How much protein do you actually need?
Ask three people how much protein you need and you will get three answers, usually from someone with a tub to sell. Here is what the evidence and the regulations actually say.
The official figure
Under Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, the Reference Intake used on food labels in the UK and EU is 50g of protein a day for an average adult. That is the figure behind the %RI you see on a nutrition panel.
The NHS puts it slightly differently, at around 0.75g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for adults. For a 70kg person that is roughly 52g. For a 60kg person, about 45g.
Both numbers describe the amount needed to avoid deficiency in a typical sedentary adult. They are floors, not targets.
Why active people are told to eat more
Published research on athletes and people training regularly generally lands higher — often in the range of 1.2 to 2.0g per kilogram per day, depending on training type and goals. For a 70kg person that is 84g to 140g.
That is a wide range, and it is wide because the honest answer depends on what you are doing, how much you weigh, and what you are training for. Anyone quoting a single number for everyone is simplifying.
The gap between 50g and 140g is the entire protein industry. Where you sit in it depends on you, not on us.
What that looks like on a plate
- A 400g tin of chickpeas — about 20g
- 100g of dry red lentils — about 24g
- 200g of firm tofu — about 30g
- 50g of almonds — about 11g
- A 35g serving of FitBee Core — 26g
Most people eating a varied diet get closer to the Reference Intake than they expect. The gap tends to open up for people who train regularly, people cutting calories, and older adults, where appetite falls but requirement does not.
Plant protein and the digestibility question
Plant proteins are absorbed slightly less efficiently than dairy or egg protein. That is a measured difference, not a marketing line, and it is why our serving is 35g rather than the 30g that would make our cost-per-serving look better.
It is also why the blend matters. Soya is complete on its own; pea contributes lysine and branched-chain amino acids; brown rice supplies the methionine pea is short of. Together the profile is fuller than any of the three alone.
The short version
Fifty grams a day is the label figure. If you train, you probably want more, and the honest range is wide. Work out your own number from your own body weight and what you are doing, rather than from the front of a tub.
This article is general information about nutrition. It is not medical or dietary advice, and it is not a health claim for any FitBee product. If you have a specific health question, ask a GP or a registered dietitian.