"How much protein do I need per day?" It's one of the most common questions in nutrition, and the honest answer is: it depends on your body weight, your age, and how active you are.
For most healthy adults, the baseline is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. For people who exercise regularly, research points to about 1.4 to 2.0 grams per kilogram. This guide shows you how to find your own number in about a minute, and what can change it.
The baseline for most healthy adults is 0.8g of protein per kg of body weight per day, or about 0.36g per pound.
Most people who exercise regularly are advised to eat about 1.4 to 2.0g per kg per day.
Older adults (65+) are advised to aim for at least 1.0 to 1.2g per kg per day.
A 75 kg (165 lb) person needs at least 60g a day at baseline, and about 105 to 150g if they exercise regularly.
Protein is a nutrient made of building blocks called amino acids, and your body uses it to build and repair muscle and other tissues. It also helps make enzymes and hormones, which keep everyday processes in your body running.
You can't skip it and expect things to run smoothly. Your body needs a steady supply of amino acids, and the only way to get them is through the food you eat. That's why the daily number matters more than any single meal.
The tricky part is that your ideal amount isn't the same as your neighbor's. Body size, age, activity, and goals all change it. That's what the rest of this guide sorts out.
Most healthy adults need at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. If you exercise regularly, about 1.4 to 2.0 grams per kilogram is a better range. Older adults are advised to aim for at least 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram.
The 0.8 number is the RDA, or recommended dietary allowance. It's a baseline for the average healthy adult, not a target for everyone. Active people, older adults, and people in certain situations are advised to eat more.
Think of it as a floor. It's the amount meant to cover the basic needs of most healthy people. If your life is more demanding than a typical desk-and-couch day, there's a good chance your ideal number sits higher.
If you're not active, you still need protein. Here's why you still need protein even if you don't exercise.
Take your body weight in kilograms and multiply it by the number that fits your situation. It takes about a minute.
Find your weight in kilograms. If you know it in pounds, divide by 2.2.
Pick your range. Baseline is 0.8. Older adults are advised 1.0 to 1.2. Regular exercisers are advised 1.4 to 2.0.
Multiply. Your weight in kg times your number gives your daily protein in grams.
Prefer pounds? Multiply your weight in pounds by 0.36 for the baseline, 0.45 to 0.54 for older adults, or 0.64 to 0.91 if you exercise regularly.
Treat the result as a starting point. It's a range for most people, not an exact prescription.
Say you weigh 60 kg (132 lb), you have a desk job, and you don't work out. Your baseline is 0.8 times 60, which is 48g a day.
Say you weigh 75 kg (165 lb) and lift weights three times a week. Multiply by 1.4 to 2.0 and you get about 105 to 150g a day. Starting near 120g is a reasonable place to begin.
Say you're 68, weigh 70 kg (154 lb), and walk or exercise most days. The advice for older adults who stay active is at least 1.2g per kg, so that's at least 84g a day.
About 1.4 to 2.0 grams per kilogram per day is enough for most people who exercise, according to the International Society of Sports Nutrition's 2017 position stand. For a 75 kg person, that's roughly 105 to 150g a day.
The same position stand notes that exercise and protein work together. Resistance exercise and eating protein both stimulate muscle protein synthesis, which is the process your body uses to build and repair muscle, and the effect is greater when you combine them.
You don't have to sit at the top of the range. If you're just starting, the middle of the range is a sensible place to begin. From there, adjust based on your goals, your appetite, and how you feel.
For most people lifting weights, around 1.6 grams per kilogram per day is where extra protein stops adding much. A 2018 meta-analysis of 49 trials and 1,863 people found that the benefit of added protein leveled off at about 1.6g per kg per day.
The range around that number extends up to about 2.2g per kg, so some people may do a bit better with more. That's why you'll often see 1.6 to 2.2g per kg quoted for muscle building. For a 75 kg person, that's about 120 to 165g a day.
The same analysis found something worth remembering. Lifting weights itself was a much bigger driver of muscle gains than protein. Extra protein also helped less in older adults and more in people with more training experience. Protein supports your training. It doesn't replace it.
If you're eating in a calorie deficit, protein is worth prioritizing, and the research suggests some people may need more than usual. For resistance-trained people during calorie-restricted periods, the International Society of Sports Nutrition says 2.3 to 3.1 grams per kilogram may be needed to hold on to lean body mass.
