How Much Protein Should I be Getting Daily?
How much protein you get on a daily basis really depends on your age and weight. Infants need more protein than do adults and pregnant women may benefit from higher protein levels than women who are not pregnant. There are number of different types of advice on how much protein you need, but there are two fairly easy ways to determine how much protein you should get.
The average adult may calculate how much protein is needed by weight, provided weight is fairly normal for height. This measurement is based on kilograms but you can also use pounds. Every 2.2 pounds (1 kg) a person weighs translates to a protein need of .6-.8 grams. A man who weighs 220 pounds would need roughly 80 grams of protein a day. This measurement is actually a little high and a better estimate might be to say that the average adult male should have between 50-60 grams of protein a day, and most women need about 40-50 grams a day.
Infants need significantly more protein. They should have daily intake of approximately 2 grams per pound of weight, more than double adult intake. Breastfeeding and pregnant women should increase protein intake by about 10 grams a day. If you’re eating about 40 grams, you should bump this to 50 grams.
A better measure of how much protein your daily intake should include would be to evaluate your caloric intake. Doctors recommend that you aim for making sure 10-30% of your caloric intake is protein. Some say between 10-15% should be protein and others recommend a higher percentage. If you eat 2000 calories a day you should make sure that at least 200 of those calories come from protein. By choosing lean protein sources like non fat dairy, lower fat meats and things like tofu and legumes, you can easily get 50 grams of protein a day without hugely increasingly your calories.
In developed countries, most people don’t really have to measure how much protein they’re getting. The issue becomes more serious in countries were people have poorer food sources or suffer from routine malnourishment. Protein provides us with certain essential amino acids that our body cannot produce. Our bodies need all of these essential acids and deprivation of some of them can have significant health consequences.
Vegetarians have to think about the types of protein they’re getting in addition to determining how much protein they need. Many vegetable proteins are incomplete and need to be paired with other things to make them complete (having all amino acids). This can be accomplished with a little thinking and planning.
Written by Tricia Ellis-Christensen
