) that make food enjoyable. People tend to have a love-hate relationship with counting. If you feel it supports you, go for it. If you feel it traps you in dieting mentality or adds to your stress, do not count and simply build a nutritious plate that contains a protein-rich food for yourself at each meal.

Is animal protein better?

Animal protein foods tend to contain iron, zinc and vitamin B12, along with other nutrients. While vitamin B12 is not naturally found in plant foods, the other minerals are there but they aren’t typically as well absorbed from plant foods as they are from animal foods. But that doesn’t mean all protein needs to be animal-sourced. Some women feel best with animal protein included regularly. Others do well with a more plant-focused approach when it is thoughtfully put together.

The question isn’t “which camp should I be in?” It’s “what does my body need, and am I giving it enough of the nutrients it relies on?”. Notice how you feel. If you eat very little or no animal protein, it’s worth being more conscious of nutrients such as iron, zinc and vitamin B12. Not because plant-based eating can’t be nourishing, but because it needs to be considered rather than accidental.

What about protein powders?

Protein powders can be useful in certain situations. They may help someone who struggles to eat enough, has higher requirements or needs a convenient option when whole food isn’t available. But protein powder is not a magic health food – and it is not automatically better than food. In fact, it’s highly processed and some come packaged with artificial ingredients and excipients that are undesirable to consume consistently. It is what we do every day that impacts our health, not what we occasionally do and I reiterate this, as many people I meet get into a habit of relying on protein powders rather than just having the odd one here and there.

Most whole foods that contain protein also bring other nutrients with them. Eggs bring choline and fat-soluble nutrients. Fish brings omega-3 fats. Lentils bring fibre and minerals. Nuts and seeds bring minerals and fats. Meat brings iron, zinc and B12. Tofu and tempeh bring calcium alongside protein. Protein powder usually brings protein. That may be useful in some circumstances, but it is not the same as a meal. If you use one, I’d encourage you to see it as a tool, not a foundation, and look for options that don’t come with fillers, artificial sweeteners or other fake food additives.

What are the signs you may not be getting enough protein?

Some possible clues include feeling hungry soon after meals, struggling to feel satisfied, “food noise” in your head (constantly thinking about food, although this can have emotional roots), poor recovery from exercise, loss of strength, declining or low muscle mass or finding that your meals are mostly made up of carbohydrates with very little protein-rich food included. But these signs are not specific to protein alone.

Fatigue, poor recovery, low mood, cravings and blood sugar dips can also be influenced by sleep, stress hormones, iron status, thyroid function, overall energy intake, digestive health and the quality of your food more broadly. This is why I’m cautious about reducing everything to one macronutrient and encourage you to focus on eating nourishing, hearty, satiating meals.