Smart Eating for Stronger Seniors: It’s About Protein

As women get older, their protein needs naturally go up. That’s because the body becomes less efficient at building and maintaining muscle — a process called anabolic resistance — and age‑related muscle loss (sarcopenia) starts to creep in. Getting enough protein helps protect strength, mobility, bone health, immune function, and even wound healing.

Most older adults do well with about 1.0–1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. Those who are frail or recovering from illness or injury may benefit from a bit more, around 1.2–1.5 g/kg. A helpful target is 25–40 grams of protein per meal, with an emphasis on leucine‑rich foods like dairy, eggs, lean meats, fish, soy, and legumes. Spreading protein evenly across meals and pairing it with resistance exercise makes it even more effective.

For most healthy seniors, a higher protein intake is perfectly fine. The main exception is people with advanced chronic kidney disease, who should check in with a clinician before increasing protein.

A few easy ways to boost daily intake: add Greek yogurt or cottage cheese to breakfast, stir nut butter into snacks, choose protein‑fortified shakes when needed, or toss extra beans and lentils into soups and salads.