The short answer
For most adults, the minimum is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. People who exercise regularly are often advised more, roughly 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kilogram. Your own figure depends on your weight and how you train.
What the sources say
- "The National Academy of Medicine recommends that adults get a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight per day, or just over 7 grams for every 20 pounds." For a 140-pound person, "that means about 50 grams of protein each day" (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, The Nutrition Source).
- For people who exercise, the International Society of Sports Nutrition says "an overall daily protein intake in the range of 1.4-2.0 g protein/kg body weight/day … is sufficient for most exercising individuals" (Jäger et al., Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2017).
- A separate review suggested "at least 1.2 to 1.6 g/(kg·day)" as a better target for many adults (Phillips et al., Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2016).
The 0.8 figure is a minimum, not a goal. The higher ranges come from studies of people who train.
Work out your number
Multiply your weight in kilograms by the figure you choose. At 70 kg, 0.8 g gives 56 g a day, and 1.4 g gives 98 g. In pounds, divide your weight by 2.2 first.
Set it up in Landmark
Landmark reads protein from Apple Health, so it needs a food logging app that writes to Health, such as MyFitnessPal, or entries you add in the Health app.
- Open the Goals tab and tap +, then Habit, then Protein.
- Choose Each day or Each week. A weekly total lets a lighter day be made up later in the week.
- Type your target in grams.
Today shows how many grams are left before the day or week ends.
