Protein is an essential nutrient which must be included as part of a healthy diet. The protein needs for men are surprisingly low and most people are able to easily meet their daily requirements. Contrary to popular belief, eating more protein doesn’t mean more muscles! In fact, eating too much or too little protein can lead to potential health consequences.



Understanding your protein requirements and the best food sources that supply it, can help ensure you’re eating the right amount of protein for your daily needs.

Why we need protein

Protein forms the building blocks of the body. It's used for maintaining the growth and repair of muscles and tissues, as well as regulating metabolism and keeping the immune system strong. Protein is continually broken down by the body so must be replaced on a daily basis. However, since protein isn't stored by the body, we need to eat enough protein each day to meet the body’s requirements.

Daily protein needs for men

As a general guide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a daily allowance of around 56 grams of protein for men aged from 19 to 70+. This should account for 10-35 percent of your overall daily calories. Vegetarians and athletes may need slightly more. To calculate your individual protein needs, most adults need around 0.4 grams of protein per pound of body weight. An online interactive calculator provided by the University of Texas can do this for you. Just enter your weight in pounds to find your daily protein needs.

Best sources of protein

By far the greatest sources of protein can be found in chicken and turkey breast (no skin), lean beef, lean pork and fish. Further good sources include shellfish, nuts and seeds, eggs, tofu, pulses including haricot beans, kidney beans, lentils and soy beans. Lower amounts of protein can be also be found in dairy products including milk, cheese and yogurt.

How much protein in a serving?

An understanding of how much protein is found in everyday foods can help you plan meals so you can easily meet your  protein needs. Following are some example food serving sizes together with their protein content:

• A 3.5 ounce (100g) skinless chicken breast has 30 grams;
• A 3.5 ounce (100g) portion of lean beef has 23 grams;
• A 3.5 ounce (100g) salmon fillet has 20 grams;
• One cup of reduced fat milk (100ml) has 3.4 grams;
• One medium sized egg has 8 grams;
• A small 3.5 ounce (100g) pot of low fat yogurt has 4.8 grams;
• 100g of cooked kidney beans has 6.9 grams;
• A 3.5 ounce (100g) serving of Monterrey Jack cheese has 6.9 grams.

A man looking to eat 56 grams of protein could obtain this just by eating one serving of chicken, two eggs, 7 ounces of yogurt and a cup of coffee with milk.

Problems with eating too much or too little protein

Those following certain high protein diets or men looking to gain extra muscle mass, can end up eating too much protein. Rather than building extra large muscles, excess protein will either be stored as fat or used as energy where carbohydrates are too low.

Some protein sources are too high in saturated fat, for example fatty meats which can lead to unhealthy weight gain and potential cardiovascular problems. Too little protein is rarely a problem in western societies. However, vegetarians may sometimes find it more challenging to meet their requirements. Problems associated with too little protein can include muscle wastage, malnutrition and a depleted immune system.

Protein is an essential nutrient which must be eaten daily to meet the body’s needs for growth and repair of muscles and tissues. Fortunately, meeting daily protein requirements isn’t too difficult. Eating two or three servings of high protein foods each day, such as lean chicken, meat or fish is usually sufficient.

Vegetarians however, may need to eat larger amounts of plant sourced protein to ensure their diet isn’t lacking. Balancing protein intake may take practice, but ultimately it’s an excellent step towards achieving optimum health.