Protein: How Much You Need and Easy Ways to Get It

The quickest way to get enough protein is to put one protein food on your plate at every meal: eggs at breakfast, beans or chicken at lunch, fish or tofu at dinner. That is also the headline advice in the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines, which say to “prioritize protein foods at every meal” (Dietary Guidelines).

Below you’ll find the actual numbers, what counts as a protein food, and simple ways to fit more in without overhauling how you cook.

What protein does for you

Every cell in your body contains protein, and you need it in your diet to help your body repair cells and make new ones (MedlinePlus). It also matters for growth and development in children, teens and pregnant women.

When you digest protein, it breaks down into amino acids. Your body can make some of them, but essential amino acids must come from food (MedlinePlus). The good news: they don’t need to be eaten at every meal, because the balance over the whole day is more important (MedlinePlus).

How much protein you need

You’ll see three different numbers, and they answer different questions.

To use the Guidelines goal (Dietary Guidelines), convert your weight to kilograms by dividing pounds by 2.2, then multiply by 1.2 and by 1.6. For someone who weighs 150 pounds (about 68 kilograms), that works out to roughly 82 to 109 grams a day. Treat that as a starting range, not a target to hit to the gram.

The FDA’s 50g Daily Value (FDA) is a label reference, not a personal prescription. And FDA notes that “protein intake is not a public health concern” for adults and children over 4 in the United States (FDA), so most people don’t need to track protein closely.

What a serving looks like

MedlinePlus says 1 ounce (30 grams) of most protein-rich foods contains 7 grams of protein, and lists these as roughly 1 ounce: 1 oz of meat, fish or poultry; 1 large egg; ¼ cup tofu; or ½ cup cooked beans or lentils (MedlinePlus). That makes it easy to estimate a meal without a scale.

Everyday protein foods

The Guidelines recommend a variety of protein foods from animal sources, including eggs, poultry, seafood and red meat, plus plant-sourced protein foods such as beans, peas, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds and soy (Dietary Guidelines). They also say to consume meat “with no or limited added sugars, refined carbohydrates or starches, or chemical additives” (Dietary Guidelines).

NIA notes that plant proteins tend to be lower in saturated fat, contain no cholesterol and provide fiber, but that plant-based meat alternatives can be heavily processed and high in sodium (NIA). Read the label on veggie burgers the same way you would on sausages. For more on fats in protein foods, see healthy fats explained.

Protein at every meal

Easy protein swaps

Small changes add up across a week. Try a few of these:

• Swap a plain bagel breakfast for eggs on whole-grain toast.
• Stir a half cup of beans or lentils into soup, chili or a grain bowl.
• Top salads with chickpeas, canned salmon or hard-boiled eggs instead of croutons.
• Snack on a small handful of nuts or a yogurt instead of chips.
• Add cubed tofu to a vegetable stir-fry.

For more plate ideas, see building a balanced plate, and use how to read a nutrition label to compare the grams of protein in similar packaged foods.

Fish: choose lower-mercury options

FDA and EPA advice for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding is to eat 2 to 3 servings a week from the “Best Choices” list, with 1 serving being 4 ounces (FDA). For children, FDA’s advice is 2 servings a week from the same list, with smaller serving sizes by age (FDA).

The 2025–2030 Guidelines name salmon, sardines and trout as low-mercury, omega-3-rich seafood for pregnant women (Dietary Guidelines). If you eat fish caught by family or friends, FDA says to check fish and shellfish advisories first (FDA).

Protein as you get older

The Guidelines say some older adults need fewer calories but still require equal or greater amounts of key nutrients, including protein, and suggest dairy, meats, seafood, eggs, legumes and whole plant foods (Dietary Guidelines). NIA adds that older adults should eat a variety of nutrient-dense proteins and choose lean meats and poultry (NIA).

If a smaller appetite makes big meals hard, add soft, easy protein foods such as eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, canned fish or bean soups. Eating well as you get older has more practical ideas, and the Nutrients Explained hub covers related nutrients.

Your protein checklist

• Include one protein food at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Mix animal and plant proteins across the week.
• Choose meats without added sugars, refined starches or long additive lists.
• Bake, broil, roast, stir-fry or grill instead of deep-frying.
• Pick fish from the lower-mercury list if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or feeding children.
• Check the sodium on plant-based meat alternatives.
• Ask your doctor or dietitian about protein if you have kidney disease or another health condition.