The FitBtch perimenopause protein cheat sheet

We're constantly wanging on about this, to the point it's been a running joke in our blogs, but it's bloody important, nay, CRUCIAL for optimal health in midlife to eat enough protein. Protein supports muscle, offsetting sarcopenia (see our last blog), helping you feel full and see off snacking temptation and generally boosting mood and energy.

So here it is.

The FitBtch (Possibly) Patented Protein Cheat Sheet For Midlife Women™️

Sub-head: Because hitting 100g a day doesn’t have to mean bankrupting yourself on chicken breasts or living off cottage cheese and despair (although both feature, obv).

Let's get into it.

How much you actually need

Unless you're doing absolutely loads of exercise and strength training, aim for around 1.5–2g per kg of bodyweight. That's roughly 70–100g a day for most women.

You don’t need to weigh your food or track this sh*t obsessively. Just aim for a solid serving of protein at every meal, with a little extra thrown in somewhere in the day.

A good rough guide is:

Breakfast: 25–30g

Lunch: 25–30g

Dinner: 25–30g

Snack or shake: 15–25g

Here's a handy dandy table.

Meal	Protein source	Approx. protein
Breakfast	200g 0% Skyr or FAGE + berries + seeds	25g
Mid-morning	Protein shake (20–25g scoop whey or vegan blend)	20g
Lunch	Chicken breast or tin of tuna + big salad	30g
Afternoon	Two boiled eggs or a Babybel Light + handful of edamame	12–15g
Dinner	120g salmon, lean mince, tofu or Quorn + veg	30g
Total	≈ 90–100g

Some easy swaps to bump that total up.

• Sack off cereal or toast for eggs or a smoothie/overnight oats with protein powder.

• A big spoon of cottage cheese is a hero, and/or choose high-protein yoghurts such as Skyr, FAGE, Oikos, or Alpro Protein if you're a dairy-free slag.

• Smash a protein shake when you’re short on time. Yes they're a bit of a cheat code but absolutely not a failure. Our fave brands are Innermost, Form & MyProtein.

• Add edamame, lentils, or chickpeas to salads or soups.

• Good grab and go snacks include jerky/dried meat, boiled eggs or chunks of light cheese.

• When eating out, try to always think, “Where’s the protein?” If you're trying to drop fat, prioritise lean servings like fish, eggs, chicken, tofu. Even a double portion if needed.

The lowdown on shakes

If hitting your goals with food feels hard, protein shakes are a brilliant backup, and absolutely not a cop-out. Whey protein is the MVP, it's creamy, easy and widely available, quick to digest. However, vegan blends are also really good these days – look for pea and rice, which together make a complete protein.

Mix powders with your chosen milk for an extra 10g boost, and add frozen fruit, veg, oats, or nut butter if you want it more meal-like. Perfect breakfast for those who don't have time to chew of a morning.

One quick example:

1 scoop whey + 250ml semi-skimmed milk + ½ banana + ice = ~30g protein.

There's a brilliant and more substantial breakfast smoothie recipe in our 28-Day Reset Challenge.

Hate tables and text? No probs, here's a quick visual cheat guide:

Omnivores:

• Palm-sized piece/pile of meat, fish, or tofu = approx 25–30g

• Cup of Greek yoghurt (usually we hate American-style 'cup' measures but actually it's useful to have a set of them for things like yog) = ~20g

• 100g cottage cheese = ~15g

• Two eggs = ~12g

• Scoop of protein powder = ~20–25g

• 2 slices high-protein bread or wrap = ~10g

Veggies/vegans:

• 150g tofu or tempeh = ~20–25g

• 1 cup (told you) lentils or chickpeas = ~10–15g

• 1 cup edamame = ~15–18g

• 1 scoop vegan protein powder blend (pea + rice) = ~20–25g

  
  

Mindset stuff

Unlike what we may have thought in the past, protein isn’t about bulking up. It’s about keeping you full so you’re not raiding the biscuit tin and supporting muscle, which keeps metabolism steady. Protein helps with boosting energy, recovery from injury or just after workouts (take that, DOMS) and even helps improve your mood. It's not a bodybuilder thing. It’s a midlife non-negotiable.

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How to get started

It's good to start off small and realistic. Pick one meal a day to protein-proof first. Try to hit that one meal's protein quota every day for a week. Once that’s nailed, move on to the next meal. Small, consistent upgrades beat all-or-nothing, every time. If you need a hand hold or rather someone to tell you what to do so you don't even have to think about it – our previously mentioned 28-Day Reset Challenge is tailor-made for this strategy. Changing one meal at a time and introducing workouts in a realistic and achievable way.

Tracking is also helpful, especially if you’ve got no idea how much protein you’re actually eating. Try tracking it for a few days - purely for awareness, not perfection.

Use an app like MyFitnessPal to make it easy.

Most women are surprised to see how little protein they actually get once they look into it. But remember: protein isn’t only in meat and other famously-heavy protein foods, it’s in wholegrain breads, oats, lentils, beans and veg too. If you track, you can spot the gaps, then top them up with an extra scoop of yoghurt here, an egg there, or a protein shake if you need to go a little more hardcore.

The final word: members get full access to our Nutrition Hub as well as our 28-Day Reset and all our muscle and midlife-supporting fitness plans. You know where to find the joining link.

It's here.