Forget About A "Perimenopause Diet" And Focus On These 5 Nutrients

First and foremost: there's no perimenopause diet or menopause diet you suddenly need to start following. No meal plan to buy, no list of banned foods, no calorie limit, no 12-step supplement routine.

There's so much content online selling nutrition plans and instilling fear into women (at every age, not just perimenopause) about what they should and shouldn't do, but the foundations of healthy eating in your 40s and 50s look a lot like they did in your 30s.

What helps is knowing what your body needs at this stage (Sheridan Skye has five things she wants you to focus on) and how to get more of those nutrients without overhauling your entire diet.

Do you need a special perimenopause or menopause diet?

Nope!

"The good news is, there's no special menopause diet you suddenly need to follow," says Sheridan Skye, the women's health educator, registered nurse, nutritionist and personal trainer behind our menopause masterclass. "The foundations of a healthy diet are much the same as they are throughout adulthood."

What changes is what your body needs a little more support with. As estrogen declines, your muscles, bones and heart all go through changes, and what you eat is one of the easiest ways to look after all three.

If you've got specific concerns or want tailored nutritional advice, we always recommend seeing a nutritionist, and if you've noticed changes around your middle, we cover that in our guide to menopause weight gain.

The 5 nutrients to focus on during perimenopause and menopause

According to Sheridan, these are the five nutrients that are particularly worth paying attention to at this stage of life:

• Protein: to help maintain and build muscle (as well as keeping you full)

• Fiber: for gut health, blood sugar and heart health

• Omega-3 fats: to support heart health

• Calcium: to help protect your bones

• Vitamin D: to help your body absorb calcium and support bone and muscle function

Here's why each one matters and easy ways to get more each day.

How much protein do you need during menopause?

As we get older, our muscles become a little less responsive to the protein we eat. You might hear this called anabolic resistance. Basically, your body needs a bit more protein to get the same muscle-building effect.

"Getting enough protein becomes increasingly important for maintaining and building muscle, particularly alongside resistance training," Sheridan says. Resistance training is the primary thing she and Christine Roderick want you to be doing in this stage of life, but protein and lifting always work best as a team.

How much to aim for: For active women, Sheridan recommends around 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day (roughly 0.55 to 0.7 grams per pound). If you weigh 154 pounds (70 kilograms), that works out to around 84 to 112 grams of protein across the day.

If that sounds like a lot more than you're currently eating, just focus on including a good source of protein in each meal and snack, rather than trying to squeeze it all at the end of the day. And if you're looking at those numbers and have absolutely no idea how much you're getting right now, it can help to log your meals for a week or so using a food tracking app with a macronutrient breakdown to see where you're at.

"If you're getting to dinner and realizing you still have a lot of protein to fit in, look at where you could add a little more earlier in the day," says Sheridan.

A few easy wins:

• Add Greek yogurt or eggs to breakfast

• Include chicken, fish, tofu, cottage cheese or legumes at lunch

• Keep a few high protein foods on hand for snacks

Why fiber deserves more attention than it gets

Protein gets all the hype online, but fiber is the one most of us are actually missing. In the US, more than 90% of women and 97% of men don't get the recommended amount.

Fiber does a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to your health. It supports bowel health and blood sugar regulation, some types can help lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol, and higher fiber intakes are consistently linked with a lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer.

That's especially relevant in midlife.

"Around menopause, declining estrogen can also contribute to changes in things like LDL cholesterol, body-fat distribution and blood-vessel function," Sheridan explains. Your genetics, blood pressure, activity levels and age all play a role in heart health too, but your fiber intake is one of the simplest things you can control and improve.

How much to aim for: Around 25 to 30 grams a day.

The easiest way to get there is to add more plants and color to your plate: vegetables, fruit, legumes, wholegrains, nuts and seeds. Variety matters here, because different plant foods feed different bacteria in your gut microbiome.

If you don't currently eat much fiber, the trick is to increase it gradually and drink plenty of water. "Your gut will generally appreciate a gentler introduction rather than suddenly doubling your fiber intake overnight," says Sheridan.

How omega-3 fats help support your heart

Omega-3 fats are best known for their role in heart health. The omega-3s found in oily fish can help lower triglycerides, a type of fat in your blood that can raise cardiovascular risk when levels are high.

How much to aim for: Sheridan suggests including fish two to three times a week, particularly oily fish like salmon, sardines, trout or mackerel. That lines up with the American Heart Association's recommendation of at least two servings of fish a week.

Don't eat fish or just not a big fan? Walnuts, chia seeds and flaxseeds provide a different form of omega-3, and they're still really valuable foods to include.

Omega-3 supplements can help in some situations, such as managing high triglycerides, but as with any supplement, it's always best to check with your doctor first. No point topping up your levels if they're already in a good spot!

How much calcium do you need after 50?

Bone loss speeds up around menopause, and given calcium is one of the main building blocks of bone, it's another important nutrient to make sure you're getting enough of.

How much to aim for: For women over 50, around 1,200 to 1,300 milligrams per day. In the US, the National Institutes of Health recommends 1,200 milligrams for women aged 51 and over.

Good sources include:

• Milk, yogurt and cheese

• Calcium-fortified plant milks

• Calcium-set tofu

• Fish where you eat the bones, like canned sardines

This is one nutrient where Sheridan suggests actually tracking what you eat for a few days in a food-tracking app, just to see whether you're getting close.

So what about supplements? "The sensible approach for most women is to prioritize calcium-rich foods and use supplementation to fill a genuine gap if it exists, taking your diet, bone health and medical history into account," says Sheridan. Again, that means checking with your doctor rather than assuming you'd benefit from a supplement. The added benefit of calcium supplements for fracture prevention appears fairly modest for most people, so food should always come first.

Why vitamin D matters for your bones and muscles

Calcium and vitamin D are a package deal. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, and it plays an important role in both bone and muscle function.

While you can get vitamin D through some foods, it's the sunshine vitamin. Getting some sun exposure is far more effective than food!

Your vitamin D levels depend on things like sun exposure, the season, where you live, your skin tone and how much time you spend outdoors, so if you're not getting enough rays, supplementation can help.

"For adults over 50, a daily supplement containing at least 400 IU of vitamin D may be a good option, particularly when vitamin D intake or sun exposure is limited," Sheridan says. In the US, the NIH recommends 600 IU a day for adults up to 70, and 800 IU after that.

If you think you might be low, ask your doctor about a blood test. Some people need a higher dose to treat a deficiency, and that's where personalized advice really matters rather than just winging it in the pharmacy.

What about alcohol during menopause?

Some women notice that alcohol makes their hot flashes or night sweats worse, or that they don't sleep as well after a drink. Others don't notice much difference at all.

Either way, it's worth knowing that alcohol is linked to a higher risk of several health conditions, including breast cancer, and the risk goes up the more you drink. It can also affect your sleep, your recovery and your ability to build muscle.

You don't need to cut it out completely if you don't want to, but paying attention to how it makes you feel is a great place to start.

Where to start if this all feels like a lot

"I don't want nutrition during this stage of life to feel like another enormous list of things you suddenly need to get right," says Sheridan.

Instead, check in on the basics:

• Look at each meal and make sure there's both a good source of protein and some fiber-rich plants on your plate

• Regularly include foods with calcium and omega-3 fats

• Spend some time in the sunshine

You don't have to overhaul everything at once. Look at what you're already doing well, find one gap, and start there. Pair that with regular exercise during menopause, especially strength training, and you're giving your muscles, bones and heart exactly what they need for this next chapter.

If you'd like some inspiration, the Sweat app has over 500 recipes, including a collection of Sheridan's own recipes.