How Much Protein You Actually Need Per Day

The number

For anyone training and wanting to keep or build muscle: 1.6-2.2 g per kg of body weight per day. Use the low end when you're eating at maintenance or gaining, and the high end when you're in a deficit, older, or training hard — protein needs go up when calories go down.

• 60 kg → 100-130 g/day
• 75 kg → 120-165 g/day
• 90 kg → 145-200 g/day

If you're carrying a lot of body fat, base the calculation on a realistic goal weight rather than current weight, otherwise the target becomes needlessly huge.

Spread it across the day

Three or four servings of 30-45 g each is easier to eat and slightly better for muscle protein synthesis than one enormous dinner. Practically: protein at breakfast is the single biggest fix for most people, because that's where the day usually runs on toast and coffee alone.

What 30 g actually looks like

• 150 g chicken breast — 35 g
• 170 g plain Greek yoghurt (0-2%) — 17 g
• Two large eggs — 12 g
• One scoop of whey — 24 g
• 200 g cottage cheese — 22 g
• 150 g tinned tuna — 32 g
• 150 g firm tofu — 17 g
• 200 g cooked lentils — 18 g
• 100 g cooked prawns — 24 g

No-cooking options for bad days

Greek yoghurt with berries, cottage cheese on rye, a tuna pouch, a protein shake with milk, beef jerky, edamame, or a supermarket rotisserie chicken. Having two of these permanently in the house is what keeps a protein target realistic on the days you don't cook.

Plant-based targets

Aim slightly higher — around 2.0-2.4 g/kg — because plant proteins are typically lower in leucine and less digestible. Combine sources across the day (legumes plus grains, soy, seitan, pea or soy protein powder) rather than obsessing over single-meal completeness.

Common worries, answered

Is high protein bad for my kidneys?

In people with healthy kidneys there's no evidence that intakes in this range cause harm. If you have existing kidney disease, that's a conversation for your doctor, not a calculator.

Can I eat too much protein?

Past roughly 2.5 g/kg there's no extra muscle benefit, and the calories are better spent on carbs to fuel training. More is not better; it's just more expensive.

The short version

• 1.6-2.2 g/kg per day; push higher in a deficit.
• Split into 3-4 servings of 30-45 g.
• Fix breakfast first.
• Keep two no-cook sources in the house permanently.