Why eating more collagen helps with aging

You’ve probably seen a lot of advertising for collagen peptides or bone broth collagen scattered throughout your social feeds. And there’s a reason for the collagen spotlight right now:

Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies. It’s what’s found in our skin, digestive system, bones, blood vessels, muscles, and tendons.

Think of it as the glue that holds these things together. And naturally, as we age, our production of collagen slows (hello, wrinkles and weak muscles!).

How to meet your body’s needs

Our bodies and dietary needs change as we age, especially as we reach our 40s.

On top of that, people become less active. This slows metabolism and energy levels. It’s why you’ll notice many older adults consuming smaller meals and opting out of snacking. Your nutrition needs will also definitely change too. Consuming foods high in protein will provide your body with the amino acids needed to make more protein.

Making sure you’re eating right from the beginning may help ease any age-related transitions.

Nutrients and vitamins to consider eating more of are:

  • Vitamin C. Found in foods such as citrus fruits, kiwi, and pineapple.
  • Copper. Found in foods such as organ meats, cocoa powder, and portabella mushrooms.
  • Glycine. Found in foods such as gelatin, chicken skin, and pork skin.
  • Zinc. Found in foods such as oysters, beef, and crab.

Luckily, there are plenty sources of collagen out there too, as well as antioxidant-rich foods to help boost your intake so your body stays in tip-top shape.

Follow our shopping list and recipes to get a feel for what it’s like to be eating an anti-aging diet. We promise it’s delicious.

Keep reading to get a sneak peek of our anti-aging food guide.

We specifically created these healthy, antioxidant-boosting meals to help support your body’s natural production of collagen. These meals take about 40 minutes each to prepare and are perfect for people looking to meal prep. To have enough for the week, we recommend doubling the serving sizes.

For the full recipes, including step-by-step photos, download our guide.

Quinoa bowl with lemon vinaigrette

Salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for bone and joint health as well as brain function. Pair that with a scoop of collagen peptides and some collagen-boosting ingredients — such as lemon, sweet potato, kale, and avocado — and you’ve got yourself a great anti-aging meal!

Serves: 2

Time: 40 minutes

Sweet potato tacos with spicy avocado dressing

Chicken is packed full of protein, which is essential for the health of our bodies. With the dressing already containing a scoop of collagen peptides, the sweet potatoes, onion, avocado, and lime will make this meal a true anti-aging friend.

This is also a great meal to prep ahead of time, especially if you live that on-the-go lifestyle.

Low-carb option: For the low, low-carb option, you can nix the tortilla and add some leafy greens to make it a gut-friendly salad.

Serves: 2

Time: 40 minutes

Kale Caesar salad with chicken

In most Caesar salads, you’ll see romaine as the base. We took a twist and packed our Caesar salad with more nutrient-dense leafy greens, like kale and spinach. We also refined the traditional Caesar dressing, which is usually filled with additives, to keep it as healthy as possible.

Pro tip: If you’re not feeling bread but still want some crunch, add some nuts or seeds. Or fry up some chickpeas!

Serves: 2

Time: 45 minutes

Sweet potato nice cream

Craving sweet potato pie but don’t have the time to make it? We get it — pie crust alone can be a hassle. Insert sweet potato nice cream: Your craving in ice cream form, sure to satisfy all your needs while also adding (and boosting) collagen dosage.

It serves two, but we’re sure you’ll want to at least triple this recipe.

Serves: 2

Time: 5 minutes

Incorporate these anti-aging, collagen-boosting foods into your diet and feel your body get stronger. Our easy, go-to shopping list is based off how well they’ll support your body. You can’t go wrong with this.

Produce

Ingredients

Proteins

Ingredients

Dairy

Ingredients

Pantry staples

Ingredients

Spices and oils

  • salt
  • pepper
  • cumin
  • smoked paprika
  • chili powder
  • cinnamon
  • olive oil

We’ve partnered with companies like Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday Value, Kettle Fire, Redwood Hill Farm, and Bob’s Redmill to create this collagen-friendly grocery list.

You may notice these signs and symptoms if your body is low on collagen. Some of the symptoms you may experience are:

To combat these symptoms…

…or minimize them, stop with the sugar and refined carbs and start adding more collagen and collagen-boosting foods to your daily diet. This is why we’ve created this anti-aging shopping guide.

While you definitely don’t need to “feel older” in order to try this diet, research shows physical signs of aging (like wrinkles and muscle loss) start appearing when you turn 40. But you don’t need to be 40 to start eating more collagen-friendly, antioxidant-rich foods.

So, you’ve got your collagen peptides and collagen protein. You’ve made these recipes, but you’re still wanting more to vary up the rest of your week. Here are some other ingredients you can add to your shopping list:

  • berries
  • butternut squash
  • tomatoes
  • avocado
  • Brussels sprouts
  • eggplant
  • asparagus
  • legumes

Some spices to add include:

  • turmeric
  • ginger
  • green tea
  • superfoods like maca, spirulina, and acai

By incorporating these nutrients and vitamins alongside increasing your collagen intake and collagen-boosting foods, you’re sure to help your body age as gracefully as possible.

Ayla Sadler is a photographer, stylist, recipe developer, and writer who’s worked with many of the leading companies in the health and wellness industry. She currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and son. When she’s not in the kitchen or behind the camera, you can probably find her toting around the city with her little boy or working on her passion project MaMaTried.co— a community for the mama. To see what she’s up to, follow her on Instagram.