While protein needs vary greatly person to person, there are still some helpful formulas and recommendations out there to give you a general idea of where to start. I’m breaking down some of them in today’s post!
Ok, who has asked themselves (or Google) this question before? I KNOW I’m not the only one…and I’m even a registered dietitian!!!
Chances are, if you’ve ever done a search for protein requirements, you’ve likely come across a wiiiiiide range of recommendations, leaving you even more confused than before. I get it! Once again, the world of nutrition has become more confusing than it really needs to be. If that’s the case, then I hope today’s post is eye-opening, straightforward, and helpful! And, if you feel like you struggle to meet your protein needs, I even included a sample menu to show just how easy it can be to consume enough through the day.
Protein Recommendations
Based on research conducted by the ISSN (International Society Of Sports Nutrition), in order to build and maintain muscle mass, an overall intake of 1.4–2.0 g protein/kg body weight/day is sufficient for most individuals.
Examine.com (the largest database of nutrition and supplement research on the internet) has come to the consensus that if you’re of healthy weight, active, and wish to build muscle, aim for 1.6–2.4 g/kg. If you’re sedentary, aim for 1.2-1.8 g/kg.
For reference, the RDA is set at 0.8 g/kg, which really represents the minimum intake needed to prevent malnutrition…not necessarily ideal or optimal.
Let’s look at these different recommendations using an example of a 150 lb (68.1 kg) woman. Using these different ranges, should would need:
1.4-2 g/kg (active) = 95-136 grams protein per day (ISSN)
1.6-2.4 g/kg (active) = 109-163 grams protein per day (Examine.com)
1.2-1.8 g/kg (sedentary) = 82-122 grams protein per day (Examine.com)
0.8 g/kg (active) = 54.4 grams protein per day (RDA)
However it’s important to remember that protein needs vary and depend on several differing factors like weight, health goals, physical activity levels, and even if you’re pregnant/breastfeeding. Note that these are RANGES, anything that falls within the range should be sufficient.
TRY IT OUT! To calculate your estimated needs: take your weight in pounds and divide by 2.2 to get kilograms, then multiply by both ends of the range to get an idea.
How to Incorporate Protein in Meals and Snacks
Your overall daily intake should ideally be broken up between meals and snacks. It’s not really easy for someone to consume upwards of 80-90 grams of protein in sitting, is it??
How much should you plan to have at a meal? 0.4-0.6 g/kg per meal is a good place to start but again…is a recommendation. You can certainly consume more or less than that amount, but any less and you might not reach full satiety. And YES, the body can still “use” protein if you consume more than the 30 or 40 grams you might have heard of as an “upper limit”. This is the rough amount for optimal muscle protein synthesis, however if you take in more than that amount of protein, it will then be used in other bodily functions.
So, let’s break that down a bit more for that same woman who weighs 150 lb (68.1 kg):
0.4 g/kg = 27 grams of protein per meal
0.6 g/kg = 41 grams of protein per meal
This means that you should aim for anywhere from 27-41 grams of protein per meal (for 3 meals total), for a total protein intake of 81-123 grams per day, or 1.2-1.8 g/kg. If you have a hard time consuming a lot of protein at a meal, you can break it up into meals and snacks, such as 30 grams of protein for 3 meals and 15 grams of protein for 2 snacks. Here’s an example for that same 150 lb woman, aiming to get a total of 1.5 grams of protein per day and broken down into 3 meals and a snack:
What Counts As Protein?
You can find protein in a wide variety of foods. The most bioavailable protein sources are foods like chicken, turkey, eggs, beef, fish, pork and dairy products (like Greek yogurt). However, you can also get plant-based protein from foods like quinoa, tempeh, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. It’s important to note that while these plant-based options do have protein, they are predominantly more of a carb or fat source in the diet so you will need to consume more of them to meet protein needs…however you’re also consuming more fat and carbs.
While whole foods, whether plant or animal-based, should be the main focus (think of all the other nutrients these foods contain!!), protein powders are a great supplement to utilize to help meet protein needs if needed or enjoyed. There’s nothing wrong with using protein powders to meet your needs, so long as you are also working to incorporate other sources of protein and not solely relying on powders. It’s all about diversity!!!
How Do I Know How Many Grams of Protein A Food Has?
Some foods come in a package and have a nutrition label that provides the amount of grams of protein in a serving, such as Greek yogurt or a protein powder. This makes it easy to determine how many grams of protein are in that product.
But we know that not all foods come in a package, or have a package that has the nutrition facts label on it. How do we figure out protein in that instance?
When it comes to meat/animal products, 1 ounce of protein is equal to roughly 7 grams of protein. So if you have 4 ounces of (raw) chicken then that is roughly 28 grams of protein. When meats cook they lose a bit of weight, but the amount of protein remains the same.
It is absolutely not necessary to religiously weigh all of your food. While this might provide you with some more concrete data on protein intake, don’t give it too much control. You don’t have to be exact down to the gram.
If you don’t have a scale or if you don’t want to weigh your food, you can think of your palm as about 3 ounces as a reference point. So, compare a cut of meat or chicken breast to the size of your palm to get a rough estimate of how many grams of protein it might contain. Again, DON’T GET CAUGHT UP IN THE WEEDS — you’ll likely end up within the range if you are eating something at least the size of your palm so don’t stress too much!
I hope this post has been helpful to shed some light on how to determine your ideal protein intake! While individual needs will vary from person to person (remember, we aren’t robots), we can still use recommendations such as the ones discussed above as a simple starting point to which we can then ebb and flow from based on personal preference or needs. Most of us aren’t training at a highly elite level that warrants a stringent, strict compliance to detailed numbers and highly calculated protein intake. Take some time to evaluate your current intake to see where you stand and what changes you could make to better meet your needs.
