How Much Protein Do You Actually Need?

Nutrition · Muscle and weight

The old number was the minimum to avoid deficiency. Here is what you actually need, and how to get it without living on shakes.

Written for my patients. If you are not one, read "call me" as "call your own clinician", and take the questions here to them.

The short answer

For most adults, aim for 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. That is the target in the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and it is 50 to 100 percent more than the old 0.8 g/kg recommendation, which was the floor to prevent deficiency, not the amount that protects muscle.

Some nutrition scientists think the new target leans too heavily on weight-loss studies. I still use it, because most of my patients are in exactly that situation: losing weight, on a GLP-1, over 40, or all three. Those are the people most likely to lose muscle along with fat.

What that looks like

If you weigh	Daily target
130 lb (59 kg)	About 70 to 95 grams a day
160 lb (73 kg)	About 85 to 115 grams a day
190 lb (86 kg)	About 105 to 140 grams a day
220 lb and up	I calculate yours from a reference weight rather than your current weight, so the number stays realistic.

Spread it out

Your muscles respond best to a solid dose of protein at each meal rather than one big dinner. Aim for about 30 grams or more at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Most Americans eat a light-protein breakfast and most of their protein at dinner, which is backwards.

• On a GLP-1, eat your protein first. When fullness hits early, the protein is already in.
• Protein works best alongside strength training. Without it, extra protein adds much less muscle.
• Shakes are fine as a backup. Real food brings fiber, minerals, and more fullness.

Where to get it

Food	Protein, approximate
Chicken or turkey, 3 oz cooked	About 25 g
Salmon or other fish, 3 oz cooked	About 20 to 22 g
Plain Greek yogurt, 1 cup	About 20 to 23 g
Firm tofu, ½ cup	About 20 g
Canned tuna, 3 oz	About 20 g
Cottage cheese, ½ cup	About 12 to 14 g
Eggs, 2 large	About 12 g
Lentils, ½ cup cooked	About 9 g
Edamame, ½ cup shelled	About 9 g
Black beans, ½ cup cooked	About 7 to 8 g

Plant eaters can hit these targets too. It takes a bit more volume and variety: soy foods, lentils, beans, seitan, and a protein powder if needed.

Talk to me first if

• You have kidney disease. Protein needs in chronic kidney disease are individual, and higher targets are not right for everyone. In people with healthy kidneys, these amounts have not been shown to cause harm.
• You have liver disease, gout, or a history of an eating disorder, or you are pregnant.

A note on how to use this. General information for my patients, not individualized advice. Food values are approximate and vary by brand and preparation.

1. U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030. January 2026.
2. Mozaffarian D et al. Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: joint advisory. Am J Clin Nutr 2025;122(1):344–67.
3. Morton RW et al. Protein supplementation and resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength: meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med 2018;52(6):376–84.
4. Bauer J et al. Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people (PROT-AGE). J Am Med Dir Assoc 2013;14(8):542–59.

Trang Ca Laube, FNP-BC, FMACP · Reclaim Power Telehealth · Updated September 2026