The question we get asked most often. The honest answer is: almost certainly more than you are currently eating — and the official UK recommendations significantly understate what most active women over 30 actually need.
The Official Recommendation
The NHS recommends 0.75g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day as the Reference Nutrient Intake. For a 65kg woman, that is 48.75g per day. This is the minimum required to prevent deficiency in a sedentary person — not the optimal amount for an active woman trying to maintain muscle mass, manage IBS or support hormonal health.
What the Research Actually Recommends
Current sports nutrition and longevity research suggests considerably higher targets for most women:
- Active women: 1.2-1.6g per kg body weight
- Women over 40: 1.4-1.8g per kg body weight
- Women in perimenopause or menopause: 1.6-2.0g per kg body weight
- Women trying to lose weight: 1.6-2.0g per kg to preserve muscle mass
For a 65kg woman this means 78-130g of protein per day depending on goals and life stage — significantly above the NHS minimum.
Why Most Women Under-Eat Protein
Several factors combine to create a persistent protein gap in women's diets. The cultural association of high protein eating with bodybuilding or male-oriented fitness. The prevalence of IBS and gut conditions which make many protein sources difficult to tolerate. And the simple fact that protein is not as convenient as carbohydrates.
How to Hit Your Target with IBS
The challenge for IBS sufferers is that many protein-rich foods — lentils, chickpeas, most dairy, soy — are high FODMAP. The practical solution is building a protein routine around Low FODMAP sources: eggs, firm tofu, tempeh, pumpkin seeds, oats and a certified Low FODMAP protein supplement.
A single serving of That Protein provides 20-26g of certified Low FODMAP protein — roughly one third of the daily target for most women in a single, convenient, gut-safe serving.