Benefits Of Protein For Women & Weight Loss

The benefits of protein for women are impressive. It can help with weight loss, improved health, muscle, energy, and more. Learn more about this vital macronutrient and print your free high-protein grocery list!

Everyone is talking about protein, but my experience started long before it was trendy. Last year, I wrote a post about my menopause journey. One of the things that had a profound effect on how I felt and my weight was protein. There’s so much information out there that it’s overwhelming. In this post, let’s discuss why we all need it and the impressive benefits of protein! We’ll also discuss some lazy ways to get protein because increasing your protein intake doesn’t have to be complicated. The easier you make it, the more likely you are to hit your goals. Be sure to scroll all the way to the end for your free high-protein grocery list PDF!

Like so many other women going through menopause and perimenopause, my first symptom of menopause was weight gain. It just kept coming, and nothing I was doing was working. I was limiting calories, walking SO much, and doing everything that I thought was right. What I wasn’t doing was giving my body what it needed.

As soon as I started incorporating 100 grams of protein daily, the numbers on the scale almost immediately started going down. That was nearly two years ago, and the weight has not returned. In fact, the only time my weight starts to creep up is when I’m slacking on my protein. I gave my body what it needed, and it responded quickly, bringing me to my next point.

Health and wellness are not one-size-fits-all. What works for me may not work for you. This isn’t medical advice. I’m sharing my journey with protein and how it significantly impacted my weight and how I felt in hopes that it will help you.

Benefits Of Protein For Women

Let’s understand why it’s necessary. Protein is a vital macronutrient that’s crucial in maintaining overall health. The body needs protein to build muscle, repair tissue, boost metabolism, control appetite, and more.

You don’t have to be a menopausal woman to appreciate this post. As you read about the benefits of protein below, you’ll see that it can help many people. Athletes, bodybuilders, anyone struggling with their weight, older adults, people recovering from illness or injury, pregnant and breastfeeding women, vegetarians, and vegans can benefit from increasing their protein intake.

Lastly, I have numerous high-protein recipes on the site. Some of my favorites are my cottage cheese bowls, homemade Italian chicken sausage, and high-protein chicken salad recipes!

Benefits Of Eating Protein

• Protein Builds Muscle Mass. Protein is the building block of muscle growth and repair. As women age, they tend to lose muscle mass, particularly after menopause. Incorporating protein, along with strength training, can help.
• Eating Protein Keeps You Full. Protein triggers hunger-related hormones that signal your brain that you’re full while decreasing the hormone that stimulates hunger. It also takes longer to digest carbohydrates, slowing gastric emptying. This means that food stays in your stomach longer, prolonging the feeling of fullness.
• Protein Gives You Energy. Carbohydrates can give you an instant surge of energy, but they can also give you a “crash” where you’ll feel tired and hungry. Protein helps stabilize blood sugar by slowing digestion, leading to more steady, sustained energy.
• Eating Protein Burns Fat. Digesting protein requires more energy than carbohydrates or fats. During digestion, protein burns 20 to 30% of its calories compared to 5 to 10% for carbohydrates and 0 to 3% for fats. Eating more protein literally means you’re burning more calories.

How Much Protein Do You Really Need?

Many online tools can help you calculate your needs, but the recommended amount for basic survival is 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight. The recommended amount of protein for muscle gain, which is my goal during perimenopause and beyond, is 0.73–1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight. I shoot for one gram of protein per pound of body weight, which is easy math!

What Are The Best Sources Of Protein

The best protein sources are the ones you will actually eat! Read that again.

We won’t know the benefits of protein if we aren’t actually getting it, and I have found that the easier you make it, the more likely you are to stick to it. I’m sharing my favorites below—the foods I always have on hand. I focus on easy protein sources that are either ready-to-eat or require minimal effort.

On The Go Protein Options

Here are some of my favorite high-protein snacks. Sometimes, you need something you can grab and run out the door!

