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How Much Protein Should I Eat?

Woman drinking protein shake after workout.

Protein is the macro-nutrient of the decade, judging by the growing trend. But is that your clue that you should be eating more?

Here’s just how popular protein has become: In 2025, 70 percent of Americans said they were trying to eat more protein, up from 59 percent just three years earlier, according to a survey from the International Food Information Council.

New protein food and drink products are pushing others to the side in grocery and convenience stores — or leading companies to introduce protein-fortified versions. In the ten years between 2013 and 2023, food and beverage manufacturers put four times as many high-protein products on shelves worldwide, according to the market research firm Mintel.

And recently, the U.S. government placed more emphasis on protein. The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans increased the recommended daily allowance for protein for people over 18 from 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight to 1.2 to 1.6 grams. At the upper range, that’s double the previous recommendation.  

So, should we be eating more? The earlier daily recommendation – 0.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight — is the minimum to prevent deficiencies in healthy adults who aren’t very active. Active and athletic adults should eat more: 1.2g to 2g of protein per kilo of body weight, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.

And some science suggests that other groups of people should also eat more protein, including healthy children over age three, people who are pregnant or nursing and healthy adults 65 and older.

When it comes to aging and longevity, protein can help. After age 30, we lose three to eight percent of our muscle mass every decade, and that rate accelerates once we hit age 60. This age-related muscle loss — sarcopenia — can lead to falls, disability and changes in body composition that may lead to insulin resistance.

Eating more protein as we age can help us maintain and regain lean body mass, according to the PROT-AGE Study Group, an international group of scientists assembled in 2013 by the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society. They recommended at least 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilo of body weight for healthy adults over 65 to support health.

(People who have severe chronic kidney disease and who aren’t on dialysis may need to limit their protein intake. Before making any changes to your diet, you should consult with a physician.)

Eating more protein isn’t enough to protect your muscles on its own, though. Exercise and the rest of your diet are also part of the equation. More recent research shows eating 1.3g of protein per kilo of body weight, combined with either a calorie-cutting diet or with strength training, can help increase muscle mass among older adults.

Even though the U.S. changed its recommendation with the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, there is still ongoing research as to how much we should eat. A review of over 11,000 studies published between 2000 and 2024 didn’t find enough evidence to make definite conclusions about protein for any group.

Finally, some perspective: Most adults in the United States already eat well above the minimum of 0.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight, according to the government’s What We Eat in America Survey.

Though there isn’t a consensus on how much is too much, there’s an increased risk of heart conditions (major adverse cardiac events, or MACE) associated with eating more than 1.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day among people 55 and older.

Consider the short list of food equivalents below as you gauge how much you’re eating, and consult with your care provider on what your needs should be. It should be personalized based on your age and activity level. Health conditions and medications can also make a difference. 

  • 1 cup of milk has 8 grams of protein
  • A 3-ounce chicken breast has 26 grams of protein
  • A large egg has 6.2 grams of protein
  • A 6-ounce container of plain Greek yogurt has 14.9 grams of protein
  • 1 cup of canned black beans has 16 grams of protein
  • 6 large shrimp have 15.5 grams of protein 
  • A 4-ounce lean sirloin steak has 22.4 grams of protein 
  • An ounce of salted almonds has 5.7 grams of protein