Your daily protein needs depend primarily on your body weight, age, activity level, and health status.
- For an average sedentary adult, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (or about 0.36 grams per pound). For example, a person weighing 75 kg (165 pounds) needs roughly 60 grams of protein daily
- Adults over 40-50 years old may need more protein, about 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram , to help prevent muscle loss with aging
- If you exercise regularly, your protein needs increase to about 1.1 to 1.5 grams per kilogram , and those engaged in strength training or endurance sports may require up to 1.2 to 1.7 grams per kilogram
- For overweight individuals, protein needs should be calculated based on adjusted body weight to avoid overestimation, ideally with a dietitian's help
- Protein should generally make up about 10% to 35% of your daily calories. For a typical 2,000-calorie diet, this translates to roughly 50 to 175 grams of protein per day
To calculate your protein needs:
- Convert your weight from pounds to kilograms by dividing by 2.2046.
- Multiply your weight in kilograms by the appropriate protein factor (0.8 for sedentary adults, higher for active or older adults).
For example, a 150-pound (68 kg) sedentary adult would need about 54 grams of protein per day (68 × 0.8 = 54)
. In summary, your protein requirement varies, but a good starting point is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, adjusted upward if you are older, active, or aiming to build muscle
. Consulting a healthcare professional or dietitian can help tailor your intake to your individual needs.