• Righteous Felon Meat Sticks – the best, period!
• Protein Bars – I love TRUBAR. They’re high in protein and fiber.
• Nuts. I snack on almonds, walnuts, or cashews every day. 
• Cheese. I cut my favorite cheeses into cubes for quick snacks!

Clean Protein Powder

• Protein powder gets a lot of hate, and I don’t understand why. It’s a quick and easy way to get in a boatload of protein! You can add it to smoothies and yogurt bowls, make your own protein drinks for on-the-go, mix it into oatmeal, and even add it to baked goods like muffins and pancakes. Some have a long list of questionable ingredients, and it took me a long time to find one that tasted great with clean ingredients. This is my favorite brand, and they have several different flavors. In fact, I hated protein powder until I found this one!

Greek Yogurt

• Protein isn’t the only benefit in Greek yogurt. It’s a fantastic source of probiotics if you buy a high-quality product! I eat Greek yogurt almost every day. A six-ounce serving provides between 15 and 18 grams of protein. Many people are surprised to learn that regular yogurt has very little protein. Choose Greek yogurt or skyr for the highest protein, and read the labels. Protein amounts can vary significantly from brand to brand. Greek yogurt can be used in yogurt parfaits, smoothies, sauces, dressings, and baking, like the two-ingredient bagels and flatbread. 

Cottage Cheese

• Next is everyone’s favorite ingredient, including mine. Cottage cheese is an excellent source of protein, and I eat it daily. I love it so much that I dedicated a whole blog post to my favorite savory cottage cheese bowls and another one all about how to cook with it. Just 1/2 cup provides 14 grams of protein! It’s savory, creamy, and delicious. I use it to make comelets, cottage cheese toast, and add it to my egg bites. You can also use it in chicken salad, dressings, breakfast bowls, sauces, and pasta salad. My favorite way to eat it is alongside scrambled eggs with bagel seasoning on top. I use cottage cheese for many recipes as a lazy way to get protein!

Canned Meat

• Canned meats like tuna, salmon, sardines, and anchovies are excellent protein sources! This brand of tuna is our go-to, and we use it to make tuna salad with endless variations. My high-protein tuna pasta salad is hugely popular both on the blog and on Pinterest. Tuna casserole, fried rice with tuna, and tuna pasta with olive and tomatoes are some of our other favorites. The protein amount will vary from brand to brand, but most tuna gives you around 20 grams per 3 ounces.

Beans For Protein

• Not only are beans a great source of protein, but they’re also high in fiber and nutrients. They’re incredibly versatile. You can eat them raw in salads or cooked in soups, one-pan meals, and casseroles. I always have a variety of beans, like cannellini beans, kidney beans, and lentils, in my pantry. My Italian cannellini bean salad takes ten minutes to make and is DE-lish!

Cheese

• Cheese is an excellent source of protein, and with endless choices, you won’t get bored! Parmesan cheese is my all-time favorite. Just one ounce provides 10 grams of protein! Whether eating it as a snack, sprinkling it over tacos, or melting it into lasagna, cheese is an excellent choice for extra protein. Here are some popular varieties and their protein amounts.
  • Parmesan: 1 oz = 10 grams of protein
  • Cheddar: 1 oz = 7 grams of protein
  • Gouda: 1 oz = 7 grams of protein
  • Mozzarella: 1 oz = 7 grams of protein
  • Provolone: 1 oz = 7 grams of protein
  • Blue Cheese: 1 oz = 6 grams of protein
  • Feta: 1 oz = 4 grams of protein
  • Ricotta: 1/2 cup = 4 grams of protein

Peas and Edamame

I’m never without a bag of peas or edamame in my freezer. They are both fantastic protein sources—one cup of peas provides 8 grams of protein, and one cup of edamame provides 17 grams. They’re also high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. You can eat them alone alongside a meal, make salads, or add them to soups, curries, rice bowls, and cottage cheese bowls. We love them in this shrimp rice bowl, and my husband’s favorite, orzo pasta salad.

