Start with how much you need
Protein targets are set from body weight. For adults who do not train, about 0.8g per kg is the floor that prevents deficiency; for people doing strength work or losing weight, a considerably higher 1.2 to 2.0g per kg is commonly recommended. For a 70kg person who trains, that is somewhere between 84g and 140g a day.
The limit of eating it all at once
With the same daily total, splitting protein across three meals is more useful to the body than loading it at dinner. There is a ceiling on what one meal can put to work, so spreading roughly 20 to 40g per meal is the usual advice. Skipping breakfast in particular pushes the daily total toward the evening.
How much is in common foods
A rough feel is more practical than memorised numbers. Treating a palm-sized piece of meat or fish as roughly 20 to 30g makes the arithmetic easy.
- One egg: about 6g
- Chicken breast, 100g: about 23g
- Tofu, one block of 300g: about 20g
- Greek yoghurt, 100g: about 9g
- Cooked lentils, 100g: about 9g
Meeting it from plants
Beans, tofu, lentils and nuts can cover the target, though plant proteins are often uneven in their essential amino acids. Combining types, such as grains alongside legumes, removes the issue. There is no need to balance within a single meal; variety across the day is enough.
When a supplement helps
A supplement is a convenient way to close a gap, not a better protein in itself. If meals already reach your target, there is no reason to add one. With kidney disease or a prescribed protein restriction, general ranges do not apply and you should check with whoever is treating you.
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