7-Day Menopause Meal Plan: High Protein, High Fibre and Easy

One of our customers emailed us last month. She'd received her shakes, understood the idea of swapping a meal or two, and then asked the question that matters: so what do I eat the rest of the time?

This is the answer. A 7-day meal plan built for women in perimenopause and menopause, with a shake for breakfast, real food for everything else, and the protein and fibre counted for you. There are two versions: one shake a day, or two.

How the plan works

One shake a day replaces breakfast, the meal most of us skip or eat standing up. Lunch, an afternoon snack and dinner are real food. Each day lands between 105 and 112 g of protein and 30 and 39 g of fibre.

Two shakes a day replaces breakfast and lunch, with fruit or crunchy veg alongside the lunch shake so it feels like a meal. You still eat two snacks and a proper dinner every night. Days land between 107 and 124 g of protein and 37 and 41 g of fibre. Never replace dinner as well.

Dinners take 35 minutes or less and serve four, so there's a serve left over for tomorrow's lunch. Everything is food you'll find at Woolworths or Coles.

The two numbers the plan is built on

Protein: 1.2 to 1.6 g for every kilogram you weigh, spread across the day at around 25 to 30 g a meal. For a 70 kg woman that's 84 to 112 g. The Australian recommended dietary intake is 46 g a day, which is the amount that prevents a shortfall, not the amount to aim for in midlife.¹ How to work out your number →

Fibre: 25 g a day is the Australian adequate intake for women, and most of us don't reach it.¹ Every day in this plan lands above it. If you're used to less, build up slowly and drink more water. Why fibre matters more after 40 →

Your week at a glance: one shake a day

Swap any dinner for another, any snack for one from the list below, and any shake for another recipe. The numbers stay close.

Protein and fibre are estimates for the whole day, calculated from typical Australian food values and the shake's nutrition panel.² The two-shake week is in the PDF.

Day one, in full

• 7:00am · Breakfast: Iced vanilla latte shake. 37 g protein, 7 g fibre.
• 12:30pm · Lunch: Tuna, white bean & rocket salad. 31 g protein, 10 g fibre.
• 3:30pm · Snack: Apple & peanut butter. 4 g protein, 5 g fibre.
• 6:30pm · Dinner: Lemon-oregano chicken & chickpea traybake. 39 g protein, 10 g fibre.

That's 111 g of protein and 31 g of fibre, without counting anything.

Seven dinners, all under 35 minutes

• Lemon-oregano chicken & chickpea traybake · 35 min · about 39 g protein and 10 g fibre a serve
• Barramundi with lemony white beans & broccolini · 20 min · about 41 g protein and 13 g fibre a serve
• Beef & black bean tacos with lime slaw · 25 min · about 38 g protein and 12 g fibre a serve
• Miso salmon bowls · 25 min · about 36 g protein and 9 g fibre a serve
• Garlic prawn, mango & quinoa salad · 20 min · about 36 g protein and 9 g fibre a serve
• Lamb backstrap, smashed sweet potato & minted peas · 30 min · about 36 g protein and 9 g fibre a serve
• Sticky sesame tofu & greens · 25 min · about 32 g protein and 9 g fibre a serve

Full ingredients and methods for each are in the free PDF.

What to snack on in between

Pick snacks that bring protein, fibre or both, so they actually hold you until the next meal.

• Greek yoghurt, berries & chia: 150 g plain Greek yoghurt, 80 g berries, 1 tsp chia seeds (15 g protein, 5 g fibre)
• Two boiled eggs & tomatoes: 2 boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper (14 g protein, 2 g fibre)
• Cottage cheese & mango: 100 g cottage cheese, 80 g mango, 1 tsp pepitas (13 g protein, 2 g fibre)
• Salted edamame: 1 cup edamame in pods (about 100 g shelled), sea salt (11 g protein, 5 g fibre)
• Crispbreads & cottage cheese: 2 rye crispbreads, 60 g cottage cheese, sliced tomato, pepper (9 g protein, 4 g fibre)
• Hummus & crunchy veg: 50 g hummus with carrot, cucumber and capsicum sticks (6 g protein, 7 g fibre)
• Pear & almonds: 1 pear and a small handful (20 g) of almonds (5 g protein, 8 g fibre)
• Kiwi fruit & walnuts: 2 kiwi fruit and a small handful (15 g) of walnuts (4 g protein, 6 g fibre)

Seven ways to change up your shake

Each is one serve (2 scoops) of Women's Slim Down Shake. Always use cold liquid, never hot. Adding milk, yoghurt or fruit adds protein and fibre, and energy too.

• Iced vanilla latte (Creamy Vanilla): 200 ml cold milk of your choice, 1 shot espresso, cooled (or 100 ml cold brew), ice.
• Blueberry blend (Creamy Vanilla): 300 ml cold water or milk, 100 g frozen blueberries, 4 ice cubes.
• Chocolate banana (Double Chocolate): ½ frozen banana, 250 ml cold milk, 4 ice cubes, 1 tsp cacao nibs (optional).
• Mango & passionfruit (Creamy Vanilla): 300 ml cold water, 100 g frozen mango, pulp of 1 passionfruit, squeeze of lime.
• Salted caramel & linseed (Smooth Caramel): 350 ml cold water, 1 tbsp ground linseed (flaxseed meal), pinch of cinnamon and sea salt, ice.
• Choc-mint green (Double Chocolate): 300 ml cold water, big handful baby spinach, 6 mint leaves, ice.
• Shake & yoghurt bowl (Vanilla or Caramel): 150 g plain Greek yoghurt, 50 ml milk or water, 80 g berries, 1 tbsp pepitas.

Seven habits that make it easier

• Set up a shake station. Shaker next to the kettle, tin open, ice trays full. Most routines don't fall apart in week three. They fall apart at 7:10 on a Tuesday, so take the decision out of the morning.
• Protein first. Build every meal around 25–30 g of protein, then add veg and a little slow carb. Protein keeps you fuller for longer and supports muscle, which matters more after 40.
• Eat with the sun. Finish your last meal by sunset, then close the kitchen. In Sydney that's about 7:15pm in October and 8pm by December. Eating two or three hours before bed is gentler on sleep and reflux.
• Go slow with fibre. If you're used to less, build up by about 5 g a week and drink plenty of water as you go. Aim for around 2 litres a day, more on hot days or after a walk.
• Cook once, eat twice. Every dinner here serves four. Feeding one or two? The rest is lunch. Tonight's salmon becomes tomorrow's bowl.
• Walk after you eat. A 10-minute walk after a meal is one of the easiest habits there is. Do it after dinner while it's still light: around the block, the beach or the park.
• Sunday reset. Ten minutes now saves an hour next week. Boil six eggs, wash greens, cook a pot of rice and write next week's dinners on the fridge.

Before you start

This plan is general information, not personalised medical or dietary advice. Protein and fibre needs vary with age, health and activity. If you have kidney disease, diabetes or a diagnosed gut condition, or you take medication affected by what you eat, check with your doctor first. For a plan built around you, see your GP or an Accredited Practising Dietitian.

Women's Slim Down Shake is a formulated meal replacement. It contributes to weight loss or weight maintenance only when consumed as part of a diet reduced in energy and including regular exercise. Not suitable as a total diet replacement. Not suitable for infants, children or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Get the free meal plan