Most adults need between 1.6g and 2.2g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day if they are active and working toward a body composition goal. If you're sedentary and simply aiming for general health, the minimum is lower around 0.8–1.2g per kilogram but research increasingly suggests that even this is an underestimate for long-term muscle maintenance and metabolic health.

The number that's right for you depends on three things: your body weight, your goal, and your activity level. This article breaks it down simply, covers the science behind why protein matters so much, and clears up the myths that have been circulating for years.

Why Protein Is the Most Important Macro to Get Right

Protein is not just a "gym person" nutrient. It is the structural material your body uses to build and repair muscle tissue, produce enzymes and hormones, support immune function, and maintain nearly every biological process that keeps you healthy. Of the three macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fat), protein is the one most people consistently under-eat and the one with the most direct impact on body composition and metabolic rate.

There are two specific reasons protein deserves particular attention.

First, it is the most satiating macronutrient. Multiple controlled studies have found that high-protein meals reduce hunger hormones (specifically ghrelin) and increase satiety hormones (GLP-1 and PYY) more effectively than equivalent calories from carbohydrates or fat. In practical terms: eating enough protein makes it significantly easier to eat less overall without feeling deprived.

Second, it protects muscle tissue during a caloric deficit. When you are eating below your maintenance calories to lose fat, your body faces a choice about where to source energy. Without sufficient protein intake, it will break down muscle tissue alongside fat stores. Adequate protein signals to the body to preserve lean mass which matters both aesthetically and metabolically, since muscle tissue drives your resting metabolic rate.

How Much Protein Do You Need? (By Goal)

For General Health

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) set by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) sits at 0.75–0.8g per kilogram of body weight per day for adults. This figure represents the minimum required to prevent deficiency, not an optimal target.

For a 70kg adult eating at maintenance, that works out to approximately 53–56g of protein per day. This is adequate for basic biological function, but a growing body of evidence suggests that increasing intake to 1.2–1.6g per kilogram produces better outcomes for body composition, bone density, and metabolic health across the lifespan particularly for adults over 35, where muscle preservation becomes increasingly important.

Practical target for general health: 1.2–1.6g per kg of body weight per day.

For Fat Loss

Protein becomes even more critical when you are eating in a caloric deficit. A 2012 meta-analysis by Wycherley et al. in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, comparing high-protein with standard-protein energy-restricted diets across randomised controlled trials, found that higher protein intake produced significantly greater fat mass loss and better preservation of lean muscle mass (PMID: 23097268).

The evidence supports a target of 1.8–2.4g per kilogram of body weight per day during active fat loss phases. The upper end of this range is particularly relevant if you are training while dieting.

For a 70kg person eating in a deficit, that means roughly 126–168g of protein per day considerably higher than the RDA, and considerably higher than most people actually eat.

Practical target for fat loss: 1.8–2.4g per kg of body weight per day.

For Muscle Building

Building muscle technically called hypertrophy requires two things: a training stimulus and sufficient protein to support new tissue synthesis. Protein alone will not build muscle, but without enough of it, the training stimulus cannot be fully utilised.

A 2018 meta-analysis by Morton et al. in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, analysing 49 studies and 1,863 participants, found that protein intakes beyond approximately 1.62g per kilogram produced diminishing additional returns for muscle gain (PMID: 28698222). Most researchers now position 1.6–2.2g per kilogram as the practical optimal range for people actively training for hypertrophy.

There is no strong evidence that intakes beyond 2.2g per kilogram produce additional muscle gain in healthy adults, though some researchers argue a higher target (up to 3.1g/kg) may be beneficial during aggressive muscle-building phases or very high training volumes.

Practical target for muscle building: 1.6–2.2g per kg of body weight per day.

Quick-Reference Guide: Protein Targets by Body Weight and Goal

What Does That Actually Look Like in Food?

Protein targets can feel abstract until you map them to real meals. Here are some benchmarks to work with:

• 100g chicken breast (cooked): approximately 31g protein
• 2 large eggs: approximately 12g protein
• 170g Greek yoghurt (full-fat): approximately 17g protein
• 100g canned tuna (in water): approximately 26g protein
• 100g cooked lentils: approximately 9g protein
• 30g whey protein powder: approximately 24g protein
• 100g cottage cheese: approximately 11g protein

A person targeting 140g of protein per day a reasonable fat loss target for a 70kg adult, might build a day that looks like: two eggs at breakfast (12g), Greek yoghurt mid-morning (17g), a chicken breast at lunch (31g), a protein shake mid-afternoon (24g), and a dinner with 150g of salmon plus lentils (approximately 40g combined). That is 124g. A slightly larger dinner portion or an added handful of edamame gets them the rest of the way.

Protein targets are achievable with normal food. They do not require supplements, though a protein shake can be a convenient way to fill a gap. Apps like INCHECK FIT remove the need to calculate this manually, the meal plan is built to hit your protein target every day, without you having to think about it.

Common Protein Myths Set Straight

"You can only absorb 30g of protein at one sitting"

This is one of the most persistent myths in nutrition, and it is not supported by the research. The idea comes from early studies on the rate of muscle protein synthesis following a single meal not the body's capacity to digest and utilise protein over time.

More recent research demonstrates that protein absorption continues well beyond a single mealtime window, and that the body processes larger protein doses over an extended period rather than wasting what it cannot immediately use for muscle protein synthesis. The practical implication is that spreading protein across 3–5 meals per day is broadly beneficial not because the body "can't handle" more in one sitting, but because it optimises the muscle protein synthesis signal throughout the day.

Eating 60g of protein in one meal is not wasteful. It will be absorbed and used.

"High protein diets damage your kidneys"

This concern is valid only for people with pre-existing kidney disease, where protein metabolism places additional load on already compromised kidney function. In healthy adults, there is no credible evidence that high protein intake causes kidney damage. A 2016 study by Antonio et al. in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism found no adverse effects on kidney or liver function in healthy resistance-trained individuals consuming protein intakes of up to 3.3g per kilogram of body weight over 12 months (PMID: 27807480).

If you do not have a diagnosed kidney condition, eating a high protein diet is safe.

"Protein makes you bulky"

Dietary protein does not cause unwanted muscle gain in the absence of a structured resistance training programme with progressive overload. The level of training stimulus required to build noticeable muscle mass is significant. Eating more protein without that stimulus will not produce bulk, it will primarily contribute to satiety and, if total calories are managed, to fat loss rather than weight gain.

"Plant protein doesn't count as much as animal protein"

Plant proteins are often referred to as "incomplete" because most individual plant sources lack one or more essential amino acids. However, a diet that includes a variety of plant protein sources. legumes, soy, wholegrains, nuts, seeds can provide a complete amino acid profile. Leucine, the key amino acid for triggering muscle protein synthesis, is present in reasonable quantities in soy, lentils, and edamame.

The nuance here is that plant protein sources often require slightly higher total intake to deliver the same muscle-building signal as animal sources. A 2021 review by Pinckaers et al. in Sports Medicine found that differences in digestibility and amino acid profile between plant and animal proteins can be compensated for by consuming a greater total amount of plant protein or by combining complementary sources (PMID: 34515966). Plant-based individuals may benefit from targeting the higher end of the recommended range (closer to 1.8–2.2g/kg) to account for this.

Frequently Asked Questions

• ‍How much protein do I need per day to lose weight? For most adults aiming to lose fat while preserving muscle, a target of 1.8–2.4g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day is supported by current research. For a 70kg person, that is approximately 126–168g daily. Higher protein intake during a caloric deficit helps maintain lean muscle mass and increases satiety, making it easier to sustain the deficit.
• ‍How much protein do I need to build muscle? The research consensus points to 1.6–2.2g per kilogram of body weight per day as the optimal range for muscle hypertrophy in adults who train regularly (Morton et al. 2018, PMID: 28698222). Intakes beyond 2.2g/kg do not appear to produce meaningfully greater muscle gains in most healthy adults. Total calorie intake and consistent resistance training remain equally important factors.
• ‍How much protein should a woman eat per day? Protein targets are based on body weight, not gender. A 60kg woman aiming to lose fat would target approximately 108–144g of protein per day (1.8–2.4g/kg). Women do not need to eat differently from men in terms of protein strategy, though total calorie needs will differ.
• ‍Can you eat too much protein? For healthy adults, very high protein intakes (up to 3.3g/kg) have been studied without adverse health effects (Antonio et al. 2016, PMID: 27807480). The practical risk with very high protein diets is that they can crowd out other important nutrients if carbohydrate and fat intake drops too low. Balance matters a well-structured nutrition plan ensures protein is high without compromising overall dietary quality.
• ‍Does it matter when I eat my protein? Distributing protein across three to five meals per day produces a more sustained muscle protein synthesis signal than eating the same total amount in one or two sittings. Post-workout protein consumption (within a few hours of training) also supports muscle recovery, though the timing window is more flexible than was once believed. The most important variable is total daily protein intake once that is consistent, distribution becomes a secondary consideration.
• ‍What are the best high-protein foods? Animal sources include chicken, turkey, eggs, fish, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, and lean red meat. Plant sources include tofu, tempeh, edamame, lentils, chickpeas, black beans, and quinoa. Dairy and eggs offer complete amino acid profiles. For plant-based eaters, combining different protein sources across the day covers all essential amino acids.
• ‍Is protein powder necessary? No. Protein powder is a convenient supplement, not a requirement. It can be a practical way to close a protein gap on busy days or post-workout, but whole food sources provide the same nutritional benefit. If you consistently hit your daily protein target through food alone, there is no additional benefit to supplementing.

Last reviewed: April 2026 by the INCHECK FIT nutrition team.

This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or dietary advice. If you have a health condition that affects your nutritional needs, consult a registered dietitian or healthcare professional.