How Much Protein Do You Need Per Day?

Protein builds and repairs muscle, keeps you full, and supports almost every process in your body. But how much do you actually need? The answer depends on your weight, activity and goals.

The minimum: 0.8 g per kg

The official recommended dietary allowance for adults is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For a 70 kg person, that's 56 g.

This is the amount needed to prevent deficiency in most healthy adults. It isn't necessarily the best amount for active people, older adults or anyone trying to lose fat or build muscle.

Better targets by goal

Research on strength training suggests benefits for muscle growth level off around 1.6 g per kg for most people, with up to 2.2 g per kg as a generous upper target.

What that looks like in food

For a 70 kg person aiming for 1.6 g per kg, the target is about 112 g a day. Some typical amounts:

Spread it through the day

Your body uses protein better when it's split across meals rather than eaten in one big dinner. Aim for roughly 20–40 g at each main meal.

Protein for vegetarians

Lentils, chickpeas, beans, paneer, yoghurt, milk, eggs, soy and tofu are all good sources. Combining pulses with grains, as in daal and rice, provides a fuller mix of amino acids.

Is too much protein harmful?

For healthy people, intakes up to about 2 g per kg are considered safe. If you have kidney disease, talk to your doctor before increasing protein.

Supplements

Protein powder is convenient but not essential. If you can reach your target with regular food, you don't need it.

Find your number

The protein intake calculator gives a daily target based on your weight, activity and goal. To balance protein with carbs and fat, use the macro calculator, and set your overall calories with the calorie calculator.