Toppings

The nutritional benefits and protein in toppings and garnishes should not be overlooked. A few tablespoons of hemp seeds sprinkled on a salad add 10 grams of protein. Nutritional yeast mixed in your macaroni and cheese adds 8 grams of protein and a boatload of B vitamins. Parmesan cheese can be snacked on and grated on top of pasta, salads, or soups, and you can even make crackers. One ounce provides 10 grams of protein! Condiments can be made with whipped cottage cheese and yogurt for extra protein. Store-bought high-protein granola sprinkled on top of ice cream or yogurt bowls adds protein and fiber. Toppings aren’t just for looks. They can add flavor, texture, and additional protein!

Now that I’ve shared the benefits of protein, let’s look at some lazy ways to get it. Below, I’ve provided a sample day of eating to get 100 grams of protein with little effort.

What Are Some High-Protein Snacks?

• Greek yogurt
• Cottage cheese cups
• Hard-boiled eggs or egg bites (like Starbucks)
• Roasted chickpeas
• String cheese or cheese cubes
• Protein bars (these are my favorite) and protein shakes
• Mixed nuts and seeds (almonds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds)
• Nut butter packets (peanut, almond)
• Roasted chickpeas
• Edamame (I always have a bag of shelled edamame in my freezer!)
• Tuna and salmon (canned or portable packets)
• Beef or turkey jerky (or plant-based jerky)
• Hummus with veggie sticks or crackers
• High-protein milk (like Fairlife)
• Overnight oats or chia pudding

15 Sources Of Protein For Vegetarians

• Lentils and chickpeas
• Beans (black beans, kidney beans, etc.)
• Tofu or tempeh
• Edamame (roasted edamame are perfect for portable snacks)
• Quinoa, amaranth, or spelt
• Cottage cheese (typically not made with rennet)
• Oats + oat milk protein powder
• Milk (fortified plant-based)
• Eggs (if lacto-ovo vegetarian)
• Nuts and seeds (almonds, Pumpkin seeds, etc…)
• Nut butters + peanut butter powder
• Green peas + pea protein
• Chia seeds, flaxseeds, or hemp seeds
• Greek yogurt (vegetarian, not vegan)
• Plant-based protein bars

How Can I Get 100 Grams of Protein a Day

Here is an idea of what a full day of high-protein eating might look like with minimal effort, so you can easily reap the benefits!

Breakfast: Greek Yogurt Protein Bowl

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (20 grams of protein
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (22 grams of protein)
• 1/4 cup high-fiber granola (8 grams of protein)
• Total protein = 50 grams
• ** For additional flavor, texture, fiber, and nutrients, add hemp or chia seeds, fruit, and/or almond butter

Snack: Protein Bar

• I love TRUBAR! They average 12 grams of protein and just as much fiber!
• Total protein = 12 grams

Lunch: Tuna Salad

• 1 5.2-ounce can of tuna (22 grams of protein)
• 3 tbsp Greek yogurt (4 grams of protein)
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• Serve on 2 pieces of crispbread (3 grams of protein per piece)
• Total protein = 32 grams
• ** Add veggies for volume and fiber.

Snack: Cottage Cheese + Fruit or Veggies

• 1/2 cup cottage cheese (14 grams of protein)
• Total protein = 14 grams
• ** Enjoy with your favorite fruit or veggies.

Dinner: Rotisserie Chicken with Roasted Veggies

• 6 ounces of rotisserie chicken (42 grams of protein)
• Total protein = 42 grams (possibly more, depending on sides)
• ** Serve with any grain and veggies you like.

Daily Total = 150 grams of protein (remove what you don’t need or want)

I hope learning more about the benefits of protein and some easy ways to incorporate it into your diet. Please share your tips and experiences in the comment section below. I’d love to hear!

High Protein Grocery List – FREE Printable PDF

I created this free printable grocery list of high-protein foods for you! To make it  Accessible for everyone, I’ve included animal-based, plant-based, and vegan protein options as well as quick, no-cook protein snack ideas. Click here for your free printable. 

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