How much protein do you need each day?

The baseline for adults

The widely used minimum to avoid deficiency for sedentary adults is around 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For a 70 kg adult that is roughly 56 grams — a figure that is genuinely low and is met easily by most mixed diets.

This is a minimum for health, not an optimum for body composition. People who are physically active, older adults trying to preserve muscle, and anyone deliberately changing their body weight generally do better above this floor.

Higher intakes for training and muscle

For people doing regular resistance training, general sports-nutrition guidance often sits in the range of about 1.4 to 2.0 grams per kilogram per day, with some sources extending a little higher. Beyond roughly that range, additional protein tends not to add further muscle benefit for most people.

The exact number within the range matters less than consistently hitting it and training hard enough to make use of it. Protein without a training stimulus does not build much muscle; training without adequate protein leaves gains on the table.

• Sedentary adults — about 0.8 g/kg per day
• Recreationally active — about 1.2-1.6 g/kg per day
• Resistance training for muscle — about 1.6-2.0 g/kg per day
• Weight loss while preserving muscle — at the higher end of the range

Does it matter when you eat it?

Total daily intake is the dominant factor, but distribution is a useful secondary consideration. Spreading protein across three or four meals, with a meaningful amount at each, tends to support muscle maintenance better than eating almost all of it in one sitting.

A commonly cited per-meal target for stimulating muscle protein synthesis is roughly 0.3 grams per kilogram of body weight, which for many people lands somewhere between 20 and 40 grams per meal. Exact thresholds are debated, but the principle of spreading intake is well supported.

Practical sources

Animal sources such as eggs, dairy, poultry, fish and lean meat are complete proteins, meaning they provide all the essential amino acids. Plant sources — beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, soy and grains — can fully meet needs too, particularly when a variety is eaten across the day.

For people eating plant-based diets, aiming at the higher end of the range and including a variety of sources helps ensure all essential amino acids are covered without meticulous planning.

Is a high-protein diet safe?

For healthy kidneys, higher protein intakes within the ranges used in sports nutrition are generally considered safe in the research literature. People with existing kidney conditions should follow individual medical advice rather than general guidance, because their needs can differ substantially.

The more common practical issue is not safety but displacement: filling up on protein at the expense of fibre, vegetables and variety. Balance still matters.