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How Many Approximate Grams of Protein Are in a Normal Diet?

Everyone needs to get adequate fat, carbohydrates and protein in their diet. But nutritionists and researchers differ on what constitutes adequate for the average person, and individual needs often vary from average. Your intake of protein should be determined by your activity level, health goals and how well your body digests proteins.

  1. Protein Function

    • During sports and any other load-bearing activity (like carrying a four-year-old through a grocery store) our muscles experience tiny tears that need to be repaired. The body uses protein for building and repairing muscle tissue. Protein also regulates body processes, brings nutrients to cells, and produces hormones. It gets broken down into amino acids, which are vital to our blood cells and vessels, immune system, muscles, heart and brain.

    Considerations

    • Athletes need more protein than couch potatoes do. The more activity you do, the more protein you need. You'll also need more protein if you are or have been sick, under stress, elderly or pregnant. Because nutrition is such an individual science, it's best to work with a doctor or nutritionist to determine your own needs and goals.

    Formula

    • How much protein you need to take in can be determined roughly by a simple formula, which is a multiplier of your body weight. The minimum Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is 0.8 grams per kg of body weight, or 0.36 g per pound. Thus, a 160-pound sedentary person needs a minimum of 58 g of protein per day. An active person on a normal, healthy diet needs 0.75 to 1.25 g per pound of body weight, or 120 to 200 g of protein per day for a 160-pound person. Bodybuilders might eat up to 1.8 g per pound of body weight, or 288 g.

    Variance

    • The major variables that determine whether you're eating 120 g or 200 g are how many total calories per day you're eating, and what percentage of those calories comes from protein. Since 1 g of protein contains 4 calories, you can express that as a range of 480 to 800 calories. An 1,800-calorie diet that is 27% protein contains 480 calories of protein. A 2,900-calorie diet that is 27% protein contains 800 calories of protein.

      Put another way, imagine you choose a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet, which is the US RDA, and wanted to get 30% of your calories from protein. This means you'd be getting 600 calories per day from protein, which is 150 g.

    Cautions

    • Protein recommendations for healthy individuals should cause no harmful effects. Certain types of kidney disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and other ailments may require a different nutritional approach than the average diet. Consult with your physician before changing your diet.

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