How Much Protein Per Day Do You Actually Need?

By NYUS Inc. · Updated June 2026

The honest answer isn't a single number — it's a range tied to your bodyweight and goal. Here's what the research supports, in grams per kilogram, plus how to actually hit it on an Indian plate (veg or non-veg).

The short version (grams per kg of bodyweight)

• Sedentary baseline (RDA): ~0.8 g/kg — enough to avoid deficiency, not enough to build muscle.
• Building muscle / training hard: 1.6–2.2 g/kg. Most lifters do well around 1.6–2.0 g/kg; going past ~2.2 g/kg adds little.
• Fat loss (in a calorie deficit): aim higher, 1.8–2.4 g/kg — more protein protects muscle while you lose fat and keeps you full.

So a 70 kg person training to build muscle needs roughly 112–140 g/day; the same person cutting might target 126–168 g/day. Use your bodyweight, not a generic “100 g for everyone.”

Why the RDA is too low for lifters

The 0.8 g/kg RDA is the minimum to prevent deficiency in an inactive adult. Resistance training increases protein turnover and the need for the amino acids that drive muscle protein synthesis. Eating at the RDA while training hard leaves gains (and, in a deficit, muscle) on the table.

Hitting it as a vegetarian in India

It is very doable — it just takes intent, because plant proteins are less dense and lower in leucine. Anchor each meal on a real protein source rather than padding with rice and oils:

• Paneer — ~18 g protein per 100 g; one of the densest veg options.
• Dals & legumes (moong, masoor, toor, chana, rajma) — ~7–9 g per 100 g cooked; rotate them.
• Curd / Greek-style yogurt — ~3–10 g per 100 g; an easy add to any meal.
• Soya chunks — ~52 g per 100 g dry; the highest-protein veg staple.
• Eggs (if eggetarian) — ~6 g each.

Combine grains + legumes across the day (dal-chawal, rajma-roti) so you get a complete amino-acid profile. See our high-protein Indian foods guide for a fuller list with macros.

Non-veg: simpler density

Chicken breast (~31 g/100 g cooked), fish like rohu or surmai (~20 g/100 g), and eggs make the target easy — 2 of your day's meals anchored on lean meat, fish, or eggs usually gets you most of the way there.

Spread it across the day

Protein synthesis responds to dose per meal, so don't cram it all into dinner. Aim for ~0.3–0.4 g/kg per meal across 3–4 meals (roughly 25–40 g each for most people). Even distribution beats one big hit.

Common mistakes

• Counting dal/rice as your protein meal — it's mostly carbs; add paneer, curd, soya, or egg.
• Treating coconut chutney, lassi, or oils as protein — they're not.
• Guessing portions. Track a few days and you'll see how far off the eyeball is.

Let NYUS do the math

NYUS calculates your personal daily protein target from your bodyweight and goal, splits it across your meals, and tracks it against 1,000+ Indian and global foods so you can see in real time whether you've hit it. Pair this with macro tracking basics and, for fat loss, an Indian diet plan for weight loss.

Frequently asked questions