How Much Protein Do You Need Per Day? By Weight, Age and Goal

How much protein you need per day depends on your body weight and goal. A healthy, mostly sedentary adult needs at least 0.8–0.83 g per kg of body weight (about 54 g for a 65 kg man and 46 g for a 55 kg woman on India’s 2020 RDA). People who lift weights generally do well on 1.4–2.0 g/kg, and adults over 65 are advised to get 1.0–1.2 g/kg or more. Spread across 3–4 meals, that usually works out to about 20–40 g of protein per meal.

The right number changes with your weight, training, whether you are dieting, your age, pregnancy, and kidney health. This guide turns the main research into a one-minute calculation, then shows what it looks like as real Indian meals.

If you want the basics first (amino acids, complete vs incomplete proteins, what protein actually does), read our explainer on what protein is and the different types of protein.

How much protein per day by goal: the quick table

The word “minimum” matters. A 2017 review in Advances in Nutrition notes that the 0.8 g/kg RDA, essentially unchanged for more than 70 years, was derived to estimate the minimum protein needed to avoid losing body nitrogen. It prevents deficiency; it was not designed as the best intake for muscle, aging, or fat loss.

What does the research actually say?

The RDA: 0.8 g/kg (0.83 g/kg for Indians)

The ICMR-NIN expert group revised India’s protein recommendation in 2020. Following the FAO/WHO/UNU (2007) method, it set the average requirement at 0.66 g/kg/day and the RDA at 0.83 g/kg/day for healthy adults, down from the 1 g/kg used in 2010. At its reference weights (65 kg men, 55 kg women) that is 54 g and about 46 g per day.

Exercise and muscle: 1.4–2.0 g/kg, with a plateau around 1.6

The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) position stand concludes that 1.4–2.0 g/kg/day is enough for most exercising people to build and maintain muscle. The largest meta-analysis on the question, by Morton and colleagues (49 trials, 1,863 participants), found that protein supplementation improved strength and muscle gains during resistance training. However, gains in fat-free mass stopped increasing beyond a total intake of about 1.62 g/kg/day. Individuals vary, so 1.6 g/kg is a sensible target rather than a hard ceiling.

Protein supports the training stimulus; it does not replace it. If your lifts are stuck, look at your program first. Our guide to progressive overload for beginners shows how to add weight, reps, or sets gradually.

Fat loss: protein needs go up in a calorie deficit

When you eat below maintenance, your body is more likely to break down lean tissue. The ISSN notes that intakes of 2.3–3.1 g/kg/day may be needed to maximize lean-mass retention in resistance-trained people during hypocaloric periods. That range comes mostly from research on lean, trained lifters. If you are new to training or carrying more body fat, 1.6–2.0 g/kg is usually a more realistic and still well-supported target.

Older adults: 1.0–1.2 g/kg or more

Older muscle responds less to the same amount of protein. The PROT-AGE Study Group recommends at least 1.0–1.2 g/kg/day for people over 65, at least 1.2 g/kg for those who exercise or are otherwise active, and 1.2–1.5 g/kg for most older adults with acute or chronic disease. Its key exception: older people with severe kidney disease (eGFR below 30) who are not on dialysis may need to limit protein.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

ICMR-NIN adds protein on top of the non-pregnant RDA: +9.5 g/day in the second trimester and +22 g/day in the third, then +16.9 g/day for the first six months of breastfeeding and +13.2 g/day for months 6–12. These are modest amounts. For example, a glass of milk and a bowl of curd cover the second-trimester increase. They can come from food, and supplements are not required. Follow your antenatal team’s advice.

How to calculate your daily protein: step by step

1. Choose the right body weight. If you are at a healthy weight, use your current weight in kg. If you have obesity, multiplying your full weight by a high g/kg target gives an inflated number. A common practical approach is to use a realistic target weight (or a weight that matches a healthy BMI for your height) instead.
2. Choose your g/kg factor from the table above, based on your main goal.
3. Multiply weight × factor to get grams per day. Round to the nearest 5 g; precision beyond that is false accuracy.
4. Divide by the number of meals. Aim for 3–4 roughly even protein feedings. The ISSN suggests about 0.25 g/kg (or 20–40 g) per dose every 3–4 hours. Schoenfeld and Aragon suggest about 0.4 g/kg per meal across four meals for people focused on muscle.
5. Check it against food you actually eat for 3–4 typical days, then adjust portions rather than adding supplements by default.

Worked example 1: 60 kg woman who lifts three times a week

Goal: build strength at maintenance calories. Factor 1.6 g/kg × 60 kg = about 95 g/day. Across four meals that is roughly 24 g per meal (0.4 g/kg × 60 kg = 24 g). If plant foods are her main protein sources, see our guide to plant protein for women’s health.

Worked example 2: 75 kg man cutting body fat

He has trained for two years and is eating about 20% below maintenance. Using 2.0–2.2 g/kg × 75 kg gives 150–165 g/day, or about 40 g across each of four meals. If he becomes very lean late in the diet, moving toward the ISSN’s higher range is reasonable.

Worked example 3: 68-year-old, 70 kg, walks daily

Using PROT-AGE’s 1.2 g/kg for active older adults: 1.2 × 70 = about 85 g/day, or roughly 28 g per meal across three meals. A tea-and-biscuits breakfast is the usual gap; adding milk, curd, eggs, or a moong chilla is the simplest fix. If they have kidney disease, the target should come from their doctor instead.

Worked example 4: 110 kg, 170 cm, starting a weight-loss plan

1.6 × 110 kg = 176 g, which is unnecessarily high and hard to eat. Using a target weight of about 75 kg × 1.2–1.6 g/kg gives 90–120 g/day.

