Protein powder is everywhere, but knowing whether you actually need it, how much to take and where it fits into your diet is much less straightforward.
In this episode, we look at how to use protein supplements in a practical, targeted way. We follow an active retired couple as they work out their daily protein needs, track what they normally eat and discover that they don’t need more protein at every meal. Breakfast is the main weak spot, lunch is usually fine, and dinner often needs only a small top-up.
We work through the numbers, including why a partial scoop may make more sense than blindly following the serving size on the tub, and explain why leucine becomes more important as we get older. We also tackle a common source of confusion: how a daily target of around 1.2g/kg fits with recommendations to aim for roughly 30–40g of protein at a meal.
Finally, we look at when an evening protein supplement might be useful, why food is often the better answer for smaller gaps, and why resistance exercise still matters if the goal is to preserve muscle and strength.
The aim is to give you a simple blueprint for working out where protein powder genuinely helps, and where it doesn’t.
If you’d like the 10g protein top-up cheat sheet for inside your kitchen cabinet door, you can download it here as a printable PDF:
10g protein top-up cheat sheet - US letter
10g protein top-up cheat sheet - A4
