How Nutrition Needs Change With Menopause

For many women, menopause can be a frustrating and uncomfortable time.

In addition to hot flashes and mood swings, some women may also notice an increase on the scale or that they’re carrying weight in new places. 

Let’s talk about some of the ways that going through menopause changes our bodies and, as a result, our nutrition needs.  

Calories 

During menopause, estrogen levels decrease, which changes how our bodies actually break down, use, and store fat.

And these changes in fat metabolism often result in a slow down in our metabolism and metabolic rate. As a result, calorie needs reduce slightly.

However, before we go blaming these changes for all of our weight gain struggles during menopause, there’s also another contributing factor: loss of lean body mass – specifically muscle loss. 

And that loss of muscle is primarily related to a gradual reduction in physical activity levels as we age. 

This is good news. While we can’t change how our bodies metabolize fat, we can change our diets and physical activity habits. 

Tips for preventing or slowing down weight gain

So how do you prevent, slow down, or even reverse weight gain with menopause? While it’s different for everyone, here are some general tips: 

• Track your calorie intake. In general, it’s thought that calorie needs go down by about 200 calories per day after menopause. 
• Focus on incorporating nutrient-dense foods and enough protein (which we’ll touch on next). 
• Get moving! 

One of the best ways to deal with potential weight gain during or after menopause is regular physical activity. 

In addition to regular cardio, aim to get in 2-3 days of weight lifting per week to support muscle growth.

After all, having more muscle helps to boost your metabolism, which can make it easier to maintain or lose weight. 

Also, keep in mind that if you’re especially physically active, you may not need to reduce your calories at all.

And if you go from being inactive to really ramping up your activity level, you may even need more calories than you were eating before. 

These little nuances are highly personal and are why it’s best to work with a registered dietitian one-on-one to figure out what your body needs! 

Protein

As mentioned above, one of the keys to maintaining muscle as we age is consuming adequate protein. 

While protein needs depend on many individual factors, research suggests that the best way to maintain or even build muscle is to spread your protein intake out evenly throughout the day. 

So, if you usually just have a slice of toast or even skip breakfast, a light lunch, and then most of your protein at dinner, you’ll want to start getting into new eating habits. 

Instead, aim to have about 20-30 grams of protein at all three meals (yes, that includes breakfast). As well as around 10 grams of protein at each snack.

Additionally, starting around age 65, research suggests that protein needs increase further as our bodies become less efficient at rebuilding muscle tissue. 

For more on protein needs and food ideas, be sure to check out these previous posts: 

• What is the Protein Pacing Diet
• Power of Protein At Breakfast (includes high protein breakfast ideas)
• How Much Protein Do We Actually Need? 

Carbs 

While limiting your intake of refined carbs and added sugars is recommended at every stage of life, it’s especially important during and after menopause. 

Diets high in added sugars and refined carbs can make some symptoms of menopause, like mood changes and fatigue, worse. They also tend to be higher in calories, which may contribute to weight gain. 

The hard part is that thanks to hormonal changes during this time, you may find yourself craving sweets and snack foods more frequently than before. 

In addition to limiting high sugar and more heavily processed foods, it’s also important to consume more whole-food sources of carbs, like vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. 

Not only are these foods rich in antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals, but they’re also high in fiber. 

For some women, menopause can bring about changes in bowel movements. Therefore, consuming adequate fiber can help keep you regular.

Plus, fiber is beneficial for heart health, gut health, satiety and may help reduce the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women. 

So how many carbs should you have? Again, it depends on the individual. 

One study of over 88,000 post-menopausal women found that those following a reduced-carb diet (39% or less of calories from carbs) were associated with a reduced risk of weight gain during menopause, compared to a low-fat, high-carb (62% of calories from carbs) diet. 

Iron

Another nutrient that you need less of during and after menopause is iron.

In menstruating women, iron needs are increased due to monthly blood loss.

However, once you reach menopause, you’re no longer getting periods. As a result, the RDA for iron drops from 18 mg/day to just 8 mg/day. 

Calcium 

Once you reach menopause, the recommended amount of calcium increases from 1,000 mg/day to 1,200 mg/day.

It’s been found that women can lose as much as 20% of their bone density 5-7 years after menopause due to hormonal changes.

And this is concerning as this reduction in bone density can increase your risk for osteoporosis and bone fractures. 

However, before you go out and buy calcium supplements, it’s important to note that calcium supplements are not recommended for the general population due to potential side effects and lack of clear research showing a benefit for bone health (1, 2, 3). 

Instead, aim to get your calcium through food sources. Here are some examples of high calcium foods: 

• Sardines: 325 mg per 3-ounces canned with bones
• Yogurt: 310 mg per 6-ounces plain 
• Dairy milk: 300 mg per 8-ounces (any percent fat)
• Fortified plant-based milks: 300 mg per 8-ounces (will vary by brand)
• Fortified orange juice: 300 mg per 8-ounces
• Collard greens: 226 mg per 1 cup cooked
• Mozzarella cheese: 210 mg per 1-ounce 
• Tofu prepared with calcium: 205 mg per 4 ounces 
• Greek yogurt: 200 mg per 6-ounces
• Salmon: 180 mg per 3-ounces canned with bones 
• Kale: 179 mg per 1 cup cooked 
• Bok choy: 160 mg per 1 cup cooked
• Figs: 65 mg per 2 dried figs
• Oranges: 55 mg per 1 orange

For more information on osteoporosis and nutrients for bone health, check out our previous article here. 

It’s also worth noting that some women may become more sensitive to lactose after menopause.

Again, thanks to changes in hormones, your body may start producing less lactase (the enzyme needed to break down lactose) after menopause. 

As a result, you may find that dairy foods like milk, cheese, and ice cream cause GI symptoms that they never did before.

Some symptoms to look out for include bloating, increased gas, nausea, and diarrhea. 

B12 

Vitamin B12 is important as it’s needed for the metabolism of nutrients, the production of red blood cells, brain functioning, and the formation of DNA. 

Technically, recommended amounts of vitamin B12 do not change after menopause. However, your body may not be able to absorb vitamin B12 as efficiently from food. 

This one isn’t actually menopause-related but rather due to natural changes that occur in both men and women during aging.

Starting around age 50, your body will produce less stomach acid and intrinsic factor. 

These reductions can affect vitamin B12 status as stomach acid is needed to extract vitamin B12 from digested foods. Intrinsic factor is necessary for the absorption of that vitamin B12. 

As a result, it’s recommended that adults over the age of 50 obtain their vitamin B12 needs through supplements or fortified foods. 

The RDA for vitamin B12 for individuals aged 14 and older is 2.4 mcg/day, with increased needs during pregnancy and breastfeeding. 

The bottom line 

Changes in hormones during menopause significantly affect our bodies, including nutrient needs. 

While cravings, hot flashes, and fatigue can make it more challenging, the most important things you can do during menopause to stay healthy:

• eat a healthy, varied diet
• increase your protein intake
• get plenty of movement in throughout the day — including resistance workouts a few times per week!

And remember, your Lose It! app is an excellent tool for helping keep track of your nutrient intake and exercise habits during this stage of life.