How Much Protein Do You Need?

If you’re trying to gain muscle or you’re just looking for ways to optimize your health, you may be wondering how you can make sure that you are eating enough protein for your needs.

Tracking your protein intake can ensure that you reach your health and fitness goals.   But how do you know how much protein your body actually needs?

For those who are sedentary, the current guideline for men is 56 grams of protein per day and 46 grams per day for women. If you are trying to gain lean muscle mass, the general recommendation is  to consume 0.5-0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight.  For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, aim to consume 75-120 grams of protein each day.

What does this mean?  1 egg is 6 grams of protein, a 3 oz serving of chicken breast is 26 grams of protein, 4 oz of cooked salmon will provide 27 grams of protein and a half cup of baked black beans is 8 grams.