GGS FREE 5-DAY MENOPAUSE & NUTRITION COURSE

Day 5: Protein Cheat Sheet: High and

Moderate Sources of Protein to Try

For perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal women who want to

stay active, healthy, and strong — we recommend eating 0.54–0.9 grams per
pound of bodyweight a day. (That’s 1.2–2 grams of protein per kilogram of
bodyweight).1,2,3,4

But because most people won’t want (or indeed, need!) to do the precise math
on this on a daily basis, using hand measurements for portion sizing is much
more useful.

A standard serving of 20–30 grams would be about the size and thickness
of the palm of your client’s hand. Most women will end up needing the
equivalent of 3–6 palm-size servings of protein per day, or roughly 1–2
servings per meal.

Ideally, your client would choose protein sources from minimally processed
foods. (Think: pork tenderloin vs hot dogs.)

To make things easier, you can recommend she choose from the following lists
of protein sources. These lists include foods that are rich in protein and those
that have moderate amounts of protein. Ask her to choose foods from the
protein-rich list for as many meals as possible. Snacks can include protein-rich
foods or foods with moderate amounts of protein.

You can also help her identify which higher-protein foods she likes and
develop some go-to meal ideas in advance. Encourage her to choose several
different options if possible. This will take the guesswork out of hitting her
daily protein requirements and help her get some variety in her diet.

As always, start with where your client is at. For example, she may find it
helpful to choose one meal per day where she aims to add a serving of protein.
Then, strive for two meals per day, and so on.

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 Day 5: Protein Cheat Sheet: High and Moderate Sources of Protein to Try

Special considerations:

o Some protein choices will also be higher in fat. For instance, beef
contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fat as well as less-desirable
saturated fat. So, if your client is choosing to have a high-fat protein
source, such as steak or salmon, she will need less additional fat at
that meal.
o If your client is a meat-eater, recommend she try to get protein from
a variety of animal sources. Encourage her to focus more on lean
proteins, like poultry and fish, and get a moderate intake of protein
from meats high in saturated fats, such as bacon, sausage, fatty beef,
lamb, and full-fat cheese.
o Ask your client to mix in high-quality plant-based sources when
possible to get a boost of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and heart-
healthy fats.

What About Clients Who Don’t Eat Meat?

If your client is vegetarian or vegan, it’ll be a little bit tougher to
meet daily protein requirements, but it’s possible.

Work with her to identify options from the high-protein list that
she’ll eat. For instance, some vegetarian clients will still include eggs
and dairy — or even occasional fish and seafood (if she’s pescatarian).

If your client prefers to eat a fully plant-based diet, be aware that

plant foods don’t always have a full complement of amino acids. This
means she’ll have to include a variety of foods throughout the day to
get all the amino acids she needs.

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 Day 5: Protein Cheat Sheet: High and Moderate Sources of Protein to Try

Her best option will be to combine a wide range of higher-protein

foods, such as:

Beans and legumes — or foods derived from them, such as:

o Tofu

o Tempeh

o Bean pasta (you can find various types based on different beans and
legumes)

Higher-protein whole grains, such as:

o Quinoa

o Amaranth

o Steel-cut or whole oats

o Teff

o Buckwheat

o Brown or wild rice

Many people assume that nuts, seeds, and nut/seed butters are good
sources of protein. In fact, these are primarily fat sources. Your
client can certainly include them as sources of healthy fats, but look
at labels together and be clear on how much protein she’s actually
getting from them.

She might consider a plant-based protein powder, which can also

help her add fruits and vegetables (for instance, by combining spin-
ach, banana, and protein powder in a smoothie).

