How to Calculate Protein Intake Accurately?

Last Updated on March 13, 2023 by

It is an essential thing to consider for your body, but many factors decide the protein intake in your body, like your gender, age, and what you do. After analyzing all these things, you can get a great idea about your protein intake. 

But according to the health experts at Harvard, to calculate the protein intake, you need to multiply weight in pounds by 0.36, and this will tell you how much protein per day you need. You can also utilise this online protein calculator or there are many other protein calculator app that you can use. 

Calculating Protein Intake

When you are going to calculate the protein intake, then there are two options. You can calculate in the percentage or also in the grams. Your body size, weight or some specific protein requirements by age that need can also play an essential role in calculating the protein intake in your body. 

Protein in Percentage 

The US Department of Agriculture conducted research, and according to them, if you are an adult, you should take around 10% to 35% of your calories from protein. For this purpose, you must calculate how many calories you consume daily. 

Once you find out your daily calorie consumption now, you know that 10 to 35% of that you should take from protein. If your calorie count is 2500 a day, take 250 to 800 calories from protein. 

Protein in Grams

This is another approach in which you can calculate how many protein grams you have in a day. There is another approach of calculating it with a percentage method which is very simple and easy math. One gram of protein means four calories. Now you might think that you will have your number by dividing calories by four. 

To explain it with the example, if you consume 2500 calories per day and you should consume 250 to 800 calories from protein, dividing them with four 62 to 200 grams of protein is your need. 

Where will you get high-protein? 

Now you have a clear picture of your daily protein intake. The next step is to make a diet plan to meet your protein needs, and many things play a role in that, like your budget and eating habits. If you don’t know how to fulfill those needs, then we have some plans for you. 

• To meet protein needs, take 3 to 4 meals daily that contain 20 to 40 grams of protein. 
• Drink smoothies and eat nuts and other proteins that enrich dry fruits. 
• Take a post-workout protein shake. 

How to Calculate Protein in Your Food? 

This is the most challenging task for beginners because they are not used to calculating protein intake in their food while eating, so they find it hard. But if you are starting, you can calculate by finding the protein count on the packaging labels. 

Nowadays, many online tools also help you count your protein so that you can take help from them. At first, you will find it very hard, but with time, you will love this because it will impact your overall physical and mental health. 

What are the Health Benefits of Protein? 

Protein is a very important thing for your body. It benefits the muscle, organs, blood, hair and skin. It is also very helpful in managing your weight because once you have counted a meal full of protein, you will not feel hungry for a long time. 

The fun fact is that you need more protein to lose weight than when you want to maintain weight. If you are facing a calorie deficit, you will be losing body mass faster, so in order to manage it you need to increase the amount of protein. 

Many types of protein are beneficial for your health, like the Omega-3 fatty acids found in the fishes like Salmon and Tuna and are very helpful for health. 

What is Protein Deficiency and Overconsumption? 

If you are in the research phase, you might hear these two words, again and again, protein deficiency and overconsumption. So, below we are going to explain what these terms mean. 

Let’s start with protein deficiency. Protein is an essential thing for your body’s muscles, but your body can’t store it, so when you are not taking enough food needed, then after some time, it becomes a protein deficiency. 

The statistics show that it is very common in underdeveloped countries but rare in developed countries. But it could happen to anyone who is not taking enough protein. 

On the other hand, overconsumption of protein is also very bad. Some people think that taking an excessive amount of protein would be helpful for them, but excess of everything is terrible, so that overconsumption will have other consequences. 

According to many health experts, the overconsumption of protein can lead to many kidney issues, so you should take it balanced with the calories. 

This is the meaning of these two words; both are not good and have different effects on the human body. So, to live a healthy life, you need a balanced protein diet with calories. 

Apart from this, if you are interested to know about Unlock Your Body’s Health Potential then visit our lifestyle category.

FAQ

How much protein does a 70 kg person need?

The recommended daily intake for men is 0.84 grams per kilogram of body weight. An 85kg man should consume approximately 71g of protein per day. You might ask how much protein does a woman needs? So,If you are an average woman then your protein intake should be 0.75 per kg of body weight. An average woman weighing 70kg should consume 52g of protein daily.

How much protein is too much?

For a long time, eating more than 2 g of protein per kg of body weight per day can cause health problems. Intestinal discomfort and indigestion can result from too much protein consumption. Water deficiency is also the result of protein overconsumption.

What happens if you don’t eat enough protein?

As a result of a lack of protein in your diet, you may lose muscle mass, which can cause you to become weaker, causing you to lose your balance, and slowing down your metabolism. It can not only make you tired, but it can also lead to anemia as there is not enough oxygen for your cells to function properly.

Read More: How to Get Enough Protein as a Vegan