LucaFor healthy adults, the US Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein is based on 0.8 g per kg of body weight per day, and the European Food Safety Authority's reference intake is 0.83 g per kg. A sports nutrition society describes 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg as sufficient for most exercising individuals. People with kidney disease should ask their clinician first.
Two numbers anchor most protein guidance for healthy adults: 0.8 g per kg of body weight per day in the US, and 0.83 g per kg in Europe. Sports nutrition bodies discuss higher ranges for people who train. This page lays out what each body says, in its own terms, so you can see where a number comes from before you put it in a tracker.
The baseline: 0.8 g per kg
In the US, the reference point is the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) set by the National Academies. Their Dietary Reference Intakes summary tables note that the protein RDA is based on grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, and for adults that figure is 0.8 g per kg.
The same tables define what an RDA is: the average daily dietary intake level sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97 to 98 percent) healthy individuals in a group.
Two things follow from that definition:
- It is designed to cover almost everyone in a healthy population, so it sits above the average requirement.
- It describes an amount that meets requirements. It is not presented as a ceiling or as an ideal for every goal.
The European value: 0.83 g per kg
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reached nearly the same number. Its 2012 scientific opinion on protein sets an average requirement of 0.66 g per kg of body weight per day for healthy adults of both sexes, and a population reference intake (PRI) of 0.83 g per kg for adults of all ages. EFSA says the PRI applies both to high quality protein and to protein in mixed diets.
On upper limits, EFSA wrote that data are insufficient to establish a Tolerable Upper Intake Level for protein. It adds that intakes up to twice the PRI are regularly consumed from mixed diets by some physically active and healthy adults in Europe and are considered safe.
Protein as a share of calories
The National Academies also express protein as a share of energy. Their Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range for adults is 10 to 35 percent of energy from protein.
MedlinePlus gives a worked example: one gram of protein supplies 4 calories, so a person on a 2,000 calorie diet who eats 100 g of protein gets 400 calories, or 20 percent of the day’s total, from protein. How the three macros relate is covered in macros explained.
Note how wide this range is. At 2,000 kcal, 10 percent is 50 g and 35 percent is 175 g. The per-kilogram values sit near the lower end of it for many adults.
Ranges discussed for active people
Sports nutrition bodies discuss higher intakes for people who train.
The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) published a position stand in 2017. Its position is that, for building and maintaining muscle mass, an overall daily protein intake of 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg of body weight is sufficient for most exercising individuals. The ISSN notes that this falls within the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range for protein. On single meals, it gives a general recommendation of 0.25 g of high-quality protein per kg of body weight, or an absolute dose of 20 to 40 g.
The ISSN also states that it found no controlled scientific evidence that increased protein intakes pose health risks in healthy, exercising individuals. That sentence is about healthy people who exercise. It does not cover people with medical conditions.
A second source is the 2016 joint position statement of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada and the American College of Sports Medicine. Its summary makes a point that is easy to skip: athletes should be referred to a registered dietitian or nutritionist for a personalized nutrition plan. In other words, the professional bodies treat protein for sport as an individual question.
A fair reading of both: the higher ranges come from sports nutrition organizations, they apply to people who train, and they are not general population advice.
What the numbers look like in grams
This table is arithmetic only. It multiplies body weight by the published per-kilogram values.
| Body weight | RDA, 0.8 g/kg | EFSA PRI, 0.83 g/kg | ISSN range, 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 48 g | 50 g | 84 to 120 g |
| 70 kg | 56 g | 58 g | 98 to 140 g |
| 80 kg | 64 g | 66 g | 112 to 160 g |
| 90 kg | 72 g | 75 g | 126 to 180 g |
It is not a recommendation for any of those body weights. The first two columns are population reference values. The third is a range a sports nutrition society describes for exercising individuals.
Who should ask a clinician first
Protein is one of the nutrients that people with kidney disease are asked to manage, and the direction depends on the situation.
- Chronic kidney disease, not on dialysis. The National Kidney Foundation says a diet lower in protein is recommended, and that limiting protein and including more plant-based foods may help slow the loss of kidney function.
- On dialysis. The same page says a higher amount of protein is necessary once a person has started dialysis.
- Either way. The NIDDK says you may need to adjust the amount of protein in your diet, that your needs may change over time, and that you should work with your dietitian or health care professional to find the amount and sources of protein to include.
More broadly, reference values are written for healthy people. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are setting numbers for a child or teenager, a doctor or registered dietitian is the right person to set a target.
Using a protein number in practice
If you have a figure in mind, logging it is the easy part.
- Think per day, then per meal. A daily number divided across your usual meals is easier to act on than a total you check at night.
- Learn a few portions. The British Dietetic Association’s reference portions, such as 90 g of cooked meat, are in how to estimate portions.
- Use labels where you can. Packaged foods state protein per serving or per 100 g. See barcode data vs estimates.
- Expect approximations. Unless you weigh food, gram counts are estimates. Look at the trend over a week.
Where Luca fits
Luca is an AI calorie tracker for iPhone, coming to the App Store. It shows a daily ring and macro targets for calories, protein, carbs and fat. A photo scan returns an estimate of all four with an item list, and every item and number can be edited, because photo estimates are approximate. Luca is not a medical device. See tracking protein and features.
This article is general information, not medical or dietary advice.
Sources
- National Academies, Dietary Reference Intakes summary tables (macronutrient RDAs and Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges)
- EFSA, Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for protein (EFSA Journal 2012;10(2):2557)
- Jäger et al. 2017, International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise (Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition)
- Thomas, Erdman and Burke 2016, ACSM Joint Position Statement: Nutrition and Athletic Performance (Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise)
- MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine), Protein in diet
- NIDDK, Healthy Eating for Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease
- National Kidney Foundation, CKD Diet: How much protein is the right amount?