How much protein you actually need

In this article, you’ll learn why protein is so important, how much you actually need and what that looks like, high quality vs. low quality protein, protein timing, and my favorite high-protein foods.

Protein is such an important macronutrient, if not the most important, and a lot of women in particular aren’t consuming enough protein on a daily basis. 

After listening to a lot of podcasts with experts in the field, I’ve learned so much about the importance of protein, how much we actually need, and the most optimal sources. As a result, I’ve been really prioritizing it in my diet and incorporating more animal proteins in my meals. And here are the main reasons why:

1. I feel a lot more satiated and energized after eating a meal or snack that’s high in protein.
2. Including protein in meals and snacks keeps my blood sugar stable, which in turn keeps me energized AND, as I mentioned before, stable blood sugar is super important for healthy hormones.
3. For longevity and healthspan! Maintaining lean muscle and good metabolic health  is huge for living a long, healthy, active life. 

So let’s get into it!

What is protein?

The building blocks of protein are called amino acids and there are about 20 of them. 11 of those amino acids can be made by your body and are called “non essential”. The other 9 cannot be made by your body, which is why they’re called “essential amino acids”. You can only get these 9 essential amino acids through your diet, which is why eating enough high quality protein is so important.

Why is protein so important?

Protein is made up of amino acids that play a major role in creating and maintaining every cell in our body. Below are a few other roles:

• It’s essential for repairing and building tissues, like muscles, bones, and skin as you age.
• It makes enzymes that we need to digest our food.
• It keeps us satiated and gives us sustained energy.
• It’s essential for women to regulate our hormones.
• And it also helps keep our blood sugar levels stable, which is super important for metabolic and hormone health.

Muscle is a massive metabolism booster. It makes up roughly 50% of our body and is crucial in determining how we use glucose, which is really important for overall metabolic health. Skeletal muscle acts as a glucose sponge so that the glucose in your bloodstream gets stored in your muscles instead of as adipose tissue (fat tissue) and makes you more insulin sensitive (you use glucose more efficiently).

As we age, the whole system becomes less efficient largely because we naturally lose muscle as we get older (it’s called sarcopenia), so it becomes so important to prioritize and protect our muscles.

Protein is constantly being turned over in our bodies. Since skeletal muscle is the main storage mechanism of protein, when we don’t eat enough of it, it gets pulled out of our muscle tissue.

We don’t want that to happen because maintaining and building muscle mass so important in preventing injury/falls, bone health, and improving metabolic health, especially as we get older.

There are two main ways to prevent muscles loss, maintain muscle, and build muscle. First is to prioritize strength training in your weekly workout routine. Second is to include plenty of high quality protein in your diet.

Not all protein is created equal: animal vs. plant

Protein quality is just as important as protein quantity – I cannot stress that enough! You’ll notice I say “high quality protein” a lot  and that means a protein source that has all 9 essential amino acids in the most optimal ratio. 

Animal proteins are all high-quality proteins because they contain all of those amino acids. It also naturally has the ideal proportions of amino acids, something that most plant proteins lack. 

Specifically, animal protein has higher amounts of the amino acid leucine when compared to plant proteins, which is an essential amino acid that is needed to stimulate muscle growth.  If you don’t get enough leucine in your meals, then you’re not getting those important muscle building benefits. Leucine is needed to flip the switch to stimulate muscle growth. 

So while quinoa, for example, is a complete protein because it contains all 9 essential amino acids, you need to eat an extremely large amount of quinoa to get an adequate amino acid profile when compared to eating animal protein.

I learned this fun fact from a podcast to put it into perspective – to get the same amino acid profile in 4 ounces of chicken breast, you would have to eat 4 cups of quinoa, which is an unmanageable quantity and a lot of calories. 

Another example is beans and rice – while those two things combined make a complete protein, the amino acids aren’t in the ideal proportions. 

You would have to eat a lot of beans and rice, which is not only a lot of high-carb calories but is also very hard on digestion. 

