“How much protein should I eat?” usually gets one of two useless answers: a government minimum designed to prevent deficiency, or a supplement company implying it is more than you could eat without their tub. Here is the honest middle.
How much protein per day, in grams
The evidence-based range for anyone training or dieting is 1.6 to 2.2g per kg of bodyweight. Below 1.6 you leave muscle on the table while losing weight; above roughly 2.2 there is no measured extra benefit, just cost.
- 60kg — 96 to 132g a day
- 70kg — 112 to 154g a day
- 80kg — 128 to 176g a day
- 90kg — 144 to 198g a day
- 100kg — 160 to 220g a day
Aim at the higher end while you are in a calorie deficit, because that is when protein does the most work: it keeps you full, and it protects the muscle you would otherwise lose alongside the fat. Want it worked out for your own numbers? The free macro calculator does it in seconds.
Protein in everyday Irish supermarket foods
Label figures, not brand claims. The last column is the one that matters when you are dieting — protein per 100 calories. Anything at 10g or more per 100 kcal is genuinely high protein.
| Food | Portion | Calories | Protein | Protein per 100 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, raw | 100g | 106 | 24.0g | 22.6g |
| Egg, medium | 1 egg (58g) | 78 | 7.3g | 9.4g |
| 5% fat beef mince | 100g | 137 | 20.5g | 15.0g |
| Tinned tuna, drained | 1 tin (112g) | 116 | 26.0g | 22.4g |
| Skyr / high-protein yogurt | 150g pot | 96 | 15.0g | 15.6g |
| High-protein bagel thin | 1 (90g) | 233 | 15.2g | 6.5g |
| Philadelphia Protein | 50g | 78 | 6.0g | 7.7g |
| Cheddar cheese | 30g | 124 | 7.6g | 6.1g |
| Milk, low fat | 200ml | 92 | 7.0g | 7.6g |
| Porridge oats | 50g dry | 187 | 5.5g | 2.9g |
Read that last column and the pattern is obvious: chicken, tuna, mince and Skyr are protein foods. Cheese, oats and bagels contain protein but charge you calories for it. Neither is bad — you just cannot reach 170g a day out of the second group.
How to actually hit the number
Nobody reaches 170g by accident. Three things do it:
- Anchor every meal with a protein source first, then build the rest of the plate around it.
- Repeat your breakfasts. A high-protein breakfast you can make half asleep removes the hardest decision of the day.
- Weigh your food for two weeks. Eyeballed portions run 30–50% out, which is exactly the size of the gap between what you think you ate and what you did. Our free calorie & macro tracker scans barcodes so you are not typing numbers in.
A worked example — a full week of meals at roughly 170g of protein a day, costed at €51 from Aldi or Lidl — is in the 7-day meal plan.
Do you need protein powder?
No. Powder is a convenience food: a fast, cheap 25g when you are short at 9pm. It is not more effective than chicken, and the industry markets it as though it were. If your protein is already close, a tub changes nothing but your bank balance.
Protein per euro: the cheapest sources
Eggs, whole chicken, tinned tuna, own-brand Skyr and 5% mince beat anything with “protein” on the front of the pack. The full ranking, by protein per euro rather than per 100g, is in the high-protein foods in Irish supermarkets guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein do I need per day?
For most people aiming to lose fat or build muscle, 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day. An 80kg person is looking at roughly 130 to 175g. If you are sedentary and not training, the official minimum is far lower (0.8g/kg), but that is a floor to avoid deficiency, not a target for someone lifting weights or dieting.
How much protein is in an egg?
About 7.3g in a medium egg (58g), for 78 calories. Two eggs give you roughly 15g. Eggs are a good protein source but not a dense one per calorie, so they work best alongside something leaner.
How much protein is in a chicken breast?
Roughly 24g per 100g raw, so a typical 165g breast gives about 40g of protein for around 175 calories. That is the best protein-per-calorie ratio of any everyday supermarket food in Ireland.
Do I need protein powder?
No. Powder is convenient, not necessary. If you hit your number with chicken, mince, eggs, tuna, Skyr and dairy, a shake adds nothing except an easy 25g when you are short at the end of the day.
Can you eat too much protein?
For healthy people, intakes above these targets are not harmful, just expensive, and they displace other food. If you have kidney disease, protein intake is a conversation for your doctor, not a fitness site.
What is the best protein per euro in Irish supermarkets?
Eggs, whole chicken, tinned tuna, own-brand Skyr and 5% mince consistently beat anything marketed as a protein product. We rank them by protein per euro in the high-protein foods guide.
About the author
Keith O’Beirne went from 90kg to 72kg around a full-time job and two kids, after paying a personal trainer to learn the basics. He is not a doctor, dietitian or coach and does not sell coaching — he writes No Nonsense Fitness to give away what he paid to learn, free, with no ads, no subscriptions and no commission on any link. Based in Dublin.
References & further reading
- Morton RW et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2018.
- Helms ER et al. Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2014.
- Phillips SM, Van Loon LJC. Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to optimum adaptation. Journal of Sports Sciences, 2011.
Figures on this page come from product labels and the research above. How we calculate every number is set out in our methodology.
More From No Nonsense Fitness
Free tools, honest guides and zero hype.
Free Fitness Tools Read Fat Loss Basics