How much protein do you need? Here’s how to adjust your optimal intake

Protein for a while. From coffee chains adding it to lattes to food companies marketing protein cookies and snacks, to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. touting steak instead of cake, the noise surrounding protein can make it difficult to know what you really need.

And under Kennedy, the federal government updated the Dietary Guidelines to recommend a higher daily protein intake than before.

But nutrition science explains that protein is not one size fits all. Protein needs vary based on a number of factors including activity level, age and body weight.

So, here’s how to put politics and marketing aside, and personalize your optimal intake of these key nutrients.

Why should we eat protein?

Our bodies rely on protein to do everything from building and repairing muscles, making enzymes that help digest food, to producing antibodies that support immune function.

Rachele Pojednic, a scientist at Stanford University, says the body continues to break down old proteins and build new ones, using amino acids from food.

“Protein is the building block of skeletal muscle,” Pojednic said. “When you ingest these amino acids, they’re broken down in your GI tract and absorbed and then put back into every tissue,” he says.

Start with your body weight

So, here’s how to calculate your optimal intake. Start with a one-time calculation based on your estimated weight:

The new recommendation is to aim for 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day.

“I think that’s the ideal range,” Pojednic said. “This is research that has been shown for some time.”

Here’s the math: Take your weight in pounds and divide by 2.2 to get kilograms. Then take that weight and multiply it by 1.2 or 1.6 (above the recommendation). It gives you the daily recommended protein range in grams.

For example, someone who weighs 150 pounds should aim for at least 82 grams of protein a day, and up to 109 grams on the higher end.

Here is one way to achieve it: breakfast a cup of Greek yogurt (17 to 20 grams) and nuts (4 to 5 grams); lunch that includes a cup of cooked lentils (about 18 grams); almond snack or hummus with vegetables (5 grams); and dinner with a 4-ounce chicken breast (about 35 grams).

Here are more suggestions for easy ways to add protein to your meals.

Consider your activity level

If you exercise regularly, you may want to increase the protein to the upper end of the recommended range.

Many weightlifters and competitive athletes have long been advised to eat more protein.

“Activity is one of the key drivers of how much protein you need,” says Stuart Phillips, a researcher at McMaster University who studies skeletal muscle health.

Exercise creates stress in the body that increases the amount of muscle protein used. “When you eat more protein, you can take in more, and make more new muscle protein,” says Phillips, explaining that exercise “sensitizes” muscles to protein, increasing their ability to use amino acids for growth and repair.

Take your age into account

“People start losing muscle mass somewhere in their 30s and 40s, and you don’t notice until your 50s or 60s, when all of a sudden you can’t do one thing or another,” Phillips says.

Maybe you’ve noticed it’s harder to lift your suitcase or grab a bag of groceries, both of which are signs it’s time to take action. Phillips said this can catch people by surprise and get ahead of it requires physical activity, especially strength training, as well as consuming adequate protein, in 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram body weight range.

“If you exercise it will slow down muscle loss, then combined with more protein, it will be more effective,” he said.

Women tend to eat less protein than men and do less strength training. Prioritizing both can help prevent age-related frailty. But there is one important caveat: more protein alone will not build new muscle strength. Phillips emphasizes it’s the combination that makes the difference.

Decide on your number

If you’ve been following along, you’ll know what your protein needs are. Start with math to figure out your rough target based on your body size, then personalize it depending on your activity level and age.

Then, look at what you eat and see how close you are. You can find the protein levels of various foods in databases like this one from the US Department of Agriculture. Or try an app for tracking macronutrients.

Animal protein sources vs. vegetarian

As for protein sources, Pojednic says both animal and plant foods can meet the body’s needs. “The literature clearly shows that you can get enough protein and all the essential amino acids from a plant-based diet, as well as a diet that includes meat,” he says.

Of the approximately 20 amino acids that make up the building blocks for proteins in the body, nine are considered “essential,” meaning the body cannot produce them on its own. Animal products and meat typically provide sufficient amounts of the nine, and some plant sources, such as soybeans (used to make tofu and tempeh) are also considered complete proteins, supplying sufficient amounts of all nine.

Many plant foods do not provide enough of all the essential amino acids, alone, so they’re considered incomplete proteins. But variety can close the gap.

If you “mix and match” in your diet with a variety of vegetables, fruits, grains, as well as legumes and nuts, “you can get all the amino acids,” says Pojednic.

Have you won too much?

This is a recommendation for the general public and people with certain health conditions, especially those with chronic kidney disease, may be advised to eat less protein. If you’re increasing your protein intake significantly, you may want to check with your healthcare provider to make sure you’re eating the right amount. And remember, if you get your protein from meat and dairy, watch your saturated fat intake, given that the recommendation is to limit saturated fat to less than 10% of total daily calories.

Protein powders can be convenient, so if they appeal to you, they can be a good choice. Yet most people get enough protein from a balanced diet without adding supplements.

And if you know the general range of protein you’re aiming for, you don’t have to think about it: Eat a variety of real foods, in reasonable portions, and add some resistance exercise.