How to know how much protein you need—and if you’re getting enough

Protein is an essential part of any diet, especially for young athletes. It provides your body with nutrients that help delivery energy, strengthen your immune system, and keep your skin and nails healthy. Knowing how much you and your family should be getting is important to maintaining a healthy, balanced diet.

How much protein do you need?

Adults should try to get about seven grams of protein for every 20 pounds of body weight—so that means if you weigh 70 kilograms, or 150 pounds, you should average about 54 grams of protein per day.

Student athletes and young people who are active should aim for a little more, about 1.0 to 2.0 grams daily of protein per kilogram of body weight.

What are the risks of not getting enough protein?

When we don’t get enough protein, our immune system can suffer. We also need protein to build muscle mass. For young athletes, that’s particularly important, because loss of muscle mass can result in less endurance and lack of strength, making physical activity and participation in sports more challenging.

Getting enough protein also helps strengthen and protect skin, hair, and nails.

What are the different sources of protein?

There are two primary sources of protein: animal-based and plant-based. For those who prefer to avoid meat or animal-based protein, plant-based sources offer all the protein needed to support you and your young athlete. Plant-based protein sources deliver an additional boost of nutrition because they are typically high in antioxidants, which help protect against inflammation and stress.

Animal-based protein sources

Meat, including poultry, beef, pork, and lamb. Leaner cuts, which are lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, are recommended, and try to avoid consuming highly processed meats such as deli meat and hot dogs
Eggs
Fish, like tuna, sardines, cod, and tuna. Albacore tuna can contain traces of mercury, so be mindful of how many servings you consume per week
Dairy products that include cottage cheese, milk, and yogurt

Plant-based protein sources

Nuts and seeds, such as pepitas or pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, almonds, and walnuts
Vegetables, including broccoli, squash, spinach, kale
Black beans, soybeans, pinto beans, or navy beans
Whole grains including oats, bulgur, and quinoa
Lentils, chickpeas, and other legumes

Alternate protein sources

In addition to these main sources of protein, you can consider supplementing with protein powders and shakes. These are often used by athletes trying to build muscle or lose weight. Choose powders or shakes that are made with whey, hemp, casein or pea protein. I suggest talking with your doctor before taking supplements.

Although alternate sources of protein are a convenient option to meet your protein needs, they should be a supplement – rather than a replacement – for animal or plant-based proteins, which include nutrients often missing in powders and shakes.

Making sure you get the protein you need is important to your body’s function and your well-being. And choosing a variety of protein options can help you maintain a healthy, balanced diet.

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Kaiser Permanente is honored to partner with The St. James to help keep our young athletes healthy and thriving, both on and off the field.

Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Healthy Weight and Lifestyle Medicine offers patients evidence-based strategies to improve their health through weight loss, reversing and controlling chronic diseases, and possibly decreasing dependence on medication. The Center offers surgical and nonsurgical options to weight loss including wellness classes and individual coaching, Diabetes Prevention Program, Lifestyle Medicine Program, weight-loss medication, and bariatric surgery. Visit our website to learn more about the Center and find additional nutrition tips.

Kulsoom Naqvi, MD, a family medicine doctor at Kaiser Permanente in Silver Spring, Md.