Protein intake statistics show how recommended amounts compare with what people report eating. The figures below cover dietary reference values, U.S. adult protein intake, meal timing, and USDA Protein Foods group consumption. They describe populations and reference patterns, rather than prescribing an individualized diet.
Contents
- Protein RDA by age and sex
- Protein as a share of energy
- Average daily intake across adult age groups
- When adults consume protein
- Protein-food group intake in dietary recalls
- Targets compared with observed adult intakes
Protein RDA by age and sex
The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans reproduces National Academies dietary reference values. The RDA is a reference value for healthy populations, not a personal medical target. In the 2015-2020 DRI table, children ages 1–3 have a protein RDA of 13 grams per day. Children ages 4–8 have an RDA of 19 grams per day for both females and males.
During adolescence, the table lists 34 grams per day for both girls and boys ages 9–13. For ages 14–18, the listed RDA is 46 grams per day for girls and 52 grams for boys.
For adults, women ages 19–30, 31–50, and 51 and older are each listed at 46 grams per day. Men in those same three age bands are each listed at 56 grams per day.
| Group | Protein RDA per day |
|---|---|
| Children ages 1–3 | 13 g |
| Children ages 4–8 | 19 g |
| Girls and boys ages 9–13 | 34 g |
| Girls ages 14–18 | 46 g |
| Boys ages 14–18 | 52 g |
| Adult women | 46 g |
| Adult men | 56 g |
The same DRI table lists an estimated average requirement (EAR) of 0.66 grams per kilogram per day and an RDA of 0.80 grams per kilogram per day for adults ages 19–50. These are reference values expressed relative to body weight; the fixed adult values above are presented separately in the table.
Protein as a share of energy
Protein recommendations can also be expressed as a percentage of total energy. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans lists an acceptable macronutrient distribution range (AMDR) of 10%–35% of total energy for adults. For children and adolescents ages 4–18, the range is 10%–30%. For young children ages 1–3, it is 5%–20%.
The USDA report Protein Intake of Adults, What We Eat in America, NHANES 2015-2016 reports that protein supplied 16% of total energy intake among U.S. adults in 2015–2016. Adults consumed about 40 grams of protein per 1,000 kilocalories of energy.
Protein density varied modestly by adult sex and age group in that report. Male adults ages 20–39 had a reported density of 41 grams per 1,000 kilocalories, while the middle adult age group shown had 40 grams. Female adults ages 20–39 had 40 grams per 1,000 kilocalories, and females in the oldest adult age group shown had 39 grams.
These percentages and density figures answer different questions. The AMDR is a reference range for the share of energy, while the NHANES figures describe reported intake in a U.S. population during 2015–2016.
Average daily intake across adult age groups
The USDA’s Protein Intake of Adults, What We Eat in America, NHANES 2015-2016 includes adult averages for 2005–2006 and 2015–2016. In 2005–2006, men ages 20–39 consumed an average of 112 grams per day; men ages 40–59 consumed 102 grams; and men ages 60 and older consumed 83 grams.
In the same period, women ages 20–39 consumed 74 grams per day on average, women ages 40–59 consumed 73 grams, and women ages 60 and older consumed 60 grams.
The later period shows a similar age pattern. In 2015–2016, men ages 20–39 consumed 106 grams per day on average, men ages 40–59 consumed 98 grams, and men ages 60 and older consumed 82 grams. Women ages 20–39 consumed 73 grams per day, women ages 40–59 consumed 71 grams, and women ages 60 and older consumed 63 grams.
| Adult group | 2005–2006 | 2015–2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Men, ages 20–39 | 112 g/day | 106 g/day |
| Men, ages 40–59 | 102 g/day | 98 g/day |
| Men, ages 60+ | 83 g/day | 82 g/day |
| Women, ages 20–39 | 74 g/day | 73 g/day |
| Women, ages 40–59 | 73 g/day | 71 g/day |
| Women, ages 60+ | 60 g/day | 63 g/day |
The table compares the reported averages for two measurement periods. It should not be read as a longitudinal measurement of the same individuals, and it does not establish why the averages differ between periods.
