For losing weight, the trials point to 1.2 to 1.6 g of protein per kilogram of body weight a day. [1] For an 85 kg man that is 102 to 136 g a day. The same review points to at least about 25 to 30 g of protein at each meal. [1]
The UK reference intake is lower: 0.75 g per kilogram a day, about 55.5 g for men aged 19 to 64. [2] [3] It is the amount set to prevent deficiency, not a target for losing weight. This article gives both figures and explains the difference.
Those figures are population statistics from short trials, not a promise for any one man. The calculator below works both out from your body weight. The table further down shows which portions provide about 30 g of protein.
In this article
- What is the UK reference intake for protein?
- Why do weight-loss trials use more than the reference intake?
- How much protein do you need to lose weight?
- How should you spread protein across the day?
- What does 30 g of protein look like?
- Can you eat too much protein?
- Does protein need change as you lose weight?
- Frequently asked questions
What is the UK reference intake for protein?
The UK reference nutrient intake for protein is 0.75 g per kilogram of body weight a day for adults. [2] The reference nutrient intake (RNI) is the amount judged enough to meet the needs of nearly everyone in a group. Written as g/kg, it means grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day.
The government's daily figures come from that rate. Men aged 19 to 64 are given 55.5 g a day and women 45 g. [3] The men's figure assumes a reference body weight of 75 kg. [4]
The figures date from the 1991 Dietary Reference Values report. [3] The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) reviewed them in 2021. It did not raise the per-kilogram rate for older adults. [2]
Do UK men already eat enough protein?
On average, yes. UK men aged 19 to 64 eat about 87 g a day (1.04 g/kg), which is above the RNI. [2] Average intakes are also above the RNI among vegetarians and vegans. [4]
The 1991 report also set a ceiling. It advised adults to avoid intakes of more than twice the RNI, which is 1.5 g/kg a day. [4] The upper end of the weight-loss range sits just above that line.
Why do weight-loss trials use more than the reference intake?
Because the RNI was set to prevent deficiency, not to protect muscle or control appetite while eating less. Trials that cut energy and raised protein measured fullness, fat lost and lean mass kept. Lean mass is everything in the body that is not fat: mainly muscle, bone and organs.
The 2015 review that gave the 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg range summarised several meta-analyses. A meta-analysis pools the results of many trials into one estimate. The shorter and tightly controlled trials showed greater weight loss, greater fat loss and better preservation of lean mass on higher-protein diets. [1]
Longer trials gave limited and conflicting findings. The review authors put that down to how well people stuck to the diet. [1]
What do the pooled numbers show?
One meta-analysis pooled 24 trials with 1,063 adults. The diets lasted about 12 weeks on average and matched the energy of the comparison diets. [5]
The higher-protein groups lost 0.79 kg more body weight and 0.87 kg more fat mass. They kept 0.43 kg more fat-free mass, the trial term for lean mass. [5] The authors called the benefits modest. [5]
These are average differences between groups. They are not a prediction of individual results.
Why does lean mass matter when you eat less?
Losing weight by diet alone costs lean mass. A review of 52 studies in adults over 50 found that 81% of diet-only groups lost 15% or more of their weight as fat-free mass. [6] With exercise added, the figure was 39%. [6]
The same review concluded that exercise is an effective tool for keeping lean mass during weight loss. [6] Protein supports that work. It does not replace it.
What did the men's trials find on appetite?
Two small trials in men measured satiety, the feeling of fullness after eating. In one, 27 overweight or obese men ate 750 kcal a day below their needs for 12 weeks. [7] Kcal is kilocalories, the calories shown on food labels.
Half ate 25% of their energy as protein and half ate 14%. The higher-protein group reported greater fullness through the day and less late-night desire to eat. Daily hunger did not differ between the groups. [7]
In the other, 13 men ate 79 g or 138 g of protein a day at a weight-maintaining energy intake. The higher intake led to greater daily fullness. [8] Both trials were small, so treat them as early evidence in men.
How much protein do you need to lose weight?
Multiply your current body weight in kilograms by 1.2 and by 1.6. That gives the range the weight-loss trials used. [1] Multiply by 0.75 for the UK reference intake. [2]
What are your own figures?
