Adults need at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day, children 13 to 34 grams depending on age, and teens who play sports about 1.5 grams per kilogram. Add everyone at your table to see each person’s number, how to spread it over the day, and what dinner needs to bring.
You, 38
55 g a day
About 18 g at each meal
The recommended amount at age 38 is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight a day. That is a minimum, not a maximum.
Jake, 15, plays a sport
About 85 g a day
Range: 70 to 115 g
About 17 g 4 to 5 times a day
Young athletes need about 1.5 grams per kilogram a day (the sports range is 1.2 to 2.0), spread over meals and snacks.
Lily, 8
24 g a day
About 8 g across meals and snacks
The recommended amount at age 8 is 0.95 grams per kilogram of body weight a day.
That’s a third of the day, or roughly ½ lb of boneless chicken. Beans, cheese, milk and a yogurt sauce count too.
With Plus, save these goals to your family profile and every recipe shows how big to make each person’s plate.
These are the U.S. recommended amounts for healthy people, from the National Academies. The gram figures use a typical body weight for each age; the per-kilogram column gives a personal number.
The recommended amount covers the needs of nearly everyone, so it works as a floor rather than a goal for adults. Teens and adults in hard training, adults over 65 and people on GLP-1 medications are advised to aim higher.
| Who | Grams a day | Per kg of weight |
|---|---|---|
| Toddlers, 1 to 3 | 13 g | 1.05 g |
| Kids, 4 to 8 | 19 g | 0.95 g |
| Kids, 9 to 13 | 34 g | 0.95 g |
| Teen girls, 14 to 18 | 46 g | 0.85 g |
| Teen boys, 14 to 18 | 52 g | 0.85 g |
| Women | 46 g | 0.8 g |
| Men | 56 g | 0.8 g |
| Pregnancy | 71 g | 1.1 g |
| Breastfeeding | 71 g | 1.3 g |
| Adults over 65 | By weight | 1.0 to 1.2 g |
| Teens and adults who train hard | By weight | 1.2 to 2.0 g |
| On a GLP-1 medication | 80 to 120 g | Not set by weight |
Plenty of households eat most of their protein at dinner and very little in the morning. An egg, a cup of Greek yogurt or a glass of milk with breakfast evens the day out without a bigger dinner.
Your body uses protein better in several helpings than in one huge one. For most adults that means 25 to 40 grams at each meal, and for teen athletes a helping every 3 to 4 hours, including after practice.
Chicken, eggs, dairy, beans and fish bring iron, calcium and fiber along with the protein. Powders are supplements that the FDA doesn’t review before they’re sold, so keep them for busy days, not every day.
A child’s needs are small. Two cups of milk and an egg cover a whole day for a 6-year-old. If your kids eat a varied diet, there is no need to count their grams.
Stuck inside the pantry door
Protein in everyday food
| Food | Amount | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, cooked | 3 oz | 26 g |
| Ground beef or turkey, cooked | 3 oz | 22 g |
| Salmon, cooked | 3 oz | 21 g |
| Canned light tuna, drained | 3 oz | 20 g |
| Lentils, cooked | 1 cup | 18 g |
| Shelled edamame | 1 cup | 18 g |
| Plain Greek yogurt | 6 oz cup | 17 g |
| Black beans, cooked | 1 cup | 15 g |
| Cottage cheese | ½ cup | 12 g |
| Eggs | 2 large | 12 g |
| Extra-firm tofu | 3 oz | 9 g |
| Milk | 1 cup | 8 g |
| Cheddar or string cheese | 1 oz | 7 g |
| Peanut butter | 2 tbsp | 7 g |
Type what’s in your fridge into the high-protein recipe generator and get a family dinner with at least 30 grams per adult serving, built from real food. Feeding someone who trains? Our guide to feeding a teen athlete covers practice nights, game days and the 9 p.m. second dinner.
With Plus, save each person’s goal to your family profile. Every recipe then ends with a plate for each of them: how much to serve, and the protein it gives.
The recommended amount for adults is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, or about 0.36 grams per pound. That is 54 grams for a 150-pound adult. It is a minimum: people who train hard need 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kilogram, and adults over 65 are advised to aim for 1.0 to 1.2.
The recommended amounts are 13 grams a day for ages 1 to 3, 19 grams for ages 4 to 8 and 34 grams for ages 9 to 13. A cup of milk has 8 grams and an egg about 6, so most kids reach their number without anyone planning for it.
About 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight a day, within a range of 1.2 to 2.0, spread over 4 or 5 meals and snacks. For a 130-pound teen that is roughly 90 grams a day, or about 18 grams each time they eat. Read our guide to feeding a teen athlete for what that looks like on a practice night.
For healthy people, intakes up to about 2 grams per kilogram a day are generally considered safe, and studies find little extra muscle benefit above about 1.6. Very high-protein diets can crowd out fiber, fruit and vegetables. People with kidney disease should follow their doctor’s advice on protein.
Usually not. Food covers most people’s needs, and powders are dietary supplements that are not reviewed by the FDA before they are sold. For children and teens, the American Academy of Pediatrics says nutrition needs are best met with food. A powder can help an adult on a busy day or on a GLP-1 medication when appetite is low.
Protein needs are set per kilogram of body weight, so weight gives a personal number. Leave it blank and the calculator uses the recommended amount for that age instead.
General nutrition information for healthy people, not medical advice. If you or your child has a medical condition, including kidney disease or an eating disorder, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian for your own targets.
Sources
Updated October 17, 2026.