Calculate your protein needs

Overhead view of eleven small bowls of different nuts, legumes, and grains on a nuetral background.

Are you eating enough protein? For most Americans, the answer is, simply, yes. But if you’d like to dig a bit deeper, we’ll explain the factors that affect your protein needs, how to dial in the range that’s right for you, and an overview of foods that deliver protein.

Factors that increase protein needs

Protein is made up of amino acids. Your body uses these to build muscles, bones, cells, enzymes and hormones.

Exactly how much protein you need each day depends on your age, sex, weight and a few other factors, including:

  • Pregnancy and lactation
  • Physical activity level
  • Critical illness
  • Recovering from surgery
  • Older age

Because your body uses protein to build and repair, you need even more of it during these times.

Many adults 71+ aren’t consuming enough protein. Protein is particularly important for older adults to maintain muscle mass.

How much protein do you need?

There are three ways to calculate protein needs. 

The first is the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of .8 g per kilogram of body weight (.36 g per pound). For someone who is 150 pounds, that would be 54 grams per day. The recommendation is higher for different populations:

  • Pregnancy: 1.1 g/kg (during 2nd and 3rd trimesters) 
  • Older adults: 1-1.2 g/kg
  • Surgery: (pre-/post-op 1.6-3g/kg, or 20-40g per meal)

Another way of calculating your protein needs is to look at it as a percentage of your overall calories. The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend that protein makes up 10-35% of your calories. That’s a big range. For someone eating 2,000 calories a day, that’s 50-175 grams of protein.

A third way, also used in the USDA Dietary Guidelines, is to look at “protein equivalents” needed per day. Generally, adults need 5-7 protein “ounce-equivalents” per day. (A protein ounce-equivalent = 7 grams of protein.) It should be noted that this only applies to non-dairy sources of protein. There’s an additional recommendation of 3 servings of dairy (1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1.5 oz hard cheese).

How to get the protein you need

Several categories of food deliver protein, including nuts, beans and legumes, seafood, dairy, meat, poultry and eggs. But even foods you might not think of as protein foods have some protein, such as grains and vegetables.

CategoryFoodPortion sizeGrams of protein
Soy-basedTofu½ cup (4 oz)10
 Edamame, shelled1 cup17
 Soy milk1 cup8
Beans & legumesCooked beans (chickpeas, black, kidney, cannellini) & lentils½ cup8
 Hummus⅓ cup7
 Falafel 2 patties5
Nuts and seedsNuts, seeds¼ cup7
 Peanut butter (and other nut/seed butters)2 Tbsp8
Meat, fish, eggsBeef, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb 3 oz21
 Fish, tuna fish3 oz21
 Seafood (crab, lobster, mussels, oysters)3 oz18
 Eggs1 egg6
VegetablesBroccoli, cooked1 cup4
 Peas1 cup8
 Baked potato1 medium6
 Corn1 ear3
DairyPlain nonfat Greek yogurt2/3 cup17
 Low-fat cottage cheese½ cup13
 Milk (skim or whole)1 cup8
 Hard cheese1.5 oz12
Grains100% whole wheat bread1 medium slice4
 Pasta, cooked1 cup8
 Farro, cooked1 cup12
 Rice, cooked1 cup4
 Brown rice, cooked1 cup5
 Quinoa, cooked1 cup7

As you can see from this chart, it’s not very hard to meet your daily protein needs. Be sure you’re getting a variety of nutritious foods. A Teladoc Health coach can help you incorporate protein into your day as well as meeting your other health goals.

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This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.