How to Determine Adequate Daily Protein Intake

As we continue our journey towards a healthier lifestyle, we have come to the discussion of protein intake. There are many questions surrounding this topic – “How much protein is too much?” “What food contains large amounts of protein?” “How much protein is too little?” etc. Before determining the amount of protein you should be eating, you must first take into account how often you exercise and if your goal is to lose weight or maintain.

If you are looking to lose weight and you are exercising on a regular basis, protein is a key ingredient to incorporate in your diet to help sustain your strength for your workouts. According to Women’s Health Magazine, to calculate how much protein you should be eating simply divide your weight in pounds by  2.2 to get your weight in kilograms, as an active person (workouts 4 or more times a week) multiply the number by 1.2 for the minimum amount of protein you should be eating.

According to Body Builder.com the daily minimum protein intake recommended by the National Institutes of Health is 0.36 grams per pound for a sedentary person. So to calculate how much protein you should consume each day to maintain your weight multiply you weight in pounds by .36.

The most common source of protein can be found in meats such as poultry, pork, beef, fish etc. However, large amounts of protein can also be found in eggs, quinoa, lentils, yogurt, certain vegetables, peanut butter and many other foods. This helps when you have special dietary needs that do not allow meat.