HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO YOU NEED?

How much protein do you need?

Firstly, let's see what or how important protein is. Proteins are molecules made up of amino acids that are the building blocks of life. Our bodies require proteins to produce important molecules in our body – like enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, and antibodies. Without enough protein, our bodies wouldn't function properly at all. 

Protein helps to replace worn-out cells, it transports different substances throughout the body, and it aids with muscle and cell growth and repair. 

While most people eating a western diet are getting enough protein, how much you need depends on many very individual factors. The most important factor is your activity level. 

If you are a sedentary adult, that is you don't exercise; your daily needs are about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass. That is enough to prevent malnutrition, and the minimum amount of protein your body needs to turn over. 

This would mean:

• 48 grams of protein for a 60-kilogram person.

• 64 grams of protein for an 80-kilogram person.

• 80 grams of protein for a 100-kilogram person. 

As you increase your activity level, obviously these minimum requirements need to go up. Also note, these are the minimum requirements, not your optimal requirements. If you exercise regularly or are sick, these needs drastically increase. 

Adequate requirements would be 0.8-1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass if you were a healthy sedentary adult. 

If you were overweight and trying to lose weight, adequate-protein intake would be between 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. 

For instance, if you were 120 kilograms and trying to lose weight, adequate-protein for you would be between 192 and 264 grams of protein each day. 

If you are a healthy and active adult with no underlying health issues like kidney, or liver disease, 1.6-3.3 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass per day would suit you. 

Unless you are competing for something, in particular, you don't want to be weighing your protein each meal. I recommend using Precision Nutrition's hand portions method to work out your daily needs. 

One portion would be the size of the palm of your hand, which would be between 20 and 30 grams of protein. A great starting place is adding one to two portions to each meal then adjusting up or down depending on your needs. 

Not all of your daily protein intake comes from animal products. Almost all of the foods you eat contain a small amount of protein. 

For instance, one avocado has 4 grams of protein. A baked potato has about 4 grams of protein. A fist-sized serving of broccoli has about 3 grams of protein. 

How much protein do you think you need each day?