How Much Protein Do You Really Need?

Trending diets always seem to emphasize fewer carbs, less fat, and more protein. But is more protein always better?

Protein is definitely important. In fact, protein makes up about 20% of our body composition, making it the second most abundant component of our bodies (water is the most abundant). It’s used to build muscle, repair tissues, make hormones and enzymes, and support hair and nail growth. But how much do we actually need?

A good rule of thumb for most people is to get about .5 gram of protein per pound of body weight. So, if you weigh 140 pounds, you’d need about 70 grams of protein per day.

Using the Protein Cheat Sheet, you can easily plan a day’s worth of meals and ensure you’re getting enough protein. (Note: other foods like fruits, veggies, and whole grains also contain protein, but in smaller amounts so are not listed on the cheat sheet.)

An example meal plan for a 140-pound person who needs about 70g of protein a day could look like this:

Breakfast: 2 poached eggs with sauteed spinach over brown rice (16g protein)

Lunch: Salad with 1/2 cup chickpeas, 2T hemp seeds, and crumbled feta (16g protein)

Snack: Apple with 2T peanut butter (8g protein)

Dinner: 3oz. chicken breast with asparagus and a sweet potato (30g protein)

As you can see, it’s actually pretty easy to meet your protein requirements each day - it just takes a little bit of awareness and knowledge!