High Protein Snack Ideas for Perimenopause
Here at SheBANG! we're always banging on about the importance of protein in perimenopause - and with good reason.
Protein is a super important macronutrient in perimenopause to help build muscle mass, repair cells, body tissue and satisfy our appetite.
Our rule of thumb is you need to eat approximately 1.2g of protein per kg of body weight daily.
So, for example, if you weigh 60kg you need 72g of protein daily.
Sources of Protein
- Lean meats – beef, lamb, veal, pork, kangaroo
- Poultry – chicken, turkey, duck
- Fish and seafood – fish, prawns, crab, lobster, mussels, oysters, scallops, clams
- Eggs
- Dairy products – milk, yoghurt (especially Greek yoghurt), cheese (especially cottage cheese)
- Nuts (including nut pastes) and seeds – almonds, pine nuts, walnuts, macadamias, hazelnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
- Legumes and beans – all beans, lentils, chickpeas, split peas, tofu.
- SheBANG!'s Peri Protein POWder.
**Please note (and this is where it can get a bit confusing): the protein content isn’t the weight of the protein source.
Protein Guide for Perimenopause
Here are some examples (remembering that the weight of the food item itself is NOT the weight of the actual protein, e.g. (please note these are all approximate):
- 2 eggs = 12g protein
- 100g of tuna = 28g protein
- 100g of chicken = 27g protein
- 100g of Tofu = 8g protein
- 100g of cashew nuts = 18g protein
- 30g Peri Protein POWder with KSM-66 Ashwagandha = 23.2g protein
A great rough guide for you is to make sure you include protein the size of your palm at each meal PLUS include a protein snacks throughout the day.
Some protein snack ideas:
- Sliced cucumber with cheese (Ange loves using cucumber instead of crackers)
- Sliced apple with peanut or any nut butter or cheese (pick a nut butter without sugar, with just nuts to taste good)
- Smoothie with SheBANG!'s Peri Protein POWder with KSM-66 Ashwagandha
- Handful of nuts
- Veggie sticks and hummus
- Boiled eggs
- Tuna on rice crackers
- Good quality protein bar (check ingredients and make sure they look recognisable with not to crazy a sugar level content)
- Homemade bakes with an added whole food protein powder.
Find out what Ange (SheBANG!'s Clinical Nutritionist), eats in a day, here.
Having these kinds of high-protein snacks to hand ready to go will help you make good decisions next time you get a snack attack.
Even though some perimenopause symptoms can feel hellish and like nothing will ever work, a focus on a diet supporting your body with what it needs to deal with all the changes, will make a big difference. Here's a guide for the best diet for perimenopause.
