How Much Protein Do I REALLY Need?
The epic pursuit for the perfect body. The tight butt, 8-pack abs, long and lean legs, arms that ripple slightly...
WHOA! HOLD UP!
No one here is looking for that! At least, not anymore. We all (or at least some of us) strived to craft the perfect body in our teens and early twenties. Now, we are busy moms and are just trying to hold it all together! 😜 #punintended
Let's be real for a minute. You are here not because you are bodybuilding and looking to get ripped (well, maybe just a little...) but because you are a busy mom who just wants to feel good, have ample energy to keep up with the kids, be able to participate in all your athletic endeavors, and maybe lose a little extra weight....am I right?
Great, then let's talk about how much protein you need for that!
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What is protein?
Protein is a macronutrient (like fat and carbohydrates) that is critical in our diet for survival.
Most of us know the main sources of protein; animal meat, eggs, dairy, nuts and seeds, legumes, etc. But the interesting part about protein is that it is made up of different combinations of amino acids.
There are 22 different amino acids (or 20 depending on who you talk to), but our body can't make (or synthesize) all of them. Roughly half of the amino acids are called essential amino acids (EAAs), which means we need to obtain them from our diet.
My favorite source of protein that goes in my morning coffee and my daily smoothie.
Why do I tell you this?
Because it's important to get a variety of protein in your diet in order to get sufficient quantities of all the essential amino acids. Most animal sources of protein contain complete proteins (or protein with all 9 essential amino acids) but most of the vegetarian sources only contain some of the EAAs.
This is why you may have heard of protein combining, or some variation of that idea.
Pair this with that...
Protein combining is pairing two incomplete proteins (protein sources lacking all 9 EAAs) together to make a complete protein (containing all 9 EAAs).
Most vegetarian sources of protein are incomplete, but here are some common ways to combine two incomplete proteins together to make a complete protein:
rice + legumes
legumes + whole grains
nuts or seeds + legumes
corn + legumes
Honestly, the jury (a.k.a. scientific research) is out on whether you need to combine incomplete proteins at each meal. As always, when the research is 'inconclusive' or goes back and forth on a subject, I always look to what our ancestors knew instinctively. Most traditional cultures used one or more of the combos I listed above at each meal, so we should probably do that too.
Check out my favorite vegetarian protein packed breakfast recipe!
How much protein do I need?
In the media, we are constantly hearing...
Protein is so important...
You aren't getting enough protein ...
You're getting too much protein ...
Protein causes cancer (this is so far overly dramatized and far from the truth)...
We hear about the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between. Health writers continue to debate the best way to eat (i.e. diet) and how much protein that involves.
So, let me tell you how I roll. As a nutritionist who is completely against following "the latest diet trends", I'm not going to give you a magic number for how much protein you need. That's impossible considering all the inconclusive data.
Just because the latest celebrity dropped 30lbs by following a super high protein diet doesn't mean it's safe, healthy, or good for you to try. And just because so-and-so got rid of all her wrinkles by going vegan and raw doesn't mean a super low protein is right for you either.
What I can give you are some really great ranges of numbers to give you a pretty clear idea of how much protein you need on a daily basis.
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Daily protein needs based on caloric intake
The National Academy of Medicine suggests that you should be consuming 10-35% of your daily calories from protein.
For someone eating a 2,000 calorie per day diet, this could translate to 200-700 calories from protein (or 50-175 grams of protein). That is a very large range and completely unhelpful for someone trying to narrow it down a bit.
So where do you fit into this vast range?
First of all...a couple things to note:
The low end of that range is what the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) states as the minimum amount of protein required to prevent malnutrition. Ummm, no thanks. I would rather be striving for my best, most vital health status! Who wants to settle for barely outside the range of malnourished?!?!
The high end of that range is closer to meeting the needs of people who benefit from higher protein diets or are looking to significantly increase their muscle mass and maximize fat loss. This range could also include athletes, the elderly, those recovering from surgery or illness, or during weight loss. Kids, teenagers, pregnant and lactating women may also need more protein in their diets.
Ok, so most of us should aim for somewhere in the middle? Probably.
But since very few people calculate their caloric intake on a daily basis, let's take a different angle. We will dive into how to figure out a specific protein goal range for you based on your body weight. Recommended caloric intake is also based roughly on body weight, so these two calculations are linked.
Daily protein needs based on body weight
Almost everyone knows their body weight, or at least a good estimate (no judgments here - use the real number!) So, let's outline your daily protein needs based on that number and a few other factors.
If you’re sedentary, aim for at least 0.54 g/lb (1.2 g/kg). This translates to roughly half your body weight in grams of protein per day.
Regularly active adults and athletes can optimize body composition, performance, and recovery by consuming 0.64–1.00 g/lb (1.4–2.2 g/kg) of protein — preferably aiming toward the upper end of this range. If you’re pregnant or lactating, you probably want to aim for the upper range as well.
*people with liver or kidney disease or certain other health conditions should consult their doctor as high protein diets may not be best for their health condition.
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FAQs
Q: What if I am vegan or vegetarian?
A: If you are vegan or obtain most of your protein from plants, then your protein requirements may be higher because plant-based proteins are usually absorbed less efficiently than animal-based proteins. The range still applies, but add about 10% more to your protein goals. So, if you were aiming for 100g of daily protein intake, then increase your goal to 110g if all of your protein is coming from vegetarian sources.
Q: I'm trying to lose weight, should I eat more or less protein?
A: There’s a ton of research showing that high protein diets up to 35% or even higher in some cases can be really effective for both short and longer-term weight loss. Protein helps you feel satisfied longer, which may help to reduce overall calories consumes. Protein also helps to stabilize blood sugar, which can help reduce carbohydrate cravings.
Q: I've heard that as we age we need more protein. Is that true?
A: Yes, as we age we experience sarcopenia, or loss of muscle tissue as a natural part of the aging process. Because of this, higher intakes of protein can help offset this natural process.
Q: Will I always stick with the same goal of daily protein intake?
A: No, this is not a static number. You will need to make adjustments based on how you feel, how active you are, and as you age.
How much protein is the food you eat?
The last thing I want is for you to spend your precious meal times calculating grams of protein from various foods. If you really want to dive deeper into exact numbers you can find a plethora of nutrition professionals aching to get out their calculators and spreadsheets. (Not me, I don't have my clients calculate anything!)
This is why I love visuals! After you look at these graphics a few times, you can start to guesstimate the amount of protein you are getting from your meals. And really, that's all you need - a rough estimate of your protein intake to know that you are in the ballpark range of what you are aiming for.
You can also get a free download with a comprehensive list of foods and their protein content as well as a template for calculating your daily intake.
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Sources Used
Elango, Rajavel, et al. “Evidence That Protein Requirements Have Been Significantly Underestimated.” Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Jan. 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19841581.
Bray, George A, et al. “Effect of Dietary Protein Content on Weight Gain, Energy Expenditure, and Body Composition During Overeating: a Randomized Controlled Trial.” JAMA, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 4 Jan. 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22215165.
