Protein makes up part of every cell in your body. It is classified as a macronutrient, a nutrient that you need in large amounts to foster proper growth, development and body function. Severe protein deficiency is rare in the United States, but can occur in third world countries. Eating too much protein can also cause health problems such as gout. Understanding your daily protein needs can help you keep your diet and nutrition healthy and balanced.
Recommendations
The Institute of Medicine recommends a minimum of .8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight for adults. Find your weight in kilograms by dividing your weight in pounds by 2.2. If you weight 180 lbs., for example, you weigh about 82 kg, and thus need a minimum of 66 g of protein daily.
Additional Recommendations
You can also figure out the grams of protein you can eat daily by aiming to eat protein as a certain percentage of calories. The Institute of Medicine says that a healthy diet can contain anywhere from 10 to 35 percent of daily calories from protein. A gram of protein contains 4 calories. If you follow a typical 2,000-calorie diet, you can safely consume between 50 and 175 g of protein daily. People on high-protein diets for weight loss or athletes in training often aim to consume at the high end of the range.
Protein Types
Protein are classified as complete or incomplete. Complete proteins contain a complete range of amino acids, including nine that the body cannot produce on its own. Animal products, such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs and milk, are complete proteins. Soy, quinoa and hemp are vegetarian complete proteins. Incomplete proteins are missing one or more the essential amino acids and include nuts, grains and beans. Eating a combination of incomplete proteins daily usually satisfies your body's amino acid needs.
Amounts in Food
A 1-oz. serving of poultry contains about 9 g of protein and a 1-oz. serving of roast beef contains 7 g. One egg provides 6 g of protein and 1/2 cup of firm tofu 10 g. In 2 tbsp. of peanut butter, you get 8 g of protein and in 1/2 cup of black beans, 7.5 g. Milk, cheese and yogurt are other sources of protein with 8 to 13 g per serving.
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