ad. I turned 40 last month. And like a lot of women at that milestone, I’ve started paying attention to things I’d been half-aware of for years but never really done anything about. Nutrition is one of them.
I’d always eaten plenty of protein: chicken, eggs, Greek yoghurt, that sort of thing. But I’d never actually thought about whether I was eating enough of it, or whether my needs might have shifted as I’ve got older. It turns out they have. Quite significantly.
This post is in partnership with Naked Nutrition, who sent me their Grass-Fed Whey Protein Powder to try. There’s a recipe at the bottom if you want to skip straight there, but I’d read the why first — it changed how I think about what I eat.
Why Protein for Women Over 40 Is Important
The first thing that surprised me when I started looking into this properly was how early the changes begin. From our thirties, we start to lose muscle mass gradually, and that rate increases after 40. This age-related muscle loss, sarcopenia if you want the clinical term, touches more than just how strong you feel. Muscle mass shapes your metabolic rate, your body composition, your bone density, and how easily you stay active as you age.
Then there’s something called anabolic resistance. When we’re younger, our muscles respond efficiently to protein: eat enough, and your body uses it well for muscle protein synthesis. As we get older, that process becomes less efficient. Our muscles need a stronger signal to do the same job, which means we need to eat more protein to achieve the same result as a younger woman eating less. Not slightly more. A fair bit more.
The hormonal changes compound this. Oestrogen plays a significant role in muscle maintenance and lean body mass, and as it declines through perimenopause and beyond, the effect on body composition can be noticeable even if nothing else has changed in your diet or activity level. Postmenopausal women are particularly affected, but the shift starts earlier than most of us expect. It’s not your imagination. It’s biology, and understanding it helps.
Bone health is another piece of it. Most people associate bone density with calcium and vitamin D, and both matter, but dietary protein also contributes to bone strength and the connective tissue that supports it. Adequate protein intake is linked to better bone health outcomes in older women, which is worth knowing if osteoporosis is something you think about.
From a metabolic health perspective, protein also supports blood sugar regulation and insulin sensitivity, and maintaining muscle mass through higher protein intake keeps your metabolic rate healthier as you age. There’s also evidence that it plays a role in immune system function and hormone regulation in ways that go well beyond just building muscle. It’s all connected, and the more I’ve read, the more I understand why the focus on protein for active women in their forties has increased so much in recent years.
How Much Protein Do Women Over 40 Actually Need?
The general recommendation is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. That’s the baseline, and it’s designed to prevent deficiency rather than optimise health. For older women, and particularly active women, the current thinking is that this figure is too low.
A more realistic daily protein intake for women over 40 who are active is somewhere between 1.2 and 2 grams per kilogram of body weight. If you’re doing any strength training or resistance training — which is one of the best things you can do for muscle preservation as you age — you want to be towards the higher end of that range.
To put that in practical terms: for a woman weighing 65kg, that’s between 78g and 130g of protein a day. Most women aren’t hitting that. I wasn’t.
It’s also worth spreading your protein intake across the day rather than loading it into one meal. Your body can only use so much at once for muscle synthesis, so hitting your daily protein goal across three or four meals is more effective for lean mass than eating the same amount in one sitting.
Whole Foods First, Then Fill the Gaps
My approach is to build as much of my protein as possible from whole foods: eggs, chicken, fish, dairy products, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese. These are all complete proteins, meaning they contain the full profile of essential amino acids your body needs but can’t make itself. If you eat mostly plant-based foods, you can absolutely get there too, though plant protein sources often need to be combined to hit a complete amino acid profile — lentils with rice, for example, or tofu with edamame.
The reality of reaching 100g+ of protein per day from food alone is that it takes planning, and some days it just doesn’t happen. That’s where a good quality supplement comes in — not as a replacement for protein-rich foods or a balanced diet, but as a practical top-up when you’re short.
About the Naked Nutrition Grass-Fed Whey Protein Powder
Naked Nutrition’s Grass-Fed Whey Protein is what I’ve been using over the past few weeks. Whey protein is a complete protein with a full essential amino acid profile, including leucine, which plays a key role in triggering muscle protein synthesis. It’s also absorbed quickly, which makes it useful post-workout when your muscles are ready to use it.
The grass-fed sourcing matters to me. Grass-fed dairy products tend to have a better nutritional profile than conventionally farmed equivalents, and for something I’m adding to food regularly, I’d rather know the quality is good. It works well as a protein shake, but I’ve mostly been using it in cooking, which the recipe below will show you.
Courgette & Protein Omelette
A fluffier, higher-protein take on a courgette omelette. The protein powder loosens and puffs the eggs rather than bulking them out, so it doesn’t taste like a supplement — it just tastes like a really good omelette.
Serves: 1
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 15g unflavoured whey protein powder
- 2 tbsp water or milk
- 100g courgette, thinly sliced or grated
- 30g cheddar or feta, crumbled or grated
- 1 spring onion, sliced
- 1 tsp butter or olive oil
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Method
- Whisk the protein powder with the water or milk in a small bowl until smooth and lump-free.
- Crack in the eggs, add the salt and pepper, and whisk everything together until fully combined.
- Melt the butter or oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the courgette and cook for 2 minutes until just softened.
- Pour in the egg mixture, tilting the pan to spread it evenly. Cook for 2 minutes until the edges start to set.
- Scatter the cheese and spring onion over one half, then fold the omelette over. Cook for 1 more minute until the cheese melts and the centre is set but still soft.
- Slide onto a plate and eat straight away.
Notes: Always whisk the protein powder with a splash of liquid before adding the eggs — it stops it clumping in the pan. If using grated courgette, squeeze out any excess water first or the omelette will steam rather than set. Whey works well here; just make sure you’re using unflavoured.
Final Thoughts
If you’re around the same age and haven’t thought much about your daily protein needs, it’s worth a look. The gap between what most of us eat and what’s actually recommended for women our age is bigger than I expected.
Have you started paying more attention to protein intake as you’ve got older? I’d love to know in the comments.