Now plant protein is packed with lots of great things like fiber and other phytonutrients, which is why I like to incorporate both animal and plant protein in my diet. 

If you’re vegetarian and especially if you’re vegan, it is a lot harder to get in enough high quality protein. The average vegetarian in the US gets in around 65g of protein per day, which is extremely low (as you’ll learn later) AND that protein is generally not “high quality”.

Vegetarians and vegans need to eat more total protein and, therefore, a lot more calories to get enough high quality protein. It CAN be done on a vegetarian or vegan diet, but it requires a lot of effort and knowledge and usually has to be supplemented with some sort of protein powder or amino acid supplement.

Again, this is why I like to eat both plant and animal proteins throughout the day. Plant proteins have a lot to offer that animal protein does not, and visa versa.

How much protein do you actually need?

The amount of protein you need varies depending on your weight, age, gender, and many other factors, so to avoid getting into the weeds, I am just going to talk about general numbers we should all strive for.

The best general recommendation for healthy adults that I’ve heard from many experts is to aim to get 100-120g of protein per day.

So that usually looks like 3 meals a day with 30g of protein per meal and some high-protein snacks in between.

Another popular recommendation if your goal is to build muscle in combination with strength training is to get 1g of protein per pound of body weight. So if you weigh 140lbs, you would aim for 140g of protein.

The unfortunate truth is that most women do not even come close to eating enough protein every day. The average female in the US eats around 70g of protein per day which is pretty close to the absolute minimum requirement. 

Dr. Don Laymen, internationally recognized for his research about dietary protein and amino acids, found that if women don’t consume 100g of protein per day, they lose a lot of the metabolic benefits of protein, meaning how it regulates satiety, insulin sensitivity, and muscle growth.

Also, when you eat enough protein in a meal, you’re less likely to over eat in other food groups because our bodies instinctually want to keep eating until we meet our protein needs (this is called “protein prioritization”). This is why when you eat a bowl of pasta or cereal, you feel like you could keep eating. If you, instead, eat a burger and veggies or scrambled eggs and avo toast, you actually feel full and satiated.

To summarize:

• Eat at least 100g of quality protein every day. 
• If you’re really active and/or want to build muscle, try to get at least 120g per day and as much as 1g per pound of your body weight.

Also keep in mind that your protein needs will be higher if you do a lot of intense exercise, if you’re pregnant, or once you reach perimenopause.

But, again, the main takeaway here is to aim for at least 100g of high quality protein per day, but closer to 120 or 1g per pound of your body weight is ideal.

Does it matter when I eat protein?

Most people get the majority of their protein at dinner with much less at breakfast and lunch. However, studies show that prioritizing protein at breakfast leads to greater muscle maintenance and growth. It also sets you up for success to hit your daily protein goals, will keep you satiated longer, and stabilize your blood sugar. 

So aim to get at least 30g of protein at breakfast. After that, it’s just a matter of hitting that general protein goal of 100g throughout the day with your remaining meals and snacks.

It’s also better to break your protein up throughout the day rather than eating the bulk of it in one meal. So, if you eat 30 grams of protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and you’re also eating a couple of high-protein snacks, you should hit that 100-120g daily goal. 

To summarize, as long as you’re eating enough high quality protein in each meal and eating it throughout the day, the timing of when you eat your protein doesn’t matter as much, but there is a benefit to having a high-protein breakfast. 

What about protein after exercise?

When it comes to the timing of protein after exercise, I was taught that you should try to eat a high protein and carb snack or meal within 30-60 minutes post workout. 

However, recent studies have shown that the eating window is a lot bigger than they thought. It’s just as beneficial to refuel 2 hours post workout as it is 30 minutes.

So there’s no need to force down a protein shake or smoothie right after you workout. But it is important to get in plenty of high quality protein in conjunction with working out and throughout the day.

Favorite high-protein foods

Below you can find a chart of my go-to animal and plant protein sources and protein amounts to give you an idea of how much protein each will give you.

