Everyday Health’s protein calculator, developed by registered dietitian-nutritionists (RDNs) and the team at Lose It!, calculates your ideal protein intake based on your goal. Maybe you’re looking to build muscle, lose weight, or make sure you’re getting enough protein based on what health experts recommend. To find out how much protein you need, simply follow the prompts.
Note: This tool is intended for general purposes only. It is not meant for people with medical conditions or complications (including anyone on medication), people younger than 18, or individuals who are pregnant or nursing. Always check in with your healthcare team before starting a new eating plan or changing your current one.
How Much Protein Should You Eat in a Day?
Given protein’s many functions in the body — including creating hormones, bolstering the immune system, and building muscle — it’s critical to get enough of this key macronutrient. Fortunately, most people in the United States do meet their daily needs.
The National Academies of Medicine recommends getting 10 to 35 percent of your total daily calories from protein.
That’s a large range. For a more specific target, consider the recommended dietary allowance (or RDA, which is the amount needed to meet the nutritional needs of almost all healthy people) of protein. The RDA for protein is 0.8 g per kilogram (kg) of body weight.For example, if you weigh 150 pounds (or 68 kilograms), your daily protein target is 54 grams (g).
Note that the RDA isn’t one-size-fits-all; many factors affect how much protein you need, including age, body size, muscle mass, and whether you exercise or have an illness, says Seattle-based sports dietitian Stephanie Magill, RD.
RDAs, by definition, are intended to meet the needs of 97 to 98 percent of healthy U.S. adults. That means the RDA may be insufficient for some healthy adults.
Also, there are those with certain health conditions, as well as other populations who might have other protein needs. Older adults may need up to 1.2 g of protein per kg of body weight to help prevent age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia). People who are ill or recovering from surgery also need more protein — up to 1.5 g per kg of body weight per day — because the body uses higher amounts of this nutrient to function under stress.
It may be best to use the RDAs as a starting point rather than a fixed target, says Gabrielle Lyon, DO, a functional medicine practitioner and the founder of the Institute for Muscle-Centric Medicine in New York City. “Every adult should start with a foundational level of protein, independent of activity level and calorie intake,” she says.
Protein Needs for Women
The RDA for protein doesn’t distinguish between men and women. “There generally isn’t a difference for protein needs based on gender,” says Magill.
Factors such as weight, age, and activity level matter more. In fact, research shows that men and women of similar health status and body mass index (BMI) replace older proteins with newer ones at relatively similar rates.
So, no matter your sex, use the RDA as a starting point and increase when needed.
Protein During Pregnancy
Protein needs go up during pregnancy to support tissue growth, placenta health, and increased blood volume.
During the first trimester (13 weeks), those who are pregnant can start with the standard RDA of 0.8 g per kg of body weight per day and increase based on activity level. Then, they should aim for 1.1 g per kg per day as a baseline during the second and third trimesters (weeks 14 to 40).
Everyday Health’s protein calculator does not provide protein intake recommendations for people who are pregnant. Consult your healthcare team for guidance on whether you are receiving enough of this key macronutrient.
How Much Protein When Building Muscle?
Since protein is the building block of muscle, people who want to bulk up require more of it.
Strength training creates tiny tears in your muscles, causing your body to send proteins to repair and rebuild them (a process known as muscle protein synthesis). “This is why individuals who engage in resistance training and other forms of exercise need to consume more protein to meet their body's heightened demands and to maximize muscle protein synthesis, leading to optimal muscle growth,” says Dr. Lyon.
People who want to build or maintain muscle should aim for 1.4 to 2 g of protein per kg of body weight per day, per the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN).
How Much Protein Should I Eat to Lose Weight?
Increasing your protein may help you manage or lose weight.
A randomized controlled trial found that adults with metabolic syndrome (a group of conditions that raise your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke) who closely followed a high-protein diet (1.34 g/kg body weight) for six months lost significantly more weight than those who closely followed a standard protein diet (0.8 g/kg body weight). Those who best followed the high-protein diet saw a 9.5 percent weight loss, while those who best followed the standard protein diet saw a 5.8 percent weight loss.
That trial was limited in size (including only 105 people), but several other trials lasting 6 to 12 months, similarly suggest a high-protein diet helps with weight loss — and may help prevent weight regain afterwards.
“Eating enough lean protein can support satiety, helping you to feel fuller longer, which can help you reduce your overall intake of calories,” says Magill. In one study, healthy women who ate a high-protein 160-calorie afternoon snack waited 20 to 30 minutes longer to eat dinner and ate 100 fewer calories than women who ate a high-fat snack of equal calories.
Plus, increasing your protein intake is critical for preserving muscle mass during a calorie deficit, Magill says. Without consuming adequate protein for repairing tissue (and exercising to build muscle), you’ll likely lose fat and muscle.
