Not Hungry Enough to Eat That Much Protein? Start Here

"I only eat twice a day." "I fill up so fast, I can't eat that much." "There's no way I can eat that much protein."

I hear this all the time from women over 40, usually right after we talk about how much protein they actually need. And I get it. If you're used to coffee in the morning and one or two meals a day, a protein number can feel impossible.

Here's exactly what I tell my clients when they say this.

1. Start with breakfast

The number one thing I tell women is to eat breakfast, with both protein and fiber in it.

A lot of us are used to skipping it. Maybe it's just coffee, or you've been doing intermittent fasting, and that may have worked for you in some seasons of your life. My recommendation is still to eat breakfast.

It doesn't have to be elaborate. I have a smoothie almost every morning, and I make enough for two days so I'm not starting from scratch every day.

One of my clients wasn't eating breakfast at all, so I told her to start with a protein shake. She came back and said, "This is so easy. My energy is better, I feel so much better. Why didn't I do this before?"

2. If you fill up fast, break it up

If you only eat twice a day, or you fill up quickly, break it into smaller amounts. It's hard to force yourself to eat a lot at once when you're not used to it, but your body does adjust.

If you're not hungry in the morning, start with a few bites of something. A little while later, have something else. You don't need to graze all day. This is just a gentle way to get your body used to eating a little more.

3. Use easy protein add-ins

These small things add up without feeling like an extra meal:

• Soy milk. I make my matcha with soy milk every morning. That's 8 to 10 grams of protein first thing.
• Hemp seeds. Two tablespoons give you about 6 to 7 grams of protein. I sprinkle them on meals and add them to my smoothie.
• Edamame. Dry roasted edamame is one of my go-to snacks. It's crunchy, and a serving has about 13 to 14 grams of protein.
• One scoop of protein powder. Most of my protein comes from whole foods, but one scoop in my smoothie makes mornings so much easier.

My smoothie is also how I get a lot of my fiber: greens, berries, whatever fruit I have, and extra vegetables.

4. Use the Half Plate Method for lunch and dinner

• Half your plate: a salad. Spring mix with a little dressing is perfect.
• A quarter: protein. Tofu, seitan and tempeh are the highest protein options.
• The last quarter: roasted or starchy vegetables. You can add beans here too for extra protein and fiber.

Then sprinkle on some hemp or pumpkin seeds. And please, fill your plate. So many of us are used to putting as little as possible on it. You'll feel full afterward, but without that heavy feeling you might get after a big bowl of pasta. (I love pasta, for the record.) Read more about the Half Plate Method.

Try this tomorrow morning

If you've tried to hit a protein number before and gave up, just start with breakfast. Make something easy:

• A tofu scramble
• A protein shake
• A smoothie with protein powder
• Or what I do: a soy milk matcha plus a green protein smoothie

Breakfast doesn't have to be "breakfast food," either. Lunch and dinner foods are completely fine in the morning. One change, starting tomorrow.

Have a question about this? Send me a message. I read every one.

Nadia Quraishi

Holistic Nutritionist helping women over 40 feel strong and energized with simple plant-based eating. Learn with her live in the Plant-Powered Kitchen Club.

This post is for education and is not medical advice. See the disclaimer.