Why Protein Matters After 40 (And How Much You Actually Need)
← Back to Learn · By Kathryn Carter · Last updated: 16 August 2026
If you want the short answer: most women over 40 do well aiming for 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, spread across the day rather than loaded into dinner.
For a 70kg woman that's roughly 84 to 112 grams daily. The Australian RDI is 46 grams.
That gap is the point of this page.
The Australian RDI is a floor, not a target
The NHMRC Recommended Dietary Intake for protein is 46 grams per day, or 0.75g per kilogram, for women aged 19 to 70. It rises to 57 grams for women over 70.
Worth understanding what that number is for. An RDI is set to meet the needs of nearly all healthy people in a group — it's the amount that prevents deficiency. It is not the amount associated with best outcomes for maintaining muscle in midlife.
Think of it as the level below which you have a problem, rather than the level you're aiming for.
Why protein needs rise after 40
You lose muscle by default. From your thirties onward, women lose muscle mass steadily, and the rate accelerates through menopause as oestrogen declines. Oestrogen has a protective effect on muscle, and when it falls, that protection goes with it.
Your body responds less efficiently to protein. This is called anabolic resistance. The same amount of protein that triggered muscle building at 30 produces a smaller response at 50 — so you need somewhat more to get the same effect.
Muscle is doing more than you think. It's metabolically active tissue that burns energy at rest. It's what loads your bones and keeps them strong. It's what lets you carry shopping, get off the floor, and stay independent later. Losing it quietly makes everything else harder. More on bone health after 40.
How much protein you actually need
| Your weight | 1.2g/kg | 1.6g/kg |
|---|---|---|
| 55 kg | 66 g | 88 g |
| 60 kg | 72 g | 96 g |
| 65 kg | 78 g | 104 g |
| 70 kg | 84 g | 112 g |
| 75 kg | 90 g | 120 g |
| 80 kg | 96 g | 128 g |
Aim toward the lower end if you're mostly sedentary, and the higher end if you're doing regular resistance training or actively losing weight — because when you're in a calorie deficit, protein is what determines whether the weight you lose is fat or muscle.
If you have kidney disease or another condition affecting protein metabolism, check with your doctor before increasing intake substantially.
Distribution matters as much as the total
This is the part most people miss.
Your body can only use so much protein for muscle building at once. Eating 20 grams across breakfast and lunch and then 60 at dinner is meaningfully less effective than spreading the same 100 grams across three or four meals.
Aim for 25 to 30 grams at each main meal. That threshold is roughly where the muscle-building response reliably switches on in midlife.
What 25–30 grams actually looks like
| Food | Serve | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast | 100g cooked | ~31 g |
| Lean beef or lamb | 100g cooked | ~30 g |
| Salmon | 120g cooked | ~28 g |
| Tinned tuna | 1 large tin (185g) | ~30 g |
| Eggs | 3 large | ~19 g |
| Greek yoghurt | 200g tub | ~18 g |
| Cottage cheese | 150g | ~18 g |
| Firm tofu | 150g | ~17 g |
| Cooked lentils | 1 cup | ~18 g |
| Rolled oats | 1 cup cooked | ~6 g |
| Wholegrain toast | 1 slice | ~4 g |
Look at the bottom of that list. Oats and toast — the classic Australian breakfast — deliver about 10 grams between them.
The breakfast problem
Most women hit their protein target at dinner and miss it entirely at breakfast.
If you're aiming for 25 to 30 grams before 9am, that realistically means eggs plus something, Greek yoghurt with nuts and seeds, tinned fish on toast, or a shake. Cereal and milk won't get there. Toast and jam certainly won't.
Fixing breakfast alone often closes half the daily gap.
Protein, appetite and weight
Two things happen when protein goes up.
You feel fuller. Protein is more satiating than carbohydrate or fat, gram for gram. Most women find that eating more protein reduces snacking without any conscious effort to resist it.
You keep more muscle while losing fat. This matters enormously. Weight loss without adequate protein takes muscle with it, which lowers your resting energy expenditure and makes the weight easier to regain. It's a large part of why repeated dieting gets progressively harder.
More on why weight changes after 40 →
Where the MyPause Slim Down Shake fits
Hitting 90 to 110 grams a day from whole food is entirely possible. It's also a lot of cooking, and breakfast is usually where it falls apart.
One serve (56g) of Women's Slim Down Shake provides:
| Per 56g serve | |
|---|---|
| Protein | 30.4 g |
| Dietary fibre | 6.9 g |
| Energy | 918 kJ (219 Cal) |
| Sugars | 2.9 g |
| Sodium | 505 mg |
| Vitamins and minerals | ~25% of the daily value across 16 nutrients |
Gluten, dairy and soy free. Made with certified organic pea protein, cocoa and coconut sugar. Packed in Australia from imported ingredients.
Two things worth knowing. At 505mg per serve, sodium is not trivial — if you're watching blood pressure or having two serves a day, factor it in. And a shake is a convenience, not a nutritional upgrade on a well-built meal. Its value is that it makes the target achievable on the mornings when cooking isn't going to happen.
Formulated meal replacement. Use as part of a kilojoule-controlled diet and regular physical activity.
Explore Slim Down Shake → · How to choose a meal replacement shake →
Common questions
How much protein should a woman over 40 eat per day?
Around 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight — roughly 84 to 112 grams for a 70kg woman. The Australian RDI of 46g per day is a deficiency-prevention floor, not an optimal target for maintaining muscle in midlife.
Is 100g of protein a day too much for a woman?
For most healthy women over 40, no — it sits within the range associated with maintaining muscle. If you have kidney disease or another relevant condition, check with your doctor first.
Can I get enough protein without supplements?
Yes. It takes planning, particularly at breakfast. Supplements are a convenience for closing gaps, not a requirement.
Does protein help with weight loss during menopause?
It supports two things that matter for weight management: satiety, and preserving lean muscle while you're in a calorie deficit. It isn't a weight-loss agent on its own, and it works alongside a kilojoule-controlled diet and regular activity.
When should I eat protein?
Spread across the day, aiming for 25 to 30 grams at each main meal. Breakfast is where most women fall short.