Are you eating enough protein?
Why breakfast might be the easiest place to start
Here's a question worth sitting with: are you actually eating enough protein, or just enough to get by? Most of us land somewhere in between. It shows up quietly: energy that dips by 11am, cravings that hit before lunch, muscle that gets harder to keep as the years go on.
Protein isn't about bulking up. It's the raw material for everything your body rebuilds every day: muscle, skin, hair, hormones, enzymes.
Why it matters more with age
Muscle naturally declines with age (it's called sarcopenia). Protein is what slows that down.
Skin and hair are built from the same raw material: enough protein shows up in both.
Weight, blood sugar and bone density are all easier to manage with steady protein intake.
Aging well isn't only about what you cut out. It's often about what you're not eating enough of.
The morning sets the tone
Protein at breakfast isn't a trend, it's timing. Here's what changes when you start the day with it:
No more blood sugar spike followed by the 11am crash.
Fewer cravings later in the day.
Sharper focus and steadier mood, thanks to dopamine synthesis.
The hormonal tone for your whole day (cortisol, insulin, leptin) gets set early.
How much is actually enough?
According to ANSES, adult needs range from 0.83g to 2.2g of protein per kilo of body weight per day, depending on age, weight and activity level. A simpler target for most meals: roughly 30g of protein per meal. More if you're very active. More in perimenopause, when muscle loss speeds up and the body asks for a bit more support.
But 30g of protein is not 30g of food. One egg is only 6g. Reaching 30g almost always means combining a few sources, not eating a bigger plate of one thing.
1 egg = 6g of protein
100g skyr = 10g of protein
100g sardines = 20g of protein
100g chicken or fish = 25g of protein
Animal or plant: the real trade-off
Animal sources (eggs, fish, dairy, meat) are complete: they carry all the essential amino acids your body can't make on its own, in a form it absorbs easily.
Plant sources are usually incomplete and come with a catch: legumes and grains also carry anti-nutrients like phytates and lectins, which reduce how much of that protein you actually absorb. To reach the same amount, you generally need more food and more carbohydrates alongside it.
Going plant-based is a valid, often more ethical choice. It just asks for a little more attention: pairing legumes with grains for a more complete profile (rice and lentils, quinoa and chickpeas) and eating protein at three points in the day instead of two.
Easy breakfast ideas, each around 30g of protein:
2 eggs, a small bowl of skyr and a spoon of cottage cheese (30g).
Sardines on toast with two eggs (32g).
Leftover chicken or smoked salmon with one egg on the side (31g).
What about protein powder?
It can genuinely help: a rushed morning, a higher target to reach or simply less appetite than the day demands. It's a legitimate tool, not something to feel guilty about.
Whole food stays the better default when there's time for it. It carries the full nutrient matrix: vitamins, minerals, healthy fats that get stripped out during processing. It's also more filling, since fiber and chewing send a fullness signal that a shake skips entirely. Not every powder is made the same either: some carry more sweeteners, additives or fillers than the label suggests.
The simplest rule: powder when you truly need it. Real food whenever you can.
Simple ways to start
Add before you subtract: an egg, a spoon of skyr, a tin of sardines, before worrying about anything else.
Batch it: hard-boiled eggs and cooked lentils ready in the fridge make mornings effortless.
Leftovers count: last night's chicken or fish at breakfast is completely fair game.