When adults consume protein
Meal timing is another way to describe protein intake. In 2015–2016, Protein Intake of Adults, What We Eat in America, NHANES 2015-2016 attributed 16% of adults’ protein intake to breakfast. Lunch accounted for 31%, dinner for 41%, and snacks for 12%.
| Eating occasion | Share of adults’ protein intake, 2015–2016 |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | 16% |
| Lunch | 31% |
| Dinner | 41% |
| Snacks | 12% |
Dinner was the largest listed eating occasion in this population estimate, followed by lunch. The figures describe the share of total reported protein intake assigned to each occasion; they do not specify an ideal distribution across meals.
Protein-food group intake in dietary recalls
Protein grams and USDA food-pattern units are not interchangeable. The Food Patterns Equivalents Intakes from Foods: Mean Amounts Consumed per Individuals, by Male/Female and Age, What We Eat in America, NHANES 2017-March 2020 Prepandemic reports ounce-equivalents (oz eq) of food groups from prepandemic dietary recalls.
Males ages 2–5 consumed 3.25 oz eq of total Protein Foods per day on average, including 1.10 oz eq of poultry and 0.44 oz eq of meat. Across males and females ages 2–19, average intake was 4.26 oz eq of total Protein Foods, including 1.43 oz eq of poultry and 0.90 oz eq of meat.
Adults ages 20 and older consumed 6.29 oz eq of total Protein Foods per day on average. Their average intake included 4.71 oz eq of total meat, poultry, and seafood, 1.62 oz eq of meat, and 1.55 oz eq of poultry.
The USDA FPED table’s total Protein Foods measure excludes legumes. Consequently, the reported total is a food-pattern measure with a defined scope, not a complete gram-based estimate of protein from every possible food source.
Targets compared with observed adult intakes
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 compares recommended Protein Foods pattern ranges with observed intake. The recommendations are from the 2020-2025 pattern, while the observed adult intake comparisons use 2015–2016 data.
For adult men, the recommended total Protein Foods range is about 6.0–7.0 oz eq per day, compared with an observed average of about 7.5 oz eq. For adult women, the recommended range is about 5.0–6.0 oz eq per day, compared with an observed average of about 5.0 oz eq.
| Protein Foods category | Adult men: recommendation vs. observed | Adult women: recommendation vs. observed |
|---|---|---|
| Total Protein Foods, daily | 6.0–7.0 vs. 7.5 oz eq | 5.0–6.0 vs. 5.0 oz eq |
| Meat, poultry, and eggs, weekly | 31–32 vs. 44 oz eq | 28–30 vs. 28 oz eq |
| Seafood, weekly | 9–10 vs. 4.0 oz eq | 8–9 vs. 3.5 oz eq |
| Nuts, seeds, and soy, weekly | 5.0–6.0 vs. 6.0 oz eq | 3.5–4.5 vs. 3.8 oz eq |
For meats, poultry, and eggs, the recommended range is about 31–32 oz eq per week for adult men versus an observed average of about 44 oz eq; for adult women, the range is about 28–30 oz eq versus about 28 oz eq observed. Seafood recommendations are about 9–10 oz eq per week for men and 8–9 oz eq for women, compared with observed averages of about 4.0 and 3.5 oz eq, respectively.
The recommended range for nuts, seeds, and soy products is about 5.0–6.0 oz eq per week for men and 3.5–4.5 oz eq for women. Observed averages were about 6.0 oz eq for men and 3.8 oz eq for women.
These comparisons are about USDA food-pattern categories, not grams of protein. USDA/NHANES figures are population estimates from weighted day-1 24-hour dietary recalls, not individualized recommendations. The DRI/RDA values are reference values for healthy populations, and the statistics here should not be treated as personal medical advice.