Current evidence suggests that perimenopausal women need significantly more protein than the basic population recommendation — and most Indian women are not getting anywhere close to enough.

The target range backed by research for this life stage is approximately 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For a woman weighing 60kg, that is 72–96g daily. For a woman at 70kg, it is 84–112g. This is substantially higher than the Indian Council of Medical Research’s general adult recommendation, which does not account for the accelerated muscle loss that begins in perimenopause.

The reason protein matters so much at this stage: muscle is harder to build and easier to lose as oestrogen declines. Protein is the primary raw material for maintaining muscle, and spreading it across meals (rather than eating most of it at dinner, which is the typical Indian pattern) makes the body use it more efficiently. Aim for 20–30g of protein per meal.

Good Indian food sources to build around: eggs (one egg contains approximately 6g), paneer (100g contains about 18g), Greek-style dahi or thick curd (100g contains 8–10g), cooked chicken or fish (100g contains 25–27g), dal (one cup cooked contains 8–9g), rajma (one cup contains about 13g), tofu (100g contains about 8g), and soya chunks (very high — 100g dry weight contains around 50g).

Protein supplements — whey, pea protein, or other plant-based options — are a practical addition if whole-food sources are not sufficient, but they are a supplement, not a replacement for eating well.