Recommended Protein Intake for Optimal Health

Protein is possibly the most crucial macronutrient due to its involvement in nearly every function in the body. Protein is essential for adequate growth and repair of all organs and supports immune function, digestion, and hormone balance.

Here, we review the recommended protein intake for sedentary and active adults, people who are pregnant and breastfeeding, and children. We’ve also included specific recommendations for adults who have muscle growth and fat loss goals.

Most adults can benefit from a daily protein intake of 1.2-2 grams per kilogram (g/kg) body weight. Some adults benefit from up to 3.4 g/kg for very active individuals engaging in frequent resistance training.

Your individual protein requirements may vary based on factors such as age, sex, body composition, activity level, and overall health. Consulting with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian can provide personalized recommendations based on your specific needs and goals.

Minimum protein intake for adults

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) is established by the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. It is meant to provide a level of intake for a particular nutrient that will meet the needs of most healthy adults.

The RDA for protein is 0.8 g/kg (0.36 g/lb) body weight. However, many expert nutrition groups, including the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and Dietitians of Canada (DOC), have adopted recommendations in line with results from several studies showing that most adults need significantly more protein than the RDA.

Most nutrition experts view the RDA as a minimum amount of dietary protein intake needed to prevent malnutrition and support the basic physiological functions of the body.

Recommended protein intake for adults

Healthy, sedentary

Recommended protein intake to maintain weight and lean mass for adults who don’t engage in regular physical activity:

• Goal | maintain weight: 1.2-1.8 g/kg (0.54-0.82 g/lb) (1, 2, 3, 4)

Healthy, regularly active

Recommended protein intake to maintain weight, build muscle, and lose fat for healthy, regularly active adults:

• Goal | maintain weight: 1.4-2.0 g/kg (0.64-0.91 g/lb) (5)
  • 1.8-2 g/kg can help improve body composition for increased muscle mass and decreased fat mass (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
• Goal | build muscle: 1.6-2.4 g/kg (0.73-1.1 g/lb) (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
  • Up to 3.4 g/kg for experienced lifters during a bulking phase who want to minimize fat gain (12, 16)
  • Muscle growth also requires consistent resistance training with progressive overload and a hypercaloric diet (consuming more calories than you expend)
• Goal | fat loss: 1.6-2.4 g/kg (0.73-1.1 g/lb) (17, 18)
  • 2.3-3.1 g/kg can enhance fat loss and minimize muscle loss in lifters with low body fat (19, 20, 21)
  • Fat loss also requires a hypocaloric diet (consuming fewer calories than you expend)
  • Increased protein intake can reduce hunger throughout the day and enhance your metabolic rate since protein requires more energy to digest compared to fat and carbohydrates (22, 23, 24, 25)

		Sedentary: maintain weight	Active: maintain weight	Active: build muscle	Active: build muscle, bulking	Active: fat loss	Active: fat loss, lean lifters
		1.2-1.8 g/kg	1.4-2.0 g/kg	1.6-2.4 g/kg	up to 3.4 g/kg	1.6-2.4 g/kg	2.3-3.1 g/kg
Body weight (kg)	Body weight (lb)	Daily protein (g):	Daily protein (g):	Daily protein (g):	Daily protein (g):	Daily protein (g):	Daily protein (g):
45.4	100	54-82	64-91	73-109	154	73-109	104-141
56.7	125	68-102	79-113	91-136	193	91-136	130-176
68	150	82-122	95-136	109-163	231	109-163	156-211
79.4	175	95-143	111-159	127-191	270	127-191	183-246
90.7	200	109-163	127-181	145-218	308	145-218	209-281
102	225	122-184	143-204	163-245	347	163-245	235-316
113.4	250	136-204	159-227	181-272	386	181-272	261-352
124.7	275	150-224	175-249	200-300	424	200-300	287-387
136.1	300	163-245	191-272	218-327	463	218-327	313-422

Higher weight (BMI ≥ 30)

Muscle is the most metabolically-active tissue in the body, so preserving it will prevent your metabolism from decreasing significantly during a phase of calorie restriction, increasing your chances of long-term weight loss. By consuming adequate protein, you are more likely to maintain your lean body mass, especially if engaging in resistance training.