I will do another blog post all about protein powder, so stay tuned for that. 

Three years ago I would have never added protein to my smoothies. But now that I know how important it is to eat a high-protein breakfast, protein powder is the easiest way for me to get that 30–40 grams in the morning.

My favorite protein powders:

• Momentous whey protein
• Be Well by Kelly grass-fed beef protein (use code NATALIECOOKS for $10 off)

Protein sources and amounts:

Animal protein

Plant protein

4 oz pasture-raised chicken breasts = 35g 4 oz pasture-raised chicken thighs = 27g 4 oz lean beef = 29g 4 oz fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel) = 23g 1 large egg = 6.5g  ¼ cup feta cheese = 6g  ¼ cup goat cheese = 7g ¼ cup grated parmesan = 9.5g 1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt = 20g 1 cup cottage cheese = 26g Protein powders: look for 25-30g protein per serving

½ cup cooked lentils = 9g  ½ cup cooked black beans = 7.6g 1 cup cooked brown rice = 5.5g 1 cup cooked quinoa = 8g  1 cup cooked farro = 6.5g 1 cup cooked wild rice = 7g ½ cup dry rolled oats = 6g ½ cup buckwheat flour = 7.7g ½ cup whole wheat flour = 8g ½ cup almond flour = 12g 3 tbsp hemp seeds = 9.5g ¼ cup pumpkin seeds = 3g ¼ cup almonds = 7.5g 2 tbsp nut butter = 8g 3 oz tempeh = 18g ½ cup or ¼ block tofu = 10g

How to actually eat enough protein every day

Unlike carbs and fat, eating enough protein takes a lot more thought and effort which is why I think so many of us don’t eat enough of it. 

The easiest way to make sure you’re getting enough protein is to include protein from a variety of sources in your meals (and snacks) throughout the day, with a focus on high quality protein. 

More specifically, aim to get 30g of protein in every meal and to make sure your snacks are centered around protein (about 10-15g per snack). So 30+30+30+10+10 = 110g protein!

This is when meal planning and prepping can make a huge difference. If you know you have high-protein snacks on hand and some cooked protein in the fridge to add to meals, then it makes it a lot easier to reach your daily protein goals. 

So if you have the time, add a few extra high-protein items onto the meal prep chart and grocery list. 

My go-to easy protein meal prep:

• Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
• Pan-fry simple beef/meat patties – take a pound of meat, form it into small patties, sprinkle all over with salt and pepper, then pan-fry in a hot skillet until cooked through. 
• Boiled eggs – an easy snack or meal add on.
• Marinated beans/lentils – warm up the beans/lentils and toss them with salt and vinegar until they taste well seasoned. Drizzle with olive oil. You can stir in herbs and seasonings if you’d like.
• Some kind of high-protein baked good or egg muffin – I like to always have something like this stashed in the fridge or freezer. 

If you don’t have the time, there are a lot of high-protein options that you can buy at the store. 

My go-to store bought high-protein items:

• Keep canned sardines in the pantry (or any other canned fish you like) – this is a great easy snack you can eat on its own with a squeeze of lemon.
• Buy a rotisserie chicken – add this to any meal.
• Buy pre-cooked sausages – easily heat them up and add to any meal.
• Stock up on cottage cheese and Greek yogurt – add to smoothies or just eat a bowl of it with fruit for a high-protein snack.
• Buy grass-fed meat sticks (I like the Chomp brand). These are my favorite for traveling.
• Get store bought hummus and eat with crackers, toast, or veggies.
• Always keep canned beans stocked in the pantry.
• Protein powder – add a scoop to smoothies for an easy 30-40g of protein in the morning (protein powder + greek yogurt + nut butters = 30-40g protein generally).

An example day of eating 100+ grams of protein:

Breakfast:

• High Protein Creamy Oats – 25g protein
• Creamy Raspberry Peanut Butter Smoothie/Smoothie Bowl – 24g protein
• Your favorite smoothie with a scoop of protein powder (most protein powders are 20-25g protein per scoop).