That's the high end of what's been studied, and it applies to people who lift weights regularly. For most people, starting in the 1.4 to 2.0 range is a reasonable place to begin.
Why does protein get so much attention when calories are lower? When you eat less overall, protein is one of the nutrients people prioritize to help protect muscle. It also tends to keep you feeling full, which can make eating less easier to stick with.
Keep in mind that losing weight and losing fat aren't the same thing. We break down the difference between losing weight and losing fat if you want the full picture.
Yes. The PROT-AGE Study Group, an international group of experts, recommends that adults over 65 aim for at least 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram per day, as laid out in their 2013 position paper. In their view, the standard 0.8g per kg is too low for older people.
They also advise at least 1.2g per kg for older adults who exercise or stay active. Older adults with acute or chronic illnesses may need even more, around 1.2 to 1.5g per kg.
Why more? Muscle tends to decline with age, and older bodies tend to respond less to protein than younger ones. Getting enough helps maintain lean mass and function.
If you have kidney disease or another medical condition, your needs may be different. That's a conversation for your doctor or a registered dietitian.
Yes. A few situations are worth knowing about, and in each of them, a professional can give you a number that fits you.
Medical conditions. Kidney disease and some other conditions can change how much protein is right for you. Check with your doctor before making big changes.
Life stages. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and recovery from illness or injury can all change your needs, so it's worth asking a professional.
Lower appetite. If you take a GLP-1 medication, your appetite may drop, which can make it harder to eat enough protein. Your doctor or dietitian can give you a target, and our GLP-1 meal plan has practical ideas.
Aim for about 20 to 40 grams of protein per meal, spread out across the day. That's the general guidance in the International Society of Sports Nutrition's position stand, which also suggests spacing protein roughly every 3 to 4 hours.
You don't have to be exact. If you want to know why the old 30g rule isn't a hard limit, here's what the research says about protein per meal. And if you're wondering whether the time you eat it matters, we cover protein timing.
The bigger idea is simple. Get your daily total right first, then spread it out in a way that fits your schedule. That's more useful than any timing trick.
A common gap is breakfast. If yours is usually toast and coffee, adding eggs, Greek yogurt, or cottage cheese is an easy fix. It gives you a head start on your daily number, so dinner doesn't have to carry the whole day.
It looks like building each meal around a protein source, then adding vegetables, fruit, and whole grains around it.
Here's a simple pattern. At breakfast, try eggs or Greek yogurt. At lunch, go for chicken, tuna, or tofu on a bowl or salad. For a snack, cottage cheese or a handful of nuts works. At dinner, fish or lean meat with beans or lentils covers you. For exact grams, check the label or look up a food on USDA FoodData Central.
A few easy upgrades go a long way:
Swap your usual breakfast. Try Greek yogurt with nuts instead of plain cereal.
Add beans or lentils. Stir them into soups, salads, or rice bowls.
Keep a protein snack handy. A cheese stick, jerky, or a small container of cottage cheese beats reaching for chips.
You can also use dessert to close the gap. If you have a Ninja Creami, a pint of protein ice cream can have 23g of protein, 0g added sugar, and 180 calories. The good ones are sweetened with allulose and monk fruit, with the protein coming from milk protein isolate. It's an easy way to add protein to your evening.
For exact protein numbers in any food, USDA FoodData Central is a reliable free tool.
23g protein. 0g added sugar. 180 calories. 2 scoops, your milk of choice, done.
Try CRUSHS Today →Most healthy adults need at least 0.8g per kg of body weight. People who exercise regularly are advised to eat about 1.4 to 2.0g per kg, and older adults about 1.0 to 1.2g per kg or more.
The baseline is about 0.36g per pound. For regular exercisers, it's about 0.64 to 0.91g per pound. Multiply your weight in pounds by those numbers to get your range.
It depends on your size and activity. For a 75 kg person, 100g is well above the 60g baseline, but slightly under the 105 to 150g range advised for regular exercisers.
For a 75 kg person who exercises regularly, 150g sits at the top of the 1.4 to 2.0g per kg range. For most healthy people that's fine, but check with your doctor if you have a health condition.
If you're cutting calories, protein is worth prioritizing. Research suggests resistance-trained people may need higher amounts to keep lean mass, though most people can start in the 1.4 to 2.0g per kg range.
For healthy people, there's little evidence that high protein intake damages the kidneys. Going far beyond the recommended ranges doesn't add much benefit, and people with kidney disease should talk to their doctor first.