Additionally, protein helps to curb hunger and promote balanced blood sugar which can prevent overeating and cravings. (22, 23)

Recommended protein intake for higher-weight adults:

• Goal | fat loss: 1.2-1.5 g/kg (0.54-0.68 g/lb) (26, 27, 28, 29)

		BMI ≥ 30 (fat loss)
		1.2-1.5 g/kg
Body weight (kg)	Body weight (lb)	Daily protein (g):
45.4	100	54-68
56.7	125	68-85
68	150	82-102
79.4	175	95-119
90.7	200	109-136
102	225	122-153
113.4	250	136-170
124.7	275	150-187
136.1	300	163-204

Older adults (≥ 50 years old)

The current RDA for protein is inadequate to prevent sarcopenia in older adults. Sarcopenia is age-related loss of muscle, strength, and function. (30, 31) Additionally, as we age, it becomes more difficult to build new muscle and the amount of protein the body can digest and absorb is less than in younger adults.

Most adults over the age of 50 need a minimum of 1.2 g/kg protein, and those who have a goal of fat loss or muscle growth will need even more.

Recommended protein intake for older adults:

• General needs: 1.2-1.5 g/kg (0.54-0.68 g/lb) (32)
• Goal | build muscle: 1.7-2.0 g/kg (0.77-0.91 g/lb)
• Goal | fat loss: 1.5-2.2 g/kg (0.68-1.00 g/lb)

		Older adults (general)	Older adults (build muscle)	Older adults (fat loss)
		1.2-1.5 g/kg	1.7-2.0 g/kg	1.5-2.2 g/kg
Body weight (kg)	Body weight (lb)	Daily protein (g):	Daily protein (g):	Daily protein (g):
45.4	100	54-68	77-91	68-100
56.7	125	68-85	96-113	85-125
68	150	82-102	116-136	102-150
79.4	175	95-119	135-159	119-175
90.7	200	109-136	154-181	136-200
102	225	122-153	173-204	153-224
113.4	250	136-170	193-227	170-250
124.7	275	150-187	212-249	187-274
136.1	300	163-204	231-272	204-299

Pregnancy

The RDA for protein during pregnancy is 1.1 g/kg. However, this amount is likely inadequate, and several studies have shown that higher protein consumption during pregnancy resulted in decreased risk of small-for-gestational-age infants. (33, 34)

Recommended protein intake during pregnancy:

• 1st-2nd trimester: 1.7 g/kg (0.77 g/lb) (35, 36)
• 3rd trimester: 1.8 g/kg (0.82 g/lb) (35, 36)
• Regular physical activity or carrying more than one child: up to 2 g/kg (0.91 g/lb)

Always consult with your physician or dietitian before making changes to your diet.

Lactation

The RDA for protein during lactation is 1.1 g/kg, though some studies show that protein needs remain high for at least the first 3-6 months postpartum, especially if you’re exclusively breastfeeding. But even if you are only partially breastfeeding, additional protein is needed to replenish your protein stores and aid the healing and recovery process. (37)

Recommended protein intake during lactation:

• Partial breastfeeding: ≥ 1.5 g/kg (0.68 g/lb)
• Exclusive breastfeeding: 1.7-1.9 g/kg (0.83-0.86 g/lb)

		Pregnancy (1st-2nd trimester)	Pregnancy (3rd trimester)	Partial breastfeeding	Exclusive breastfeeding
		1.7 g/kg	1.8 g/kg	≥ 1.5 g/kg	1.7-1.9 g/kg
Body weight (kg)	Body weight (lb)	Daily protein (g):	Daily protein (g):	Daily protein (g):	Daily protein (g):
45.4	100	77	82	≥ 68	77-86
56.7	125	96	102	≥ 85	96-108
68	150	116	122	≥ 102	116-129
79.4	175	135	143	≥ 119	135-151
90.7	200	154	163	≥ 136	154-172
102	225	173	184	≥ 153	173-194
113.4	250	193	204	≥ 170	193-215
124.7	275	212	224	≥ 187	212-237
136.1	300	231	245	≥ 204	231-259

Always consult with your physician or dietitian before making changes to your diet.