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 Day 5: Protein Cheat Sheet: High and Moderate Sources of Protein to Try

Protein-Rich Sources
Beef Game Meats Lamb Pork Poultry Eggs
(bison/buffalo,
boar, elk, rabbit,
venison/deer)

Ground, lean Ground, lean Chops Bacon, Chicken and turkey: Chicken
Canadian breasts, ground,
tenderloins, thighs,
wings

Jerky Jerky Ground Chops Cornish game hen Duck

Steaks, round Steaks, round Ground, lean Duck Emu

Tenderloin, Tenderloin, Ham, low Goose Ostrich

lean lean sodium

Tenderloin, Ostrich Pheasant

lean

Quail

Turkey

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 Day 5: Protein Cheat Sheet: High and Moderate Sources of Protein to Try

Fish* Shellfish Dairy Protein Powder†

Catfish Clams Cottage cheese Beef isolate

Cod Crab, not imitation Greek yogurt, plain Casein

Eel Crayfish Cricket

Halibut Lobster, not imitation Egg

Herring Mussels Egg white

Pike Oysters, cooked Whey

Salmon, canned and fresh Scallops Plant-based options

Sardines Shrimp and prawns Hemp protein

Snapper Rice protein

Tilapia Pea protein

Trout Pumpkin seed protein

Tuna, canned in water Vegan protein blends

Tuna, fresh

* There is a wide range of salt and freshwater fish species that may be local to your client; we’ve provided several possible options.
†We recommend getting protein from whole foods as often as possible. That said, this won’t always be easy for your client, especially if she’s vegan
or vegetarian. While protein powders aren’t exactly “whole foods,” they can be a healthy, safe, and simple way for her to achieve an optimum protein
intake. Another benefit is they often contain a number of other important vitamins and nutrients that can help round out a healthy diet.
Encourage your client to read labels carefully when choosing a protein powder. Her best bet is to look for one with minimal ingredients and that’s
been tested for quality by a third-party lab. Websites such as ConsumerLab.com and Labdoor.com have test results.

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 Day 5: Protein Cheat Sheet: High and Moderate Sources of Protein to Try

Moderate Protein Sources

As mentioned above, there are plenty of foods to choose from that are mod-
erately high in protein as well.

Dairy Legumes/Beans Nuts Seeds Nut/Seed/Legume

These tend to be high These tend to be high in These tend to These tend to Butters
in fat and are normal- carbs and are normally be high in fat be high in fat These tend to be high in
ly categorized as a fat categorized as a carb and are normally and are normally fat and are normally cate-
source. source. categorized as a categorized as a gorized as a fat source.
fat source. fat source.

Cheese, American Adzuki beans Almonds Chia seeds Almond butter

Cheese, Brie Black beans Brazil nuts Flax seeds Cashew butter

Cheese, Camembert Black-eyed beans Cashews Hemp seeds Flax butter

Cheese, cheddar Chickpeas Hazelnuts Pumpkin seeds Hazelnut butter

Cheese, Feta Fava beans Macadamia nuts Sesame seeds Hemp butter

Cheese, goat Great Northern beans Pecans Sunflower seeds Macadamia nut butter

Cheese, mozzarella Kidney beans Pine nuts Peanut butter

Cheese, ricotta Lentils Pistachios Pecan butter

Cheese, Swiss Lima beans Walnuts Pistachio butter

Milk, cow Navy beans Sesame seed butter

Milk, goat Peanuts Sunflower seed butter

Yogurt, cow’s milk, Pink beans Walnut butter

plain

Yogurt, goat’s milk, Pinto beans

plain

Refried beans
(no added fat)

Soybeans, whole

Split peas

Tofu

White beans

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 Day 5: Protein Cheat Sheet: High and Moderate Sources of Protein to Try

REFERENCES
1 Baum JI, Kim IY, Wolfe RR. Protein Consumption and the Elderly: What Is the Optimal
Level of Intake? Nutrients [Internet]. 2016 Jun 8;8(6). Available from: http://dx.doi.
org/10.3390/nu8060359

2 Bauer J, Biolo G, Cederholm T, Cesari M, Cruz-Jentoft AJ, Morley JE, et al. Evidence-based
recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: a position paper
from the PROT-AGE Study Group. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2013 Aug;14(8):542–59.

3 Nowson C, O’Connell S. Protein Requirements and Recommendations for Older People:

A Review. Nutrients. 2015 Aug 14;7(8):6874–99.

4 Nilsson A, Montiel Rojas D, Kadi F. Impact of Meeting Different Guidelines for Protein
Intake on Muscle Mass and Physical Function in Physically Active Older Women. Nutri-
ents [Internet]. 2018 Aug 24;10(9). Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu10091156

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