The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) recently dropped, and they’ve been making some major waves. Besides featuring an eye-catchingly unconventional inverted food pyramid, the new DGAs offer some other groundbreaking changes, particularly in terms of their protein recommendations. Whereas previous guidance—such as from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)—placed protein needs at 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for healthy adults (that’s 0.36 grams of protein per pound), the new DGAs have almost doubled that number, advising Americans to now take in 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (about 0.5 to 0.75 grams per pound).
Registered dietitians say this new, higher number holds some important nuances. Here’s a gut check on whether the DGAs’ new protein target is right for you.
- ABOUT OUR EXPERTS: Toby Amidor, M.S., R.D., is a registered dietitian and the author of Healthy Living High Protein Cookbook. Amy Goldsmith, R.D.N., L.D.N., is a registered dietitian, owner of Kindred Nutrition & Kinetics, and dietitian at WOWMD.
First Off, Were the Previous Recommendations Too Low?
There’s long been discussion about boosting protein recommendations for Americans, with public health organizations and researchers calling for a re-examination of the 0.8 gram per kilogram benchmark.
We’ve learned a lot since this number was set back in 2005 about how various factors warrant increasing our collective protein intake. “There is certainly emerging research on protein requirements across the lifespan that should be re-examined,” says registered dietitian Toby Amidor, M.S., R.D., author of Healthy Living High Protein Cookbook. New insights on how the body uses amino acids, how much protein we lose versus consume, and how much protein we need to build muscle have all contributed to a growing call to bump up national recs.
That said, the original protein recommendation is probably still appropriate for a wide swath of the population—at least as a baseline (read: bare minimum). “This is a general guideline for the average American,” says registered dietitian Amy Goldsmith, R.D.N., L.D.N., owner of Kindred Nutrition & Kinetics and dietitian at WOWMD. You see, the RDA is intended as a mean value to meet the needs of about 98 percent of people. “Since the majority of Americans are sedentary, this is probably an appropriate general recommendation that would cover basic function.”
The Benefits of a Higher Protein Diet
Basic functioning is critical, of course, but many folks would prefer optimal functioning. Increasing protein consumption can bring some important benefits, especially for certain populations.
Read More: 6 Ways Protein Benefits Your Health—Beyond Building Muscle
“Protein is the primary building block for tissue repair, so it’s very important for those recovering from surgery or injury,” says Goldsmith. “People who are active and strength train require more protein to recover from the tearing in the muscle tissue caused by training.”
Research also supports that consuming extra protein combats sarcopenia, a.k.a. age-related muscle loss. And some studies show that protein’s high satiation factor could promote more successful weight management and even help prevent regain after weight loss.
Read More: How To Avoid Muscle Loss As You Age
Some experts even suggest that increased protein intake benefits folks who feel like their nerves are fried, as it provides the building blocks for neurotransmitters like serotonin required for a healthy, balanced nervous system.
Who Are the New Recs Right For?
Clearly, increased protein can have its advantages! Goldsmith and Amidor say the new protein targets are most appropriate for people in the following groups:
-
- Healthy seniors: Our bodies become less efficient at processing protein as we get older, Goldsmith explains. It’s worth increasing your intake as you increase your birthdays.
- People recovering from illness or injury: Extra protein helps tissue repair faster, speeding up the healing process.
- Moderately active adults: Goldsmith says this includes those who regularly swim, jog, cycle, or play team sports.
- Some endurance athletes: According to Goldsmith, the higher protein target may be right for certain endurance athletes (think long-distance runners or cyclists). But some athletes with rigorous training schedules may actually need even more protein to support these activities.
- Women in menopause or perimenopause: Some research indicates that a target of 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight is ideal for these phases of a woman’s life. Increased protein can bolster muscle mass and stabilize weight—two important concerns before and during menopause.
- Avid lifters and bodybuilders: Even during off-season training periods, bodybuilders and weight-room regulars need extra protein. According to a 2019 study, a range of 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight is usually enough.
- People pursuing weight loss: Since protein is so satiating, people looking to shed pounds may want to increase their protein intake to the tune of 1.6 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day or higher.
Outside of these circumstances, most other adults can stick closer to the RDA, Amidor says. This is especially true for people who are sedentary or lightly active. (Light daily activity might look like slow walking or doing household chores, but nothing more.)
Calculating Your Own Protein Target
There’s a lot to consider when it comes to your perfect protein intake, and every individual is unique. Amidor says factors like age, life stage, exercise habits, injury, and illness all play a role in nudging your needs higher or lower. While sedentary people may do fine with 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, heavy-duty athletes could require up to 2.5, according to Goldsmith. Talk about a pretty huge range!
“That’s why it is important to see a health professional to get individual attention needed and have the most accurate protein goals calculated,” Amidor suggests. A visit with a registered dietitian is a great starting point on that front.
Read More: 7 Signs You’re Not Getting Enough Protein
To tally your own number, you can check out a macronutrient calculator that accounts for various demographics and lifestyle factors. (The USDA offers a free one!) Be honest with yourself about your activity level, since overestimating your daily movement could give an inaccurate result, stresses Goldsmith.
Just remember that more protein doesn’t always equal better health—and that the new protein target isn’t one-size-fits-all. “My opinion is to be conservative,” Goldsmith says, citing concerns about excess consumption stressing the gallbladder and kidneys. It’s worth noting, though, that these concerns may be more pressing for certain populations than others. For example, some research shows that consuming more than three grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day didn’t impact kidney function in resistance-trained male athletes. Folks with susceptibility to or history of kidney issues, though, may have a different experience.
Amidor agrees that most people probably don’t need a major protein upgrade. “I would still recommend 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight for the general U.S. population,” she says. Again, remember that the majority of the U.S. population is fairly sedentary, so if you’re moderately to highly active, you’ll likely need more.
The Bottom Line
The new guidelines are a good reminder to check in about whether your current protein intake is a match for your lifestyle. If the gym is your second home, you’re always training for your next race, or you’re striving to move more to reap one of the many benefits of exercise, chances are you could benefit from more (in some cases, much more) protein than previously suggested.