Protein calculator
For losing weight: the trial range
Per meal, over three meals
UK reference intake
A baseline set to prevent deficiency, not a target for losing weight.
Without the calculator, use this table.
| Body weight | Weight-loss range (1.2 to 1.6 g/kg) | Reference intake (0.75 g/kg) |
|---|---|---|
| 60 kg (9 st 6 lb) | 72 to 96 g | 45 g |
| 70 kg (11 st 0 lb) | 84 to 112 g | 53 g |
| 80 kg (12 st 8 lb) | 96 to 128 g | 60 g |
| 90 kg (14 st 2 lb) | 108 to 144 g | 68 g |
| 100 kg (15 st 10 lb) | 120 to 160 g | 75 g |
| 110 kg (17 st 5 lb) | 132 to 176 g | 83 g |
| 120 kg (18 st 13 lb) | 144 to 192 g | 90 g |
The 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg range comes from weight-loss trials in adults and is a guide, not medical advice. [1] The 0.75 g per kg reference intake is set to prevent deficiency, not as a weight-loss target. [2] If you have kidney disease, ask your GP or dietitian before raising your protein intake.
What does an 85 kg man need?
An 85 kg man (13 st 5 lb) has a weight-loss range of 102 to 136 g a day. That is 85 multiplied by 1.2 and by 1.6. [1]
Spread over three meals, that is about 34 to 45 g per meal. The arithmetic is ours. It sits above the 25 to 30 g per meal floor the review points to. [1]
His reference intake is about 64 g a day, 85 multiplied by 0.75. [2] That is the general-population baseline, not his weight-loss target.
How should you spread protein across the day?
Aim for about 25 to 30 g at each meal rather than most of it at dinner. That per-meal quantity is the one the 2015 review identified. [1] NHS Better Health advice for losing weight is to include some protein in each meal. [9]
The evidence for an even spread comes from small studies of muscle protein synthesis. That is the rate at which the body builds new muscle protein.
What did the distribution studies find?
One study fed 8 healthy adults two patterns for 7 days. The even pattern gave about 30 g at each of three meals. The skewed pattern gave 11 g at breakfast, 16 g at lunch and 63 g at dinner. [10]
Muscle protein synthesis over 24 hours was 25% higher on the even pattern. [10] The participants were men and women with a mean age of 37. It was not a weight-loss trial.
A second study gave 24 trained men 80 g of whey protein over 12 hours after resistance exercise. The protein came as 10 g every 90 minutes, 20 g every 3 hours or 40 g every 6 hours. The 20 g every 3 hours pattern produced the most muscle protein synthesis. [11]
Those were trained men after a workout, measured over one day. The result supports spreading protein out. It does not set a figure for an untrained man eating less.
Does breakfast protein help?
One small trial suggests it helps with fullness. Nine men on a 750 kcal a day restriction ate extra protein at one meal or spread across all meals. [12]
Extra protein at breakfast gave greater fullness than the same protein at dinner. It did not beat the even spread. The trial measured fullness only. [12]
For breakfast portions that reach 25 to 30 g, see high-protein breakfast ideas for weight loss.
What does 30 g of protein look like?
About 95 g of grilled chicken breast, a drained medium can of tuna or three and a half boiled eggs. The table gives the portion of each food that provides about 30 g of protein.
How were these portions worked out?
Protein values come from CoFID, the UK government's Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset, which gives nutrients per 100 g of food. [13] We divided 30 g by each value and rounded to the nearest 5 g. Every portion is approximate.
| Food (CoFID entry) | Protein per 100 g | Portion for about 30 g of protein |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, grilled without skin | 32.0 g | About 95 g cooked |
| Turkey breast fillet, grilled | 35.0 g | About 85 g cooked |
| Beef rump steak, grilled, lean only | 31.0 g | About 95 g cooked |
| Beef mince, extra lean, stewed | 24.7 g | About 120 g cooked |
| Tuna, canned in brine, drained | 24.9 g | About 120 g, a drained medium can |
| Cod, grilled | 24.6 g | About 120 g cooked |
| Salmon, farmed, grilled | 24.6 g | About 120 g cooked |
| Eggs, boiled | 14.1 g | About 215 g, three and a half eggs |
Portion weights are cooked weights. The British Nutrition Foundation portion guide counts a boiled egg as 60 g and a drained medium can of tuna as 120 g. [14]
What about pulses and dairy?
