Are you eating enough protein as you age?

If you follow health news, it might seem like macronutrients go in and out of style with the seasons: Carbs are in, then out. Fats are great, then suddenly bad. But the place of protein in a healthy diet always seems secure. The only question is how much protein to eat?

The answer is complicated, since the amount you need depends on many factors, including your:

• Age
• Sex
• Weight
• Overall health
• Physical activity
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding status

Since it can differ from person to person, it’s wise to ask a healthcare provider how much protein to aim for each day.

Generally speaking, experts advise that healthy adults should get between 10 and 35 percent of daily calories from protein. For people ages 64 and younger, a common target is 0.8 grams (g) of protein per kilogram (kg) of body weight. Since the traditional Western diet is fairly heavy in protein, most adults in the United States get enough.

Things shift as we get older, however. Aging bodies tend not to use protein as well as they used to, which can lead to loss of muscle and function. To counter this, adults 65 and older generally need more daily protein than younger adults—about 1 to 1.2 g of protein per kg of body weight. One pound (lb) is .45 kg. So, a 65-year-old who weighs 150 lbs is 68 kg, and would require at least 68 g of protein each day.

Meeting those needs can be a challenge. That’s because appetite and energy requirements tend to decline with age. Financial, physical, and mental limitations often disrupt our eating patterns, too. Many older people skip meals for these reasons, reducing protein intake.

In fact, in a 2019 study of almost 12,000 adults ages 51 and older, researchers found that one-third to one-half did not eat the recommended amount of protein each day. The findings were published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging.

Why protein is essential

Older people need more protein to maintain strength and mobility, support recovery from illness, and offset age-related changes in protein metabolism.

Not getting enough can affect health in many ways. Crucially, it contributes to sarcopenia—age-related loss of muscle mass, strength, and function—which can make even walking down the street more difficult. Some research also links sarcopenia to an increased risk of developing diabetes.

In the 2019 study, those who weren’t getting enough protein were also more likely to have lower intake of more than a dozen other nutrients. When consumption of these declines, the risks for osteoporosis, hip fractures, falling, frailty, and even death increases.

How to get enough protein

Animal products like meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products are rich sources of protein. But eating too much of certain animal protein—particularly red and processed meat—is linked to a higher risk of developing health issues, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Red meat, for example, is higher in saturated fat than lean protein sources like fish or poultry. Excessive intake of saturated fat—which is also found in abundance in processed meats like bacon and sausage—can increase levels of low-density lipoprotein (aka LDL or “bad cholesterol”). This can raise a person’s risk of developing heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends avoiding processed meat altogether and opting for leaner cuts of red meat, eaten in moderate, 3-ounce portions.

Choosing plant proteins like soy, nuts, seeds, or legumes over red and processed meat could help you reduce your intake of saturated fat and excess salt. Plant-based protein sources also provide other valuable nutrients, such as fiber, which offers a range of health benefits.

How to improve your protein balance

If red meat and other animal proteins are a regular part of your current diet, consider these tips to help you incorporate more plant-based proteins:

• Until you get used to eating less meat, write down when and how much you’re eating. It will make it easy to spot patterns and opportunities for small shifts.
• Think of restaurant dining as a chance to try new things. Never had tofu? Try it in a stir-fry instead of meat next time you get Chinese food. Once you find something you like, add it to your menu at home.
• If you love chili, replace half of the meat with kidney, pinto, or black beans.
• Top your salad with beans, nuts, or seeds rather than meat.
• Grab a handful of nuts as a snack.
• Swap white rice for protein-filled quinoa.
• Have peanut butter on whole-wheat toast for breakfast instead of bacon.

If making a list of specific steps feels hard to track, one option is to embrace an overall eating plan that encourages less animal protein. The Mediterranean diet, for example, recommends seafood twice a week, plenty of produce, beans, and nuts, and limits red meat only once or twice a month.

A word on exercise

To maintain muscle, it’s important for older adults to prioritize physical activity in addition to getting enough protein. Experts recommend two to three days of resistance-training exercise (the kind that strengthens muscles) each week, along with aerobic (cardio) exercise such as walking, biking, or swimming. Aim for about 150 minutes of moderate cardio activity each week—or 75 minutes of vigorous activity—spread across multiple days.