How much protein do you need, and how do you hit it?

Most UK adults need at least 0.75 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day, which is about 45 grams for a woman and 55 grams for a man aged 19 to 50. If you do resistance training to build muscle, studies suggest the benefit levels off at around 1.6 grams per kilogram. Most people can reach either figure with ordinary food.

The rest of this guide shows you how to turn those numbers into your own target and how to spread it across a normal day, without weighing every meal.

How much protein do you need per day?

There is no single answer, because "need" depends on what you are asking. The UK reference figure is the minimum to avoid deficiency. The research on training is about getting the most from your effort. And older adults sit in a third category.

The first row is the Reference Nutrient Intake, which the British Nutrition Foundation lists as 0.75 g per kilogram per day, or 55.5 g for men and 45 g for women aged 19 to 50. It comes from 1991 Department of Health figures, and average body weights have risen since (British Nutrition Foundation (opens in a new tab)).

The second row comes from a meta-analysis of 49 randomised trials with 1,863 participants. It found that protein supplementation increased strength and muscle size during resistance training, and that total intakes above roughly 1.6 g per kilogram per day added no further gains in fat-free mass (Morton et al., 2018 (opens in a new tab)). The point where gains stopped was not sharply defined, so treat 1.6 as a sensible target rather than a cliff edge.

The third row is from the PROT-AGE position paper, which recommends that adults over 65 average at least 1.0 to 1.2 g per kilogram and more when they exercise (Bauer et al., 2013 (opens in a new tab)).

How to work out your number

Pick the row that fits you, then do one multiplication.

1. Take your body weight in kilograms. If you think in pounds, divide by 2.2; if you think in stone, multiply stone by 6.35 and add the odd pounds divided by 2.2. (More on this in our guide to tracking in kg, lb or stone.)
2. Multiply by 0.75 for a baseline, or by 1.2 to 1.6 if you train with weights regularly.
3. Round to a number you can remember.

For a 70 kg person who lifts, 1.6 x 70 gives 112 grams. In pounds the same maths is roughly 0.7 grams per pound of body weight.

Two honest caveats. The research above uses averages, and individuals vary. And a target is a target, not a daily pass mark: a week averaging 105 grams when you aimed for 112 is a good week.

VivFit sets a protein target as grams per kilogram of your trend weight and shows it as a ring in Eat, so it adjusts as your weight changes instead of asking you to redo the sums. You can see how that fits with the rest of the plan in the Eat section of the home page.

Is more protein always better?

No. The trial data point to a plateau, which means extra grams beyond the range above buy you little extra muscle. Protein also does not replace training, enough food overall or sleep.

If you have a kidney condition, or you follow a diet set by a doctor or dietitian, ask them before raising your intake. The PROT-AGE authors, for instance, note that people with severe kidney disease who are not on dialysis may need to limit protein.

What does 100 grams of protein look like?

Rounded, typical values for common portions are below. Brands and cooking methods vary, so check the pack or a food database such as McCance and Widdowson's Composition of Foods (opens in a new tab).

A day that reaches roughly 110 grams might look like this:

• Breakfast: Greek-style yoghurt with oats, a splash of milk and fruit, about 25 g.
• Lunch: tuna and white bean salad with bread, about 40 g.
• Snack: cottage cheese on oatcakes, about 18 g.
• Dinner: chicken or tofu stir-fry with rice and vegetables, about 35 g.

Nothing in that list is a supplement or a special product. If you eat plant-based, the same shape works with lentils, beans, tofu, tempeh and soya milk, though the portions are usually larger for the same protein, so it is worth checking labels for the first week.

How to hit your target without turning dinner into maths

Anchor each meal with a protein food. Decide the protein first and build the plate around it. It is easier than patching a gap at 9 pm.

Aim for roughly even meals. Spreading protein across three or four eating occasions is practical. The trials above looked at total daily intake, so do not worry about hitting a precise number at each meal.

Keep two or three fallback options. A tub of yoghurt, a tin of fish or a carton of milk covers a short day.

Plan the week, not the day. Protein is much easier to hit when the shop and the recipes are decided on Sunday. Our guide to a weekly meal plan and one grocery list walks through it.

Vary the sources. The NHS Eatwell Guide advises eating some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other protein foods, choosing lean cuts and cutting back on red and processed meat, with at least two portions of fish a week, one of them oily (NHS Eatwell Guide (opens in a new tab)).

Do you need protein powder?

You do not. The meta-analysis above looked at supplementation, so it does not show that powders beat food. Powders are a convenient way to close a gap, particularly if you train hard, have a small appetite or are short of time. If you can reach your number with yoghurt, eggs, fish, pulses and meat, you have no need to buy anything.

Frequently asked questions

Is 0.75 g per kg enough?

It is the UK reference intake for adults, set to meet the needs of most people who are not doing resistance training for muscle. If you lift regularly, are older or are trying to maintain muscle, the research above points to a higher range. For a 70 kg adult, 0.75 g per kg is about 53 grams a day.

How much protein do I need to build muscle?

Across the trials in the Morton meta-analysis, intakes above about 1.6 g per kg per day gave no extra gain in fat-free mass. That is about 112 grams a day at 70 kg. Training, total food intake and sleep matter just as much as the protein figure, so treat it as one part of the plan.

Can you eat too much protein?

The studies above found no extra muscle benefit beyond the plateau, so there is little reason to go far above it. People with kidney conditions, or on a medically directed diet, should get advice before raising intake. If you are unsure, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian.

Do vegetarians and vegans need more protein?

The reference amounts are the same, and plant foods can meet them with variety. Pulses, soya products, grains, nuts and seeds all contribute. Portions of some plant foods need to be larger for the same protein, so it helps to check labels while you are learning what your usual meals provide.

Should I count protein every day?

Only if it helps. A few weeks of logging teaches you what 100 grams looks like on your plate, and after that many people check in once a week. Counting should make food easier, not more stressful. If tracking numbers affects how you feel about eating, stop and speak to your GP or an eating-disorder charity such as Beat.

Sources

• British Nutrition Foundation. Protein (opens in a new tab).
• Morton RW et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults (opens in a new tab). British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2018.
• Bauer J et al. Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: a position paper from the PROT-AGE Study Group (opens in a new tab). Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 2013.
• NHS. The Eatwell Guide (opens in a new tab).
• UK Government. McCance and Widdowson's Composition of Foods integrated dataset (opens in a new tab).
• Beat. Beat eating disorders (opens in a new tab).