The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) recommends aiming for a daily protein intake between 1.6 and 2.2 g per kg of body weight for weight loss. People who exercise often should aim higher — 2.2 to 3.4 g of protein per kg of body weight to account for the body’s increased demands.
Foods High in Protein
Bookmark this list of protein sources for your next visit to the grocery store:
For optimal health, include a mix of healthy protein sources on your plate.Some research suggests emphasizing plant proteins may offer particular benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease and obesity. One concern with eating only plant proteins is that unlike meat, some plant protein sources do not contain all nine essential amino acids the body needs to thrive. However, some do. Those include hemp and chia seeds, quinoa, buckwheat, nutritional yeast, and soy foods.
Therefore, eating a variety of different types of plant proteins each day (particularly if you’re only consuming plant sources) helps ensure you’re obtaining the optimal amounts of essential amino acids.
Packaged protein products, including protein powder, protein bars, and protein shakes, can also be good options sometimes, says Umo Callins, RD, CSSD, who’s based in Oklahoma City. “These are great for grab-and-go options to have between meals as a snack or part of a snack, and can supplement meals that are lacking adequate protein,” she says. However, they may be expensive or highly processed.
Can I Eat Too Much Protein?
Despite protein’s many benefits, more isn’t always better. As with other macronutrients, it’s possible to overdo it on protein consumption. “Some downsides of eating too much protein are feeling too full, potential digestive challenges such as feeling constipated, bloated, or gassy, and having difficulty with consuming enough of other essential nutrients,” says Callins.
By overconsuming protein, you could also take in more calories than you need, causing you to gain weight. Meanwhile, people with certain medical conditions need to be especially careful about their protein intake. “For people with preexisting kidney disease or reduced kidney function, consuming too much protein can add stress to the kidneys and potentially make conditions worse,” Callins says. If you have kidney problems, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian about how much protein you should eat.
Measuring Protein Intake
One way to make sure you’re getting enough protein is by structuring your meals and snacks around complete protein sources.
Also, consider protein ranges, says Magill. Aim for high-protein snacks with 15 to 20 g of protein and meals with 25 to 40 g; get 20 to 30 g of protein after exercise, says Magill. “If you’re getting these numbers, you’re likely going to be close to meeting the recommendations,” she notes.
To track your protein intake, Callins recommends any of the following apps:
Note that the Lose It! app is owned by Everyday Health. As you log food, plug your information in the Everyday Health protein calculator periodically to see if your protein intake goal has changed.
The Takeaway
How much protein you need depends on several factors, including your age, weight, and activity level.
Using a protein calculator can help give you a more specific idea of how much protein you should eat per day.
Eating a variety of protein sources and emphasizing plant proteins is best for health.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
Are you getting enough protein? Mayo Clinic. November 27, 2024.
Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Cholesterol). National Academies of Medicine. 2005.
Campos-Nonato I et al. Effect of a High-Protein Diet versus Standard-Protein Diet on Weight Loss and Biomarkers of Metabolic Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Obesity Facts. July 2017.
Ortinau LC et al. Effects of High-Protein Vs. High-Fat Snacks on Appetite Control, Satiety, and Eating Initiation in Healthy Women. Nutrition Journal. 2014.
McCarthy D et al. Weight Loss Strategies and the Risk of Skeletal Muscle Mass Loss. Nutrients. July 20, 2021.
Lynn Grieger is a registered dietitian-nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist, certified personal trainer, and certified health and wellness coach. She completed requirements to become a registered dietitian at Valparaiso University in 1987 and completed a dietetic internship at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Illinois, in 1988.
Lynn brings her expertise in nutrition, exercise, and behavior change to her work in helping people reach their individual health and fitness goals. In addition to writing for Everyday Health, she has also written for websites and publications like Food and Health Communications, Today's Dietitian, iVillage.com, and Rodale Press.She has a passion for healthy, nutrient-dense, great-tasting food and for being outdoors as much as possible — she can often be found running or hiking, and has completed a marathon in every state.
Sarah Garone is a licensed nutritionist, registered nutrition and dietetics technician, freelance health and wellness writer, and food blogger in Mesa, Arizona. She has written for TheWashington Post, Healthline, Greatist, Verywell, and Eat This, Not That, among other outlets. She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Melinda Carstensen is an award-winning reporter, copywriter, and editor who specializes in health and wellness media. She joined Everyday Health in 2017 and is an editorial director overseeing lifestyle and wellness coverage for Everyday Health and Lose It! She previously worked as an editor at Fox News Health, Patch.com, and Disney’s Babble.com, and her writing has appeared in SELF and Weight Watchers Magazine.
Carstensen received her bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Florida, and was the lifestyle editor and university editor at the Independent Florida Alligator, the largest student-run paper in the United States. She enjoys getting outdoors for a run or a hike, catching up with friends over a glass of red wine, or unplugging by cracking open a novel. She lives in Rochester, New York, with her family.
