How Much Protein Do You Need a Day? A Plain-English UK Guide

Updated 11 September 2026 · 9 min read

The UK reference nutrient intake for adults is about 0.75g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, roughly 56g for a 75kg person. Reviews of protein needs beyond that baseline commonly suggest 1.2–1.6 g/kg for adults who train, are older, or are eating less, spread across meals of about 20–30g each. That is a general range, not a rule; anyone with a kidney condition should get an individual figure from their doctor.

Protein gets more attention than any other nutrient, and the numbers thrown around range from the official minimum to figures that would need a chicken farm. This guide gives the UK reference figure and the higher range that nutrition reviews commonly suggest for people who train or are older. Then the useful bit: what those figures look like as meals on a plate. Everything here is general nutrition guidance from public sources, not medical advice. The right protein target for you depends on your weight, your kidneys and any other conditions, so treat the numbers as a starting point for a conversation with your doctor if you have a health condition.

How much protein per day: the UK figure

The UK reference nutrient intake for adults is around 0.75g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, which for a 75kg person is about 56g. That figure is the amount judged to meet the needs of nearly all healthy adults; it is a floor, not a recommendation to stop there. Reviews of protein needs beyond that baseline commonly suggest a higher range of roughly 1.2–1.6g per kilogram for adults who do regular strength training, adults over about 60, and anyone eating noticeably less than usual, in order to support muscle. The table below turns both figures into daily grams.

Two caveats. First, for people with a high body weight some clinicians calculate the target from an adjusted or target weight rather than current weight, which brings the numbers down; that is the sort of thing to ask about. Second, anyone with chronic kidney disease, gout or another condition affected by protein should get an individual figure from their clinical team before increasing intake.

Why the higher range comes up so often

Three things push the commonly suggested figure above the reference intake. Protein is the raw material for maintaining muscle, and muscle is easier to keep than to rebuild. It is the most filling nutrient per calorie, so a meal built around it goes further. And it is the nutrient most likely to fall short when meals get smaller or more rushed, because carbohydrate and fat hide in easy foods while protein mostly has to be chosen on purpose.

• **Muscle at any age.** The PROT-AGE position paper suggests 1.0–1.2 g/kg for healthy older adults, and more for those who train, because muscle is lost more easily and rebuilt more slowly after about 60.
• **Strength training doubles the value.** The Morton et al. (2018) meta-analysis found protein intake supported muscle and strength gains from resistance training up to roughly 1.6 g/kg, which is why this guide and the beginner strength plan go together.
• **Satiety.** A protein-first meal tends to hold you longer than the same calories from starch, which is a practical reason to put the protein on the plate first.
• **The shortfall risk.** A day of toast, crisps and pasta can pass with 40g of protein without feeling like a low day. Planning it is what closes the gap.

How to reach a daily target without a spreadsheet

Reaching 90–120g of protein a day comes down to five habits: put a visible protein source in every eating occasion including snacks, eat it first, lean on dairy and eggs because they are dense and need no cooking, drink some of it as milk or a milky drink, and spread it evenly so no single meal has to carry more than about 30g.

1. 1.**Protein first, always.** Eat the chicken, fish, eggs, yogurt or beans before the rice and vegetables. If you fill up early, the important part is in.
2. 2.**Four occasions, not two.** Three meals plus one or two protein snacks, at fixed times in the calendar so they happen whether or not you feel hungry.
3. 3.**Make dairy and eggs do the work.** A 170g pot of Greek yogurt is about 15g, a 150g skyr about 15g, two eggs about 12g, 100g cottage cheese about 11g, all cold, all no cooking.
4. 4.**Drink some of it.** A 250ml glass of milk is about 8g and a milky coffee is close to it. A milk-based smoothie with yogurt can reach 20g.
5. 5.**Keep portions at 20–30g each.** The body seems to use protein best in moderate, regular amounts. A large steak at dinner does not make up for nothing before it.
6. 6.**Fortify what you already eat.** A spoon of skyr stirred into soup, grated cheese on eggs, lentils in a pasta sauce, a handful of edamame in a stir-fry. Small additions add up over a week.
7. 7.**Use a powder if it helps, not because you must.** A whey or pea protein shake is a convenient 20g on a rushed day. It is a tool, not a requirement; whole foods cover a normal week.

Protein per portion: a table for real plates

Protein per portion is easiest to think of in the size that actually goes on the plate, not per 100g. The figures below are approximate, vary by brand and cut, and are here to help you build 20–30g at a time.

A sample day reaching about 100g

A sample day that reaches roughly 100g of protein uses four eating occasions of 15–35g each, all from the My21Reset library. Nothing on it is an outsized plate, and two of the four need no cooking. Swap in the vegetarian or vegan options from the table if that is how you eat; high-protein vegetarian meals shows how to stack two sources.

Common mistakes with daily protein

• Front-loading dinner. Eating almost nothing until 7pm and then attempting 60g of protein at once tends to end in discomfort and half a plate left.
• Counting the toast and forgetting the egg. Bread, cereal and crisps are easy to eat; they are not where the protein is.
• Treating vegetables as the protein. Broccoli and spinach contribute a little; they are not the anchor of a meal.
• Increasing protein without asking anyone. If you have kidney disease, gout or another relevant condition, get an individual target from your clinical team first.