Protein in common Indian foods

Home-style dal is often thin, so a katori may hold far less than 150 g of cooked lentils. Soya chunk and paneer values vary by product; use your pack’s nutrition panel. For more vegetarian options, see our list of high-protein plant foods.

What does 100 g of protein a day look like?

Two sample days built from the table’s portions (illustrations, not prescriptions). Roti, rice, and vegetables add a few uncounted grams.

Vegetarian (egg-free) day: about 98 g

• Breakfast: 200 g hung curd or Greek yogurt with fruit and seeds: about 18 g
• Lunch: 150 g thick dal + 100 g firm tofu bhurji with roti: about 31 g
• Evening: 250 ml milk: about 8 g
• Dinner: soya chunk curry (40 g dry) + 150 g dal + 200 g curd with rice or roti: about 41 g

For a fuller, week-long vegetarian version without protein powder, see our 100 g protein Indian vegetarian meal plan.

Non-vegetarian day: about 98 g

• Breakfast: 3-egg omelette + 250 ml milk: about 27 g
• Lunch: 120 g cooked chicken breast + 150 g dal with rice: about 51 g
• Evening: 200 g curd: about 7 g
• Dinner: 150 g dal with roti and sabzi: about 13.5 g

Notice the imbalance: the non-vegetarian day front-loads lunch, while dinner is light. Moving some chicken or eggs to dinner would bring every main meal into the 25–40 g range. Whether you eat more protein in the morning or at night matters less than the daily total and an even spread; see the best time to consume protein for the details.

Protein myths to stop worrying about

“High protein damages your kidneys”

In people with healthy kidneys, the evidence does not support this. A 2018 meta-analysis of 28 trials (1,358 participants) compared higher-protein diets (at least 1.5 g/kg, at least 20% of energy, or at least 100 g/day) with normal or lower intakes. It found no difference in the change in kidney filtration rate (GFR) over the trials. Trials were short with unclear selection-bias risk, so this is reassuring rather than decades-long proof. The picture is different if you already have kidney disease, diabetes with kidney involvement, or a single kidney. Then your protein target should be set with your doctor, because some people with chronic kidney disease need to limit it.

“Your body can only absorb 30 g of protein at a time”

The real debate is how much of one meal is used for muscle building. A 2023 study by Trommelen and colleagues found that eating 100 g of protein after exercise produced a larger and longer-lasting (more than 12 hours) anabolic response than 25 g. Protein above about 25 g was not simply “wasted.” It was a single-session lab study, so spreading protein across meals is still sensible, but a 50 g dinner is not a waste.

Mistakes to avoid

• Using pounds and kilograms interchangeably. “1 g per pound” is about 2.2 g/kg, above what most people need.
• Using total body weight with obesity. Use a target weight to avoid inflated numbers.
• Front-loading everything into one meal. Breakfast is often the low-protein meal in Indian households, so fix it first.
• Counting cereals as your main source. If most of your protein comes from rice and wheat, ICMR-NIN suggests a higher g/kg figure. Add pulses, dairy, soy, or eggs.

Common questions

How much protein do I need per day to build muscle?

For most people who lift regularly, about 1.6 g/kg/day is a good target, within the ISSN range of 1.4–2.0 g/kg. Average gains level off above that.

Is 100 g of protein a day too much?

For a healthy adult weighing 60–80 kg, 100 g works out to about 1.25–1.7 g/kg, within ranges studied in active people. For someone with kidney disease, it may be too much and should be checked with a doctor.

Do women need less protein than men?

Per kilogram, the recommendations are the same. Women usually need fewer total grams only because they tend to weigh less. Pregnancy and breastfeeding add extra protein, as listed in the table.

How much protein should a 70 kg person eat?

About 58 g at the ICMR-NIN RDA (0.83 g/kg), 84 g at 1.2 g/kg for an active older adult, and about 110 g at 1.6 g/kg for someone strength training.

Sources and evidence notes

Evidence checked on October 11, 2026. This article is an editorial synthesis of the guidance and studies below, not a new systematic review. The worked examples, meal days, and the target-weight approach for obesity are our practical applications, not protocols tested in a trial. Food values are approximate and vary by product and preparation. This is general information for adults; if you are pregnant, have kidney disease, diabetes, or another medical condition, ask a clinician or registered dietitian for your target.

1. ICMR-NIN: Nutrient Requirements for Indians 2020, brief note: EAR 0.66 and RDA 0.83 g/kg/day; 1 g/kg for cereal-based diets; pregnancy and lactation additions.
2. Wolfe et al. (2017), Optimizing protein intake in adults: RDA vs AMDR: explains that the 0.8 g/kg RDA reflects a minimum. Some authors disclose food-industry ties.
3. ISSN Position Stand: protein and exercise (2017): 1.4–2.0 g/kg for exercisers, 2.3–3.1 g/kg in hypocaloric trained lifters, and 20–40 g per dose.
4. Morton et al. (2018), protein supplementation and resistance training meta-analysis: 49 RCTs; fat-free mass gains plateaued at about 1.62 g/kg/day.
5. PROT-AGE Study Group (2013), protein for older people: 1.0–1.2 g/kg for people over 65, higher with activity or illness, and the kidney exception.
6. Devries et al. (2018), higher-protein diets and kidney function: 28 trials in healthy adults; no difference in GFR change. Trials were short.
7. Trommelen et al. (2023), anabolic response to 100 g vs 25 g protein: a lab study that challenges the per-meal “limit.” One author was employed by a dairy company.
8. USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy): protein per 100 g for lentils, egg, chicken breast, yogurt, tofu, milk, and defatted soy flour.