How Much Protein Per Day: The Simple Answer
Stop overthinking it. Here is the number you need based on your goal.
Sedentary adult: 0.36g per pound of body weight (the bare minimum). Active adult: 0.6-0.8g per pound. Building muscle: 0.8-1.0g per pound. Losing fat while preserving muscle: 1.0-1.2g per pound. That is it. A 170-pound person building muscle needs 136-170g per day.
Easy Ways to Hit Your Target
Breakfast: 3 eggs + Greek yogurt = 36g. Lunch: chicken breast salad = 40g. Snack: protein shake = 25g. Dinner: salmon + rice + vegetables = 35g. Total: 136g. Cost: approximately $10-12 for the day. It does not require supplements or complicated meal plans — just protein at every meal.
Timing Does Not Matter Much
The anabolic window myth — that you must consume protein within 30 minutes of working out — has been debunked by multiple studies. Total daily protein intake matters far more than timing. Spreading protein across 3-4 meals is slightly better than one large protein meal for muscle protein synthesis, but the difference is small.