How I Reach My Daily Protein Target

I reassessed my daily protein target recently, after researching the benefits of protein for women in general, but particularly older women. It is difficult to establish what that target should be. Official guidelines give a number of grams per kilogram (or pound) of bodyweight, but I recently discovered that is the minimum amount to avoid disease, not necessarily the right amount for optimal health. There is so much information out there, it’s just confusing.

I landed on 150g a day as a target. This falls towards the higher level of most of the recently issued advice from doctors and researchers that I follow. I don’t often hit that target, so I am getting around 130g a day on average (I know, because I track) which I am happy with. It is seriously difficult to get 150g of protein from food alone, so I use snacks and supplements to get there.

I had cleaned up my diet a long time ago, trying to minimise ultra-processed foods, seed oils, alcohol, etc. and I now try to eat whole, natural, fresh foods as far as possible. Before that I had tried nearly every fad diet under the sun in a vain effort to keep my weight under control, but as I grew older, I realised that my health was more important than my weight.

One of those ‘fad’ diets was the carnivore diet. It was easy, and I felt it was healthy as it was the diet that sustained our ancestors for hundreds of thousands of years. My bloodwork showed health improvements across the board. The thing about that diet is that it was satiating. I didn’t get hungry, I wasn’t thinking about food all day, I didn’t crave sugar, and I got 15kg (33 pounds) lighter without even trying.

These days, since my son returned from university, I’m more ‘carnivorish’. I prioritize protein, but eat some veggies, fruits and nuts, and occasionally a little bread, or pasta. Sadly, reintroducing those carbs also reintroduced my sweet tooth. However, I’ve swapped out my normal sweet snacks for protein-rich, low sugar ones. Not optimal nutrition but it keeps the cravings at bay.

I only eat meals twice a day, and consequently achieving the protein target is even more challenging. And remember, 150g of protein is not 150g of food (for example, 150g of beef only has 32g of protein)! So, how do I get my 150g of protein each day? Here are some examples:

• 70 grams: I try to get 30g/35g of protein with each meal. That’s a lot of protein to get from one food, so I usually include two sources of protein, like adding eggs, nuts, seeds or prawns to the main protein source.
• 30 grams: I add whey protein to coffee, or take protein shakes or soft drinks during the day.
• 20 grams: I eat high protein snacks bars to satisfy my sweet tooth.
• 15 grams: I will have greek yogurt as a dessert or snack, and add nuts which boost the protein count further.
• 10 grams: I’ll eat a handful of nuts such as almonds or cashews, or a small chunk of cheese

Here are the supplements and snacks I regularly buy from Amazon*:

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Hitting a daily protein target isn’t always simple, especially when you’re trying to do it with real, minimally processed food and only two meals a day, but it’s far from impossible. By being intentional about what goes on your plate, leaning on smart supplementation, and choosing higher-protein alternatives for snacks, I’ve found a balance that feels both sustainable and aligned with my health goals. I may not hit 150 grams every single day, but aiming high keeps me consistently closer to where I want to be. And as with any long-term lifestyle shift, it’s the steady habits, not perfection, that ultimately move the needle.

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