Work out how much protein per day you actually need and you can stop guessing at the shaker. Protein has several specific EU-authorised roles behind it. That is a useful starting point, but it tells you what protein does, not how many grams belong on your plate. This guide shows how to turn a figure in grams per kilogram into a daily number, with worked examples.
How much protein per day: the arithmetic
This page does not set a target for you. The figure that suits you depends on your training, goals and health, and a doctor, pharmacist or dietitian can help you choose. What this page does is show how to turn a figure in grams per kilogram of bodyweight into grams per day. The worked examples below use multipliers between 1.4 and 2.0 purely to show the arithmetic; they are not a recommendation.
The population reference value in the next section answers a different question from the worked examples.
EFSA’s Population Reference Intake: 0.83 g/kg
The European Food Safety Authority sets a Population Reference Intake of 0.83 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day for healthy adults. Read that number correctly: it is the amount estimated to meet the needs of nearly everyone in the general population.
The EFSA figure is a population reference value, not a personal prescription.
Reference: European Food Safety Authority Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies, Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for protein. EFSA protein DRV
How to calculate your number (worked examples)
The maths is one line: bodyweight in kilograms × your chosen g/kg figure = daily protein in grams. Use the multiplier you have settled on. Here is how that plays out in three examples:
- 70 kg, moderately active: 70 × 1.4 = 98 g/day; 70 × 1.8 = 126 g/day.
- 85 kg, training hard 4–5× a week: 85 × 1.6 = 136 g/day; 85 × 2.0 = 170 g/day.
- 60 kg, lighter training load: 60 × 1.4 = 84 g/day; 60 × 1.8 = 108 g/day.
If you carry a lot of body fat, calculating from a target or “ideal” bodyweight rather than current scale weight avoids inflating the number unnecessarily. For most people, though, current bodyweight is a perfectly good input.
Protein per meal and distribution across the day
The daily total can be spread across the day rather than eaten in one sitting.
Food sources vs a whey top-up
Chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, lean meat, legumes, tofu and grains all contain protein. A rough guide: a palm-sized portion of cooked chicken or fish is around 25–30 g of protein, three eggs about 18 g, a 170 g pot of Greek yoghurt around 15–17 g.
The problem is rarely knowing this and usually doing it — hitting 140 g of protein from food alone, every day, around work and travel and the days you just can’t face another chicken breast. That’s the gap a whey top-up fills. Our complete guide to whey protein and our breakdown of whey isolate vs whey concentrate cover powders in more detail.
Fat-loss phases vs gaining: it’s a calorie context, not a claim
Your protein target shifts a little with your overall calorie intake. When you eat in a calorie deficit (taking in less energy than you burn), how that fits with your protein figure is a question for a doctor, pharmacist or dietitian.
The same applies when you’re eating at maintenance or in a calorie surplus (taking in more energy than you burn). To be clear: we’re framing this purely as how protein fits within different total-calorie situations.
Is more always better?
This page does not assess the safety of higher intakes; if you have a kidney condition or any other medical concern, speak to a doctor or dietitian before raising your protein intake.
If you are wondering whether to eat as much protein as possible, agree a figure with a doctor, pharmacist or dietitian, keep it consistent, and look at training, sleep and total calories alongside it.
Special considerations: older adults and the very active
Older adults and very active people (high training volume, endurance plus strength, or heavy physical jobs) are two groups for whom a doctor, pharmacist or dietitian can help choose a figure.
Individual needs vary with health, medication, and goals, so anyone with a medical condition or specific concern should speak to a qualified professional rather than rely on a rule of thumb.
Where whey fits into all of this
Once you’ve got your number, whey is one way to cover any gap. Compare chocolate whey protein prices.
Build the foundation from whole foods, calculate a target from the figure you have settled on, spread it across the day, and let a scoop or two close the gap on the days real life gets in the way. Getting how much protein per day right is simply how you put that to work.
Related: The complete guide to whey protein · Whey isolate vs whey concentrate: which should you choose? · Chocolate Whey Protein