Lunch:

• 1 cup quinoa + 2 fried eggs + avo + salsa + 1/4 cup feta cheese – 30g protein
• Instant Pot White Chicken Chili – 30-40g protein
• Quesadilla with 1/2 cup cheese and 3/4 cup shredded chicken (4 oz) – 35-40g protein
• Best Ever Lentil Salad topped with a fried egg – 30g protein

Dinner:

• Spiced Chicken Beans and Greens Skillet – 40g protein
• Skillet Pizza Chicken – 42g protein
• One Pot Salmon + Coconut Rice – 28g protein
• Colleen Quigley’s Yogurt Fettucine – 30g protein

Snacks:

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt with fruit and nuts – 12g
• Piece of toast topped with 2 fried eggs -15g
• 2 boiled eggs, sprinkled with salt – 12g
• Cheddar Spinach Breakfast Bars – 14g/bar
• Cheesy Egg Protein Muffins – 9g/muffin
• Everything Bagel Baked Oats – 11-15g/bar
• Sneaky Chocolate Raspberry Muffins – 11g/muffin
• Seedy Buckwheat Veggie Loaf – 14g/slice

What about vegetarians?

My philosophy around protein is to get protein from both plant and animal sources because while plant proteins are packed with fiber and other nutrients, they generally don’t have all of the essential amino acids, especially leucine as I mentioned earlier.

If you’re getting protein solely from vegetarian sources, incorporate multiple sources of plant protein into your meals along with whole grains and vegetables to ensure you’re getting all of your essential amino acids.

I highly recommend supplementing with a vegetarian protein powder that has a good amino acid profile. 

On top of that, remember that as a vegetarian, you’re going to have to eat a much larger quantity of protein to get both the protein quality and quantity that you need.

Key takeaways and final tips!

Prioritizing protein in your diet, especially in combination with strength training, is key to building and maintaining muscle, which in turn will improve your metabolic health and improve your chances of living longer disease and injury-free.   

Summary of the key points:

• Aim to get at least 100g of high quality protein per day.
• Eat a high-protein breakfast, aiming for 30-40 grams.
• Spread out your protein intake between multiple meals and snacks (aim for 30g per meal and 10-15g per snack).
• Animal based protein is the gold standard when it comes to protein quality. Try to get your protein from a combination of animal and plant based proteins.
• To make meeting your protein goals a lot easier, add some additional high-protein foods to your grocery list and/or  meal prep chart.

And lastly, don’t get too crazy about it. Stressing out about it will do more harm than good. Just having the knowledge about all of this is huge and as long as you’re prioritizing protein most of the time, you’re in good shape. 

Not every meal I eat has the ideal amount and quality protein. Sometimes I just want a margherita pizza and that’s totally fine. But most of the time I am prioritizing high quality protein in my meals and snacks and that’s what’s important. 

So just be more aware of your protein intake and try to prioritize it in your meals and snacks most of the time. 

Keep a protein diary

If you want to get a better idea of how much protein you’re actually eating every day, it can be really helpful to keep a protein diary where you write down every protein source/how much you eat for 3 consecutive days.

Just make note of an estimated amount and source of the protein you eat in each meal and do the math to see where you’re at. This could help figure out how much you need to build on it, especially if you are training for an event or have strength goals. 

My general philosophy is to include a variety of protein sources in your meals throughout the day from both plants and animals and incorporate protein-rich snacks between meals.

It doesn’t have to be perfect but it’s always good to be informed! Knowledge is power.

Sources and podcast recs

A lot of this information was gathered from podcasts I’ve listened to with expert protein researchers. If you want to delve deeper, I highly suggest taking a listen!

• The Doctor’s Farmacy with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon
• Mind Body Green with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon
• Mind Body Green with Dr. Don Layman
• Huberman Lab with Dr. Layne Norton

Questions!? Leave your comments below!