How much protein do you need per day?

The short answer: most adults need between 1.2 and 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, depending on their goal. For a 70 kg (154 lb) person that is roughly 85 to 140 grams a day.

The official minimum you often see, 0.8 g/kg, is the amount that prevents deficiency in people who sit most of the day. It is a floor, not a target. If you are active, losing weight or getting older, you will do better with more.

Want your exact number? Use the protein calculator. Below is how it works.

Protein per day by goal

Goal	Protein per kg	Per lb	70 kg adult
Stay healthy	1.2 g	0.54 g	85 g
Lose fat, keep muscle	1.6 g	0.73 g	110 g
Build muscle	1.8 g	0.82 g	125 g
Train hard most days	2.0 g	0.91 g	140 g

Staying healthy

If you simply want to feel good, stay strong and keep your muscle as you age, around 1.2 g/kg is a solid everyday target. It is easy to reach with protein at each meal.

Losing fat

When you eat fewer calories, your body is more likely to break down muscle for energy. Eating more protein, around 1.6 g/kg, helps you keep that muscle so the weight you lose is mostly fat. Protein is also the most filling nutrient, which makes a calorie deficit easier to stick to. Read more in protein for weight loss.

If you have a lot of weight to lose, base the number on your goal weight instead of your current weight. That keeps the target realistic.

Building muscle

Research on strength training points to 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg as the range where extra protein still helps muscle growth. Around 1.8 g/kg is a good middle ground for most people who lift a few times a week.

Training hard

If you train most days, or do long endurance sessions, aim for about 2.0 g/kg. Your body needs more protein to repair from frequent hard sessions.

Adjust for activity and age

On top of your goal, two things nudge the number up:

• How often you train. Add about 0.1 g/kg for 1–2 sessions a week, 0.2 for 3–4 and 0.3 for 5 or more.
• Age 65 and over. Older muscles respond less to protein, so add about 0.1 g/kg.

That is exactly how the Protein Tracker app and the calculator work out your target.

How much protein per meal?

Spreading protein through the day works better than eating most of it at dinner. Divide your daily target by the number of meals you eat:

• 120 g a day over 3 meals → 40 g per meal
• 120 g a day over 4 meals → 30 g per meal

Around 25–40 g per meal is a practical range for most adults. A chicken breast has about 53 g, a can of tuna about 31 g, and a pot of Greek yogurt about 17 g.

What 125 g of protein looks like in a day

Here is one simple day that reaches about 125 g:

Meal	Food	Protein
Breakfast	Greek yogurt pot + 2 eggs	30 g
Lunch	1 can of tuna on a salad	31 g
Snack	1 scoop whey shake	24 g
Dinner	Salmon fillet	38 g
	Total	123 g

Vegetarian or vegan? See plant-based protein sources.

Can you eat too much protein?

For healthy adults, intakes up to about 2 g/kg are widely considered safe. If you have kidney disease or another medical condition, check with your doctor before eating more protein.

The bottom line

Pick the target for your goal, adjust for training and age, and spread it across your meals. Then track it for a couple of weeks. Most people are surprised how far off they were.