Eating too much protein can mean missing out on nutrients from carbohydrates (like fiber) and healthy fats. That's why experts say to stick to eating about one-third of your daily calories from protein and to keep to a rough daily maximum of 2 g/kg body weight. That's about 140 g to 160 g per day.
Protein intake is enormous when it comes to creating lean muscle. Typically for a well-trained individual, we want to ballpark their protein intake right around 1.7 to 2.0 g/kg (wt), which in most cases for the average person will put your intake right around that 150-gram region.
So in order to get to 140 grams, you would need to eat a lot of meat (12 ounces+) per day along with other high protein sources including eggs, whey protein, and possibly dairy (yogurt, milk).
The exact amount that's right for you will depend on your goals, genetics, and the rest of your diet, but aiming to hit between those targets should be sufficient for most people. For example, a relatively fit 180lb man should aim to consume between 108g and 198g of protein daily for muscle gain.
Two eggs give you 12 grams of hunger-satisfying protein. Although 2 eggs does not complete your daily protein needs, it's a great start. Eating two eggs in the morning ensures you are on the right track to hit your protein consumption goal by the end of the day.
To be clear, there is no hard-and-fast rule about drinking protein shakes, and having too many of them in one day likely won't have any long-term detrimental effects. For most people, anywhere from one to three protein shakes per day should be plenty to help them meet their nutritional needs.
To increase muscle mass in combination with physical activity, it is recommended that a person that lifts weights regularly or is training for a running or cycling event eat a range of 1.2-1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, or 0.5 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight.
Milk, cheese, nuts, beans, and tofu are good sources of protein. You can also try tempeh, veggie burgers, and other meat substitutes. Vegetables also have 3 grams of protein per serving. If you struggle to get enough protein through food alone, a protein supplement may be useful.
Protein contains approximately 4 calories per gram. Therefore, to calculate the number of calories in 150 grams of protein, you would multiply the grams by the calorie content per gram. So, 150 grams of protein would provide approximately 600 calories.
Much of the egg's nutrition, including vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins and choline (which may contribute to mental clarity), is housed in the yolk. Heart experts generally recommend limiting eggs to one per day or half a dozen per week.
That's why the Healthy Eating Plate encourages choosing healthy protein foods. Choose fish, poultry, beans, and nuts; limit red meat and cheese; avoid bacon, cold cuts, and other processed meats.
Good sources of high-quality protein
Most seafood is high in protein and low in saturated fat. Fish such as salmon, trout, sardines, anchovies, sablefish (black cod), and herring are also high in omega-3 fatty acids. Experts recommend eating seafood at least twice a week. Poultry.
In case you were wondering, 300 grams is actually a lot of protein. By way of reference, 300 grams of protein equals 7.5 ounces of chicken (60 grams), one 12-ounce steak (85 grams), two 6-ounce cans of tuna (80 grams), a half dozen eggs (35 grams), 3 cups of milk (25 grams), and 7 ounces of tofu (15 grams).
To consume 200g of protein per day, you'll need to eat high-protein foods like lean meats, fish, dairy, eggs, nuts, beans, and soy products. Opt for high-protein snacks during the day, like plain yogurt or a handful of nuts.
A Position Stand from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (Jager et al. 2017) describes that for building and maintaining muscle mass, an overall daily protein intake in the range of 1.4–2.0 g/kg/d is required. This represents 98-140g for a 70 kg person.
Women aged 19 to 70 years old: 46 gms of protein per day (based on 57.5 kg individual). Men aged 19 to 70 years of age: 56 grams of protein per day (based on 70kg individual). The recommended daily protein dietary allowance is based on a normal sedentary person.
As simply as possible, the general recommendation for protein intake for healthy adults is '0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight'. For example, if you are an 80kg male, you would need around 64g of protein a day, and a 60kg female would need to consume around 48g of protein.