The short version
- The RDA of 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight a day is a minimum for healthy adults, not a target.
- The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines suggest 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg a day for adults.
- Imi uses 1.4 g/kg when losing weight, 1.2 when keeping steady, 1.8 when building muscle and 1.0 to 1.2 around menopause.
- Women and men use the same per-kg math. Body weight is what changes the total.
- About 25 to 30 g at each meal is easier than one big protein dinner. Ask your doctor first if you have kidney disease.
Jump to a section
- How much protein do you need per day?
- Is the RDA a minimum or a target?
- How much protein do you need for your goal?
- How much protein per day by body weight in pounds?
- Do women and men need different amounts of protein?
- How much protein should you eat per meal?
- Is high protein safe if you have kidney disease?
- How much protein do you need when pregnant?
- How does Imi help?
“How much protein do I need?” has a different answer depending on who’s asking. This guide puts the whole picture in one place: the minimum, the number for your goal, a chart by body weight in pounds, and how to split it across meals. Each goal has its own deeper guide, linked as you go. If you have kidney disease or you’re pregnant, your doctor or midwife should set your number.
How much protein do you need per day?
Most healthy adults need at least 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight a day, and many do better with 1.2 to 1.6 g.
The 0.8 g/kg figure is the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) set by the National Academies, as a 2025 joint advisory from ACLM, ASN, OMA and TOS notes. The advisory adds that this reference value is under review for updating. The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines turn it into daily goals of 46 g for adult women and 56 g for adult men.
The newer 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans go further. They suggest 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg a day, adjusted for your calorie needs.
Is the RDA a minimum or a target?
It’s a minimum: the amount that covers basic needs for nearly all healthy adults, not the amount that suits every goal.
The advisory describes higher targets that have been proposed for people who are strength training or actively losing weight. It also says adults shouldn’t fall below 0.4 to 0.5 g/kg a day, and that prolonged intake above 2 g/kg a day should be avoided.
How much protein do you need for your goal?
It depends on whether you’re losing weight, keeping steady, building muscle or getting older.
| Goal | Daily protein | What Imi uses | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic minimum | 0.8 g/kg | RDA, National Academies | |
| Keeping your weight steady | 1.2–1.6 g/kg | 1.2 g/kg | 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines |
| Losing weight | 1.2–1.6 g/kg | 1.4 g/kg, on weight up to 100 kg | Dietary Guidelines, 2025 advisory, Leidy 2015 |
| Building muscle | Gains level off near 1.6 g/kg, some benefit up to about 2.2 | 1.8 g/kg | Morton 2018, Schoenfeld and Aragon 2018 |
| Older adults and menopause | 1.0–1.2 g/kg, 1.2 or more if active | 1.0–1.2 g/kg | PROT-AGE 2013 |
| On a GLP-1 while losing weight | 1.2–1.6 g/kg, or a flat 80–120 g | 2025 advisory |
- Losing weight. Protein helps protect muscle and helps meals feel filling. A 2015 review found higher-protein, lower-calorie diets kept more lean mass in tightly controlled studies. See protein for weight loss.
- Building muscle. In a 2018 meta-analysis of 49 trials, extra protein stopped adding lean mass at about 1.6 g/kg a day. Protein supports lifting, it doesn’t replace it. See protein to build muscle.
- Older adults and menopause. PROT-AGE was written for people over 65, and menopause-specific research is still limited. See protein in menopause.
- GLP-1 medicines. When appetite is small, protein is the part of the plate most worth protecting. See protein on a GLP-1.
How much protein per day by body weight in pounds?
Multiply your weight in pounds by 0.4536 to get kilograms, then by the g/kg number for your goal.
Rounded to the nearest gram.
| Body weight | 0.8 g/kg (RDA) | 1.2 g/kg | 1.4 g/kg | 1.8 g/kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 lb (54.4 kg) | 44 g | 65 g | 76 g | 98 g |
| 140 lb (63.5 kg) | 51 g | 76 g | 89 g | 114 g |
| 160 lb (72.6 kg) | 58 g | 87 g | 102 g | 131 g |
| 180 lb (81.6 kg) | 65 g | 98 g | 114 g | 147 g |
| 200 lb (90.7 kg) | 73 g | 109 g | 127 g | 163 g |
| 220 lb (99.8 kg) | 80 g | 120 g | 140 g | 180 g |
| 250 lb (113.4 kg) | 91 g | 136 g | 159 g | 204 g |
Which weight to use. Using actual weight can overstate protein needs at a higher body weight, the advisory says, and there’s no agreed way to adjust it. Imi keeps it simple. On the lose weight goal it works from your weight up to 100 kg (220 lb), so anyone above that gets 140 g at 1.4 g/kg. At 250 lb, that’s 140 g rather than 159 g.
The protein calculator does this for you, and there are versions for building muscle, menopause and GLP-1 medicines.
Do women and men need different amounts of protein?
The per-kg math is the same for women and men. The totals differ mostly because of body weight.
That’s why the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines list 46 g a day for adult women and 56 g for men at the RDA.
How much protein should you eat per meal?
About 25 to 30 g at each meal is a practical aim for most adults.
The 2015 review on weight loss pointed to at least about 25 to 30 g per meal. For building muscle, Schoenfeld and Aragon suggest about 0.4 g/kg per meal across at least four meals. The 2025–2030 guidelines simply say to put protein at every meal.
Try this
Greek yogurt with oats at breakfastEggs or a tofu scrambleTuna or chicken on a lunch saladLentils in soupCottage cheese as a snackIs high protein safe if you have kidney disease?
Ask your doctor first, because some people with kidney disease need to limit protein.
The NIDDK says some people with chronic kidney disease may need moderate amounts of protein so waste doesn’t build up in the blood, while too little can lead to malnutrition. It suggests working with a dietitian or health care professional to find the right balance. PROT-AGE also makes an exception for older adults with severe kidney disease who aren’t on dialysis.
How much protein do you need when pregnant?
Your ob-gyn or midwife is the best person to set it, since needs change through pregnancy.
The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines list a daily goal of 71 g of protein during pregnancy, the RDA. ACOG suggests eating a variety of protein foods each day and says your ob-gyn may recommend a dietitian to plan for your needs. Imi turns off the lose weight goal during pregnancy.
How does Imi help?
Imi sets your protein from your goal and weight, then plans some into every meal.
- A number for your goal. 1.4 g/kg when losing weight, 1.2 when keeping steady, 1.8 when building muscle, 1.0 to 1.2 with the menopause focus.
- Protein and water first. Your targets sit at the top of every day.
- Meals planned around your targets. Imi builds your week from your saved recipes, with protein spread across meals.
- Easy logging. Log meals by photo, barcode, text or voice and see how close you are.
Work out your protein and macros to see your own numbers.
Sources (9)
- Mozaffarian et al. Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: a joint advisory from ACLM, ASN, OMA and TOS. Obesity Pillars, 2025
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025 (daily nutritional goals, Appendix 1)
- Leidy et al. The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance. Am J Clin Nutr, 2015
- Morton et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength. Br J Sports Med, 2018
- Schoenfeld and Aragon. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2018
- Bauer et al. Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people (PROT-AGE). J Am Med Dir Assoc, 2013
- NIDDK. Eating right for chronic kidney disease
- ACOG. Healthy eating during pregnancy