They carry less protein per 100 g. Boiled red lentils have 8.1 g per 100 g, so a standard 120 g portion gives about 10 g. [13] [14] Reaching 30 g from pulses alone takes a large portion.
For a longer list by food group, see high-protein foods for weight loss. For complete plates, see high-protein meal ideas.
Can you eat too much protein?
The weight-loss review's range stops at 1.6 g/kg, and this article has no weight-loss evidence for going higher. The higher ranges you see online are for athletes. The British Dietetic Association gives 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg a day for strength and endurance athletes. [15]
Where muscle gain is the aim, it gives 1.6 to 1.7 g/kg. [15] For people who do not exercise it gives 0.75 g/kg. [15] The 1991 UK advice was to stay under twice the RNI, which is 1.5 g/kg. [4]
What about your kidneys?
In healthy adults, higher protein did not change kidney filtration in the trials reviewed. A 2018 meta-analysis of 28 trials with 1,358 adults without kidney disease compared higher-protein with normal or lower-protein intakes. [16]
The change in GFR did not differ between the groups. GFR is the glomerular filtration rate, a measure of how well the kidneys filter blood. [16] Most of the trials were short. [16]
That finding covers healthy adults only. If you have chronic kidney disease, the NHS says a dietitian can advise you on changes to your diet. [17] Ask your GP or dietitian before raising your protein intake.
Does protein need change as you lose weight?
Your current body weight is the basis. The trials set protein per kilogram of body weight [1] and the RNI is set the same way. [2] The sources do not say how often to recalculate, so we do not either.
If you use the calculator, enter your current weight each time. An 85 kg man who reaches 80 kg would see his range move from 102 to 136 g to 96 to 128 g. That is arithmetic on the same rate, not a new finding.
The reason to keep protein up while eating less is lean mass. Higher protein kept 0.43 kg more fat-free mass on average in the pooled trials. [5] The 52-study review found exercise an effective tool for keeping it. [6]
If your weight has stopped moving, protein is one of several things to check. See why weight loss stalls and what men should know about plateaus.
Frequently asked questions
Does protein timing matter?
Spreading protein across meals matters more than the clock. In an 8-person study, about 30 g at each of three meals gave 25% more muscle protein synthesis than loading most of it at dinner.
In 9 men eating less, extra protein at breakfast gave more fullness than the same protein at dinner. It did not beat an even spread. Both studies were small.
Do I need 2 g per kilogram?
No weight-loss evidence in this article supports 2 g/kg. The review of weight-loss trials gives 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg. The British Dietetic Association's 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg figure is for strength and endurance athletes.
The 1991 UK advice was to avoid more than twice the reference intake, which is 1.5 g/kg a day.
What if I am vegetarian?
The per-kilogram figures are the same. Average UK protein intakes are above the reference intake among vegetarians and vegans, so the reference intake is reachable without meat.
Reaching 25 to 30 g per meal takes larger portions, because pulses carry about 8 g per 100 g cooked. Eggs and dairy help. The high-protein foods article lists plant options with their CoFID values.
Do men need more protein than women?
Not per kilogram. The reference intake is 0.75 g/kg for men and women alike. The daily figures differ (55.5 g for men and 45 g for women) because they assume reference body weights of 75 kg and 60 kg.
A heavier man therefore has a higher daily figure. The rate behind it is the same.
What about men over 50?
The UK reference intake has not been raised for older adults. SACN reviewed the evidence in 2021 and did not raise the 0.75 g/kg figure for older adults.
The review of 52 studies in adults over 50 found that exercise was an effective tool for keeping lean mass during weight loss. Protein supports that work.
Should I count protein every day?
You do not have to. The NHS advice for losing weight is to include some protein in each meal and to use kitchen scales to weigh foods before cooking.
Once you know what 30 g looks like on your plate, a glance does most of the work. Check again if your weight changes.
HeMed provides clinician-led weight management. This page is general health information, not medical advice. If you are worried about symptoms, speak to your GP, or use NHS 111.
Next step: see what the HeMed blood test measures.
