How much protein is enough?

Protein consumption is a very debated topic.  We can all agree that we need protein, the question is how much?  Some people say you need over 1.25 grams of protein per pound you weigh per day, and others say half that.  The truth is, just like most things, it depends. Here are some basic numbers that are safe to stick by:

0.7 grams per pound of men's body weight per day

0.6 grams per pound of women's body weight per day

The part that depends is your activity level.  Doing more activity and working out means you'll need more protein to repair tissue and regrow muscle. The numbers above are assuming you're doing a modest amount of activity.  So if you're an athlete that trains intensely you'll need more, closer 0.8 for men and .7 for women.  The same is true in the opposite direction, little or low activity requires 0.6 for men and 0.5 for women.

15 grams is the standard unit- 1 chicken breast, burger patty, etc. usually about the size of a deck of cards. So calculate how much you need total in a day, then divide that by how many meals you have each day to get how much protein you should be having at each meal. Below is an example:

Female

Regular Exercise

135 lbs.

0.6 X 135 = 81 grams of protein per day

4 meals per day - (81/4) - 20 grams of protein per meal

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