Recommended protein intake for infants & children

There is limited research on appropriate protein intake for infants and children since it would be unethical to intentionally deprive children of protein. For infants, Adequate Intake is used. For toddlers, the average amount of protein consumed with no adverse outcomes is used.

Recommended protein intake for infants & children:

• Infants (preterm): 3.0-4.0 g/kg (1.36-1.81 g/lb) (38, 39, 40)
• Infants (full-term, 0-6 months): ≥ 1.5 g/kg (0.68 g/lb) (41)
• Infants (full-term, 7-12 months): 1.6 g/kg (0.73 g/lb) (42)
• Toddlers (1-3 years): 3.0-4.0 g/kg (1.36-1.81 g/lb) (43) 
• Children (4-13 years): 1.5-2.9 g/kg (0.68-1.32 g/lb), greater for children involved in sports or regular physical activity (44, 45)

Age group	Infants (preterm)	Infants (full-term, 0-6 months)	Infants (full-term, 7-12 months)	Toddlers (1-3 years)	Children (4-13 years)
Protein needs	3.0-4.0 g/kg	≥ 1.5 g/kg	1.6 g/kg	3.0-4.0 g/kg	1.5-2.9 g/kg

Always consult with your child’s physician or dietitian before changing their diet.

Recommended protein intake for vegans & vegetarians

Plant foods tend to have less protein than animal foods, and the protein contained in plant foods is often less bioavailable due to antinutrients and low amounts of some essential amino acids (EAAs).

Bioavailability is the ability of your body to digest, absorb, and use nutrients from food.

Antinutrients are certain compounds that are naturally occurring in plants and can prevent the digestion of protein and other nutrients. They can be broken down and reduced through soaking, sprouting, and cooking.

Most plant foods are missing one or more of the EAAs, so it’s essential to get your protein from many different sources to ensure you’re consuming all of the EAAs.

Tips to meet protein needs on a vegan or vegetarian diet

1. Start with the appropriate guideline based on your age, health, weight status, and goals.
2. Consider eating additional protein to account for the lower bioavailability and incomplete protein profile of most vegan foods. (46)
3. Consume a wide variety of plant foods, with an emphasis on foods containing leucine, lysine, methionine, and cysteine, which are often low in plant proteins.
   • Best vegan sources of leucine: beans, corn, lentils, peas, seitan, soy
   • Best vegan sources of lysine: beans, lentils, peas, soy
   • Best vegan sources of methionine + cysteine: rice, seitan (vital wheat gluten)

Health conditions that may affect your protein requirements

Some health conditions may worsen with a high-protein intake due to decreased ability of your body to remove the breakdown products from protein digestion. These include the following:

• Chronic kidney disease, particularly for people not on dialysis (47)
• Liver failure, particularly for people experiencing impaired cognition associated with an elevated ammonia level in the blood (48)

Other health conditions may benefit from increased protein intake due to the accelerated metabolism required for the body to heal and/or tissue breakdown caused by the disease process. These include the following:

• Cancer, especially for people undergoing chemotherapy or radiation, or those who are experiencing weight loss (often accompanied by muscle loss) (49)
• Severe burns, wounds, critical illness, and traumatic injuries (50, 51, 52, 53)

Be sure to consult with your doctor or dietitian for individualized nutrition recommendations.

How much protein to eat per meal

Consuming adequate doses of protein throughout the day is important to stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS).

Muscle protein synthesis is the process of building new muscle tissue, and it occurs when protein consumption exceeds muscle protein breakdown.

