Eating less on Wegovy or Zepbound makes protein easy to miss. Here is why it matters for muscle, hair and energy, with easy ideas for low-appetite days.
When your appetite shrinks, every bite counts. Protein is the one most women say they struggle to get enough of.
The RDA for adults is 0.8 g per kg of body weight a day, and has been for decades. Many experts suggest more during weight loss or later in life. Your prescriber or a dietitian can set a number for you. evenwell never sets one for you.
| Food | Protein, roughly |
|---|---|
| Cottage cheese, ½ cup | 12–14 g |
| 2 eggs | 12 g |
| Salmon, 3 oz | 20–23 g |
| Tofu, ½ cup | 10–22 g, depending on firmness |
| Edamame, ½ cup shelled | 9–11 g |
Short list, on purpose. These are the ones we could check against the USDA’s own figures. Plenty of other good protein foods aren’t here — that means we couldn’t verify a number for them, not that they’re worse. Read the label on what you actually bought; these still move with brand, cut and preparation.
Tofu is the one worth knowing about. Firm, calcium-set tofu runs to about 22 g in half a cup, roughly double the softer kinds. If you’re eating tofu to hit a protein target, firmness is doing most of the work.
If tracking food makes you anxious, or eating feels hard for other reasons, you can skip it. You’re not alone. The National Alliance for Eating Disorders and ANAD offer free support.
Linda, 51, eats half her usual portions on Zepbound and has noticed more hair in her brush. A dietitian suggests starting each meal with the protein part and gives her a target. Greek yogurt at breakfast, eggs or tuna at lunch, and fish or chicken at dinner get her close, without having to eat more overall.
Anchor each meal on the protein and build round it: something dairy or eggs at breakfast, a portion of meat, fish or tofu at lunch and dinner, and edamame or nuts as the snack. Your dietitian can turn that into numbers for you — we’d rather not print totals we can’t stand behind.
Tofu, tempeh, lentils, beans, edamame, seitan and soy milk are good choices. Combine a few across the day. A dietitian can help if you’re eating very little.
It depends on your size, activity and health. Ask your prescriber or a dietitian. The general adult minimum is 0.8 g per kg a day.
Many people use them on low-appetite days. Check the label for sugar, and ask your dietitian.
For most healthy people moderate increases are fine. If you have kidney disease, ask your doctor first.
Not necessarily. Food works well, but powders can help on low-appetite days.
It helps at first, to learn what you’re eating. Later, a quick check-in may be enough. Skip it if tracking food feels stressful.