If there’s one change that makes the biggest difference to how women feel in midlife, it isn’t a fancy supplement or a strict diet. It’s eating enough — and specifically, eating enough protein. It’s the least glamorous advice I give, and quietly the most powerful.

So let’s talk about food in menopause: what actually helps, what to stop worrying about, and why so much of what we were taught is working against us now.

Why we’re almost all under-eating protein

Most women I meet in midlife are eating far less protein than they need — often without realising it. A slice of toast, a coffee, a snatched lunch, a proper meal only at dinner. It got us through our thirties. But after 45, when we’re fighting to hold on to muscle, under-fuelling protein is one of the biggest reasons women feel weak, tired and soft despite doing everything “right.”

Protein is the raw material your body uses to maintain and build muscle. Do your strength training but skip the protein, and you’ve done half the job — like watering a plant you forgot to put in soil. The two work together.

How much, and how to get it

The practical target most experts point to for active midlife women is meaningfully more than the old official minimums — roughly 1.2 to 2 grams of protein per kilo of body weight a day, spread across your meals. If that sounds like a lot, that’s rather the point: most of us are starting from too little.

The simplest way to get there without maths: aim for a decent source of protein at every meal, not just dinner. Eggs, Greek yoghurt, fish, chicken, tofu, beans, lentils, a scoop of protein in a smoothie. Front-load it at breakfast especially — that’s the meal most of us skimp on, and getting protein in early helps with energy and cravings all day.

Stop under-eating overall

Here’s the reframe that surprises people: eating too little is often what’s keeping you stuck. When you chronically under-eat, your body reads it as a threat and slows things down — energy drops, sleep suffers, and it clings on rather than letting go. The 1,200-calorie plans so many women reach for in desperation usually backfire.

Eating enough — proper, satisfying meals built around protein and vegetables — is what gives you the energy to train, recover and actually feel human. Food is fuel, not the enemy.

The boring basics that do the heavy lifting

Beyond protein, the fundamentals are refreshingly simple:

Plenty of vegetables and fibre, for your gut, your fullness and steadier energy. Enough water. Calcium and vitamin D for your bones (worth a chat with your GP about whether you need to supplement, especially vitamin D in a British winter). And not being frightened of carbohydrates — you need them, particularly if you’re training.

None of it is a fad. All of it works. The magic is in doing the basics consistently, not in chasing the next trend.

Where creatine fits

Since I’m a pharmacologist and it always comes up: creatine sits alongside good food, not instead of it. A few grams a day supports the muscle you’re building with your training and your protein — a simple, well-evidenced extra on top of the fundamentals. It doesn’t replace eating properly; nothing does.

Keep it kind

You don’t need to overhaul your whole diet overnight. Pick one thing this week: add protein to your breakfast. Just that. Then next week, another small change. Kind, consistent, sustainable — that’s what actually lasts, and it’s a world away from the punishing diets midlife women are so often sold.

Eat enough. Prioritise protein. Look after the basics. Your energy, your strength and your mood will thank you — I promise.

Marleen Konijnenberg is a pharmacologist and Women’s Health & Fitness Coach, and founder of FemVital. Her 6-week course, Strong Through Menopause, includes simple protein and nutrition guides built for real midlife life.

General information, not medical or dietary advice. If you have a health condition or specific dietary needs, please check with your GP or a registered dietitian.