How Much Protein Do You Need Per Day?
The official minimum is lower than most active people need. Here is how much protein to eat for health, muscle gain and fat loss, with food examples.
Protein is the nutrient most likely to be under-eaten by people trying to lose fat or build strength, and over-hyped in supplement marketing. The evidence gives fairly clear targets.
The official minimum
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for adults is 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, about 0.36 g per pound. For a 70 kg adult that is 56 g. This is the amount needed to prevent deficiency in nearly all healthy adults. It is a floor, not an optimal target.
Targets for active people
Research reviews, including a 2018 meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, find that muscle gain from resistance training levels off at about 1.6 g/kg, with an upper range around 2.2 g/kg. Common targets:
| Goal | Protein per kg | For 70 kg |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary adult, general health | 0.8–1.0 g | 56–70 g |
| Regular exercise | 1.2–1.6 g | 84–112 g |
| Building muscle | 1.6–2.2 g | 112–154 g |
| Losing fat while keeping muscle | 1.8–2.4 g | 126–168 g |
| Adults over 65 | 1.0–1.2 g or more | 70–84 g |
If you carry a lot of body fat, base the calculation on your goal weight or lean mass instead of current weight, or the target will be unnecessarily high.
Why protein matters more when dieting
In a calorie deficit your body can break down muscle for energy. Higher protein intake, combined with strength training, signals your body to keep muscle so that weight lost comes mainly from fat. Protein is also the most filling macronutrient and uses about 20–30% of its calories just to digest, compared with 5–10% for carbohydrates and 0–3% for fat.
What 30 grams of protein looks like
- 100 g (3.5 oz) cooked chicken breast: about 31 g
- Four large eggs: about 25 g
- 250 g (1 cup) Greek yogurt: about 25 g
- 150 g canned tuna: about 35 g
- 200 g firm tofu: about 30 g
- 1 cup cooked lentils: about 18 g
- 1 scoop whey protein: about 20–25 g
Spreading it through the day
Studies suggest muscle protein synthesis responds best to around 0.3–0.4 g/kg per meal, about 25–40 g for most adults, spread over three or four meals. Eating most of your protein at dinner works, but distributing it is a little better for muscle and often easier for appetite control.
Is high protein safe?
For healthy adults, intakes up to about 2.2 g/kg are well studied and considered safe. People with existing kidney disease should follow their doctor's advice, as high protein can worsen it. Drinking enough water is sensible at higher intakes.
Putting it into your plan
Set your calorie target first with the calorie calculator, then use the macro calculator and choose the high-protein split if you are training or dieting. Check that the protein figure lands within the ranges above for your weight.