Every time you eat protein, your body has an opportunity to use the protein for muscle growth.

Here are the estimated per-meal protein intakes required to maximize MPS and meet daily protein needs at different ages:

• Adults (20-30 years old): 0.24-0.40 g/kg/meal (54)
• Adults (30-60 years old): 0.30-0.50 g/kg/meal (55)
• Adults (60 years and older): 0.40-0.60 g/kg/meal (30, 54)

		Adults (20-30 years old)	Adults (30-60 years old)	Adults (≥ 60 years old)
		0.24-0.40 g/kg	0.30-0.50 g/kg	0.40-0.60 g/kg
Body weight (kg)	Body weight (lb)	Per meal protein (g):	Per meal protein (g):	Per meal protein (g):
45.4	100	11-18	14-23	18-27
56.7	125	14-23	17-28	23-34
68	150	16-27	20-34	27-41
79.4	175	19-32	24-40	32-48
90.7	200	22-36	27-45	36-54
102	225	24-41	31-51	41-61
113.4	250	27-45	34-57	45-68
124.7	275	30-50	37-62	50-75
136.1	300	33-54	41-68	54-82

How much protein to eat after exercise

After exercise, you want to minimize muscle protein breakdown as much as possible, so eating protein is essential.

Generally, eating an adequate dose of protein (per-meal goal or around 30 grams) within 2 hours after exercise is a good goal. Often, you may still be digesting food from a prior meal, so your body is likely absorbing and using those nutrients throughout your workout and you may be okay to wait a bit if needed. (56)

If you haven’t consumed adequate protein within 1-2 hours before training, it is more important to eat a high-protein meal as soon as possible after exercise.

How to meet your daily protein needs

If you are paying closer attention to your protein intake or increasing your consumption to meet a certain goal, you may realize you’re falling short of your protein goal at the end of the day due to a lack of planning. So, we’ve broken down the steps to easily divide your daily protein intake throughout the day. And if you prefer to measure your food in ounces, here is a reference to help with that.

Steps to make sure you are eating enough protein

1. Determine your daily protein goal.
2. Decide how many meals and snacks you plan to eat daily (usually 3-4 meals and 0-3 snacks).
3. Divide your protein goal between your meals and snacks.
   • For meals, determine your per-meal goal and choose an amount within the range to start with (usually 25-50 g/meal)
   • For snacks, choose a slightly lower amount than your meals (usually 10-20 g/snack)
   • Adjust your meal and snack amounts as needed to meet your total daily protein goal
4. Choose your protein sources for each meal. Choosing foods that have a high protein density will help you easily meet your goal and prevent overconsumption of calories.
   • Animal foods with high protein density:
     • Lean fish: barramundi, cod, haddock, halibut, pollock, red snapper, sole, tilapia, tuna, whiting
     • Shellfish: clams, crab, lobster, mussels, oysters, scallops, shrimp
     • Beef & game meat: beef (ground, 93-95% lean), beef (top round, lean), beef jerky, buffalo, deer, elk, moose, pastrami, veal
     • Poultry: chicken breast, turkey breast, turkey drumstick, turkey (ground, 93% lean)
     • Pork: ham, pork (ground, 96% lean)
     • Dairy & eggs: cottage cheese (2% fat), egg whites, Greek yogurt (0% fat), milk (0% fat)
   • Plant foods with high protein density:
     • Soy products: soybeans, tempeh, texture vegetable protein, tofu (firm)
     • Legumes: lupin beans, peanut butter powder (or defatted peanut flour)
     • Meat alternatives: mycoprotein, seitan (vital wheat gluten)
     • Grains: wheat germ
5. If you are struggling to meet your protein needs through whole foods alone, you can also add in protein powders and protein shakes, though these should be supplemental and not your main source of protein since they typically lack many vitamins and minerals.

More resources

• Vegan Protein Sources
• High-Protein Milk
• High-Protein Vegan Snacks
• What is Protein?

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Frequently asked questions

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