How much protein do you need per day?
Protein targets depend on weight and training. The U.S. RDA floor is 0.8 g/kg. The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines suggest 1.2–1.6 g/kg for many adults. The ISSN position stand cites 1.6–2.2 g/kg for exercising adults. Macro Friendly Meals defaults to 1 g per pound (~2.2 g/kg)—a simple gym rule of thumb above that Guidelines range.
Key numbers
- RDA floor: 0.8 g protein per kg body weight per day.[1]
- Dietary Guidelines 2025–2030: about 1.2–1.6 g/kg for many adults.[2]
- ISSN position stand (Jäger et al., 2017): 1.6–2.2 g/kg for exercising adults.[3]
- MFM Build default: 1 g per lb body weight (≈2.2 g/kg)—a high-protein choice above the Guidelines range.(MFM methodology)
RDA floor
0.8 g/kg
DGA 2025–30
1.2–1.6 g/kg
Athletes
1.6–2.2 g/kg
MFM (1 g/lb)
2.2 g/kg
Show data
| Level | g/kg | g/day at 70 kg | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| RDA floor | 0.8 | 56 | Minimum to prevent deficiency for most healthy adults (U.S. reference). |
| DGA 2025–30 | 1.2–1.6 | 84–112 | 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines protein range for many adults. |
| Athletes | 1.6–2.2 | 112–154 | ISSN position stand range for exercising adults (Jäger et al., 2017). |
| MFM (1 g/lb) | 2.2 | 154 | Gym rule of thumb: about one gram per pound of body weight (~2.2 g/kg). |
Why does MFM use 1 gram per pound?
One gram of protein per pound of body weight is a long-standing gym rule of thumb. It rounds the upper end of the ISSN exercising-adult band (1.6–2.2 g/kg) into a single number you can remember on the floor.
Macro Friendly Meals keeps that as its high-protein default in Build: it sits above the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines range of 1.2–1.6 g/kg on purpose, for people who want a higher protein floor while meal planning—not because everyone needs that much.
Estimate / general guidance: These benchmarks are for education. Your clinician may recommend more or less, especially with kidney disease, pregnancy, or other conditions.
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Top protein sources per 100 kcal (MFM data)
Ranked from Food Finder protein-tab rows. Nutrition values are estimates—not verified USDA matches. Open Food Finder or download the USDA-verified dataset.
| Food | Protein / 100 kcal |
|---|---|
| Whey isolate | 25.0 g |
| Shrimp, cooked | 24.2 g |
| Tuna steak, cooked | 22.5 g |
| Haddock or tilapia, cooked | 22.2 g |
| Tuna, canned in water | 22.0 g |
| Cod, cooked | 21.7 g |
| Crab, cooked | 21.6 g |
| Lobster, cooked | 21.3 g |
| Egg whites, raw | 21.0 g |
| Turkey breast, roasted | 20.5 g |
Hit a protein target with meals
How MFM uses this
- Build When you enter body weight, protein defaults to 1 g per lb (rounded). Use the calculator on this page to open Build with the same weight and protein minimum in the URL.
- Food Finder Sort the Protein tab by protein per 100 kcal to see which foods pack the most protein into each 100 kcal of food energy.
- Macros Left Enter the protein you still have room for today; the handoff from this page pre-fills your MFM protein default from body weight.
What we can't do (yet)
- MFM food and recipe protein grams are editorial estimates—not lab-verified USDA matches.
- This page does not pick a medical protein prescription for you; kidney disease and other conditions need clinician-set limits.
Questions
How much protein do you need per day?
For many healthy adults, federal guidance centers on about 1.2–1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, above the 0.8 g/kg RDA floor. The ISSN position stand on protein and exercise recommends about 1.6–2.2 g/kg for exercising adults. Your clinician may set a different target.
Is 1 gram of protein per pound too much?
One gram per pound (about 2.2 g/kg) is above the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines range on purpose—it is a simple high-protein gym rule of thumb, not a medical requirement. People with kidney disease or other conditions should follow clinician-set limits.
How do I convert protein from g per kg to grams per day?
Multiply your body weight in kilograms by the g/kg target. Example: 70 kg × 1.6 g/kg ≈ 112 g per day. The calculator on this page does that math for the RDA, Dietary Guidelines, and MFM defaults.
What does MFM use for protein in Build?
When you enter body weight in Build, protein defaults to about 1 g per lb (rounded). You can still edit the protein minimum manually; the site does not prescribe a medical target for you.
Are MFM protein numbers from USDA FoodData Central?
No. Food Finder and recipe protein grams are editorial estimates maintained on the site. Compare them to labels or USDA data, but we do not claim verified USDA matches yet.
General education, not medical advice. Kidney disease and some other conditions need clinician-set protein limits—do not raise protein on your own. Pregnancy and breastfeeding need different targets; ask your obstetric or pediatric care team. MFM numbers are estimates for meal planning, not lab results.
Try it
Rank foods by protein per 100 kcal and filter by diet tags.