# How do I get enough protein from the food I already eat?

Source: https://nume.co.in/protein/ · Checked on 12 November 2026

Put a protein food at most of the times you eat, and make that portion a little bigger. Sports nutrition guidance says people who train can meet their protein needs from whole foods, so you don't need new recipes or a powder to get there. Pulses, eggs, milk and yogurt, and soya are usually good value, and the way to compare cost is by the grams of protein you get, not by the pack.

## How much do I need?

The general recommended intake for adults is 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight a day. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) gives 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg a day for people who exercise. A review of 49 trials with 1,863 healthy adults doing resistance training found that extra protein stopped adding to fat-free mass gains above a total intake of about 1.6 g per kg a day. So someone who weighs 70 kg and trains does well at about 100 to 140 g a day.

Work out your own range with the [protein calculator](/tools/protein-calculator/).

**In Nume:** your protein is set from your weight and goal: 1.6 g per kg if you train two or more times a week, 1.2 if you're losing fat and train less, to hold on to muscle, and 1.1 for everyday health, above the general intake. Above a BMI of 30 it's worked out from an adjusted weight, so the number stays realistic. Profile shows your number and why.

## How much at each meal?

The ISSN suggests servings of about 0.25 g per kg, or 20 to 40 g, every 3 to 4 hours. You don't need to eat on that clock. Fit it to your own day:

- **Two eating times:** two bigger servings, around 40 g or more each.
- **Three or four:** 25 to 35 g at most of them.
- **Five or six:** smaller servings, with protein at most of them, including snacks.

What to avoid is most of the day's protein arriving in one evening meal.

**In Nume:** meals sit at your own eating times, one to six, and each meal shows its protein.

## Start from food you already eat

You don't need a new menu. Add protein to what you already cook and order:

- an egg on the noodles or the fried rice
- beans in the tacos, chickpeas in the salad
- chicken or tuna in the pasta
- tofu or edamame in the stir-fry
- paneer in the curry, an extra bowl of dal
- Greek yogurt or cottage cheese on the side, or with fruit
- a glass of milk or soy milk with breakfast

Everyday servings and their protein:

| Serving | Protein |
|---|---|
| 1 large egg | 6 g |
| 1 cup (198 g) cooked lentils | 18 g |
| 1 cup cooked chickpeas or black beans | 15 g |
| 170 g plain non-fat Greek yogurt | 17 g |
| 1 cup (226 g) low-fat cottage cheese | 24 g |
| 1 cup (244 g) milk | 8 g |
| 100 g firm tofu, calcium-set | 17 g |
| 85 g canned tuna, drained | 17 g |
| 85 g cooked farmed salmon | 19 g |
| 100 g cooked chicken breast | 31 g |
| 100 g cooked chicken thigh | 25 g |
| 2 tbsp peanut butter | 7 g |

**In Nume:** the first option for each meal is your usual plate for that eating time, from what you've logged in the last two weeks, with its protein raised inside that plate before anything new is added. A plate without meat or fish stays that way, and protein comes from what you already eat: eggs, dairy, pulses or tofu. Food cooked earlier in the day can become the base of a later meal. Tap any part of a plate to swap it, or say what you'd like instead.

## How do I keep protein cheap?

Compare by protein, not by price. Divide the price by the grams of protein on the label, and you have the cost per gram. Do it for the options where you shop, because prices change by country and by season.

In most places these come out well:

- dried or canned pulses: lentils, chickpeas, beans
- eggs
- milk and plain yogurt
- tofu, soya chunks and other soy foods
- peanuts and peanut butter
- canned fish
- cheaper cuts, such as chicken thighs

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization calls pulses "a cheap, delicious and highly nutritious source of protein", and "an affordable alternative to more expensive animal-based protein". Cook them in bulk once or twice a week. Buy plain yogurt and flavour it yourself. Whey or another powder can be good value per gram of protein if you like it, and you can see [whether you need it](/supplements/).

**In Nume:** home dishes use widely available ingredients and take little effort, and they start from the food you already buy and cook. A daily scoop of whey or glass of milk you set up as a regular item counts toward the day's protein, and on a whey day Nume doesn't suggest another shake.

## Do I have to jump to the full amount?

No. If you eat well under your target now, build up: add one serving a day for a week or two, then another.

**In Nume:** protein builds up. Most people start at about 0.9 to 1.0 g per kg, or at what their logs show they already eat if that's higher, and the plan steps up about 12 g a week. The day shows where you are, as in "This week: about 75 g · building to 130 g". If your logged days in a week come in well under, the next step waits. If you've trained on a steady routine for three months