Sources (17)
- Leidy HJ and colleagues. "The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2015;101(6):1320S to 1329S. Abstract. doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.114.084038. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), "Statement on nutrition and older adults living in the community", 20 January 2021, paragraphs 3.2 and 4.22 to 4.24. gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-statement-on-nutrition-and-older-adults. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Public Health England, "Government Dietary Recommendations: energy and nutrients for males and females aged 1 to 18 years and 19+ years", 2016, Table 2 (page 7) and footnote. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk, government_dietary_recommendations.pdf. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- British Nutrition Foundation, "Protein", last reviewed October 2023. nutrition.org.uk/nutritional-information/protein. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Wycherley TP and colleagues. "Effects of energy-restricted high-protein, low-fat compared with standard-protein, low-fat diets: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2012;96(6):1281 to 1298. Abstract. doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.112.044321. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Weinheimer EM, Sands LP, Campbell WW. "A systematic review of the separate and combined effects of energy restriction and exercise on fat-free mass in middle-aged and older adults: implications for sarcopenic obesity". Nutrition Reviews 2010;68(7):375 to 388. Abstract. doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00298.x. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Leidy HJ and colleagues. "The effects of consuming frequent, higher protein meals on appetite and satiety during weight loss in overweight/obese men". Obesity 2011;19(4):818 to 824. Abstract. doi.org/10.1038/oby.2010.203. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Leidy HJ and colleagues. "The influence of higher protein intake and greater eating frequency on appetite control in overweight and obese men". Obesity 2010;18(9):1725 to 1732. Abstract. doi.org/10.1038/oby.2010.45. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- NHS Better Health, "Healthy eating when trying to lose weight", sections "Protein: prioritise it" and "Eat the right portion size". nhs.uk/better-health/lose-weight/healthy-eating-when-trying-to-lose-weight. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Mamerow MM and colleagues. "Dietary protein distribution positively influences 24-h muscle protein synthesis in healthy adults". Journal of Nutrition 2014;144(6):876 to 880. Abstract. doi.org/10.3945/jn.113.185280. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Areta JL and colleagues. "Timing and distribution of protein ingestion during prolonged recovery from resistance exercise alters myofibrillar protein synthesis". Journal of Physiology 2013;591(9):2319 to 2331. Abstract. doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2012.244897. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Leidy HJ, Bossingham MJ, Mattes RD, Campbell WW. "Increased dietary protein consumed at breakfast leads to an initial and sustained feeling of fullness during energy restriction compared to other meal times". British Journal of Nutrition 2009;101(6):798 to 803. Abstract. doi.org/10.1017/S0007114508051532. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Public Health England, McCance and Widdowson's The Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset 2021 (CoFID), sheet "1.3 Proximates", file McCance_Widdowsons_Composition_of_Foods_Integrated_Dataset_2021..xlsx, release record last updated 19 March 2021. Food codes used: 18-323 (chicken breast, grilled without skin), 18-356 (turkey breast fillet, grilled), 18-474 (beef rump steak, grilled, lean only), 18-507 (beef mince, extra lean, stewed), 16-416 (tuna, canned in brine, drained), 16-466 (cod, grilled), 16-357 (salmon, farmed, grilled), 12-940 (eggs, boiled), 13-658 (red lentils, boiled). gov.uk/government/publications/composition-of-foods-integrated-dataset-cofid. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- British Nutrition Foundation, portion size guide ("Find your balance", 2019, printed pages 6 to 8; reissued as "Your balanced diet: full portion size list", November 2021). nutrition.org.uk/creating-a-healthy-diet/portion-sizes. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- British Dietetic Association, "Sport and exercise nutrition", May 2026. bda.uk.com/resource/sport-exercise-nutrition.html. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Devries MC and colleagues. "Changes in kidney function do not differ between healthy adults consuming higher- compared with lower- or normal-protein diets: a systematic review and meta-analysis". Journal of Nutrition 2018;148(11):1760 to 1775. Abstract. doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxy197. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- NHS, "Chronic kidney disease: living with", page last reviewed 22 March 2023. nhs.uk/conditions/kidney-disease/living-with. Accessed 14 October 2026.
Numbered markers in the page text link to these entries. Statistics describe populations, not any one person’s results.