How much protein do I need a day?

At any age, protein and strength work help you build and keep muscle. Enter your height and how active you are to get a daily target and how to split it across meals.

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How we calculate it

We start from a reference body size for your height (the middle of the healthy range) and use 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram a day for light activity, 1.2 to 1.4 for moderate activity and 1.4 to 1.6 if you do strength training. If you train for strength or are an older adult, aim toward the upper end. Nothing you type leaves this page.

Tips

Spread protein across 3 or 4 meals instead of one big serving.
On busy days, start each meal with the protein.
Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, fish, chicken, tofu and beans are easy places to start.

Sources: PROT-AGE Study Group (Bauer et al., 2013); International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand (Jäger et al., 2017); Morton et al., 2018 meta-analysis on protein and strength training.

General nutrition information for adults, not personal advice. If a professional gave you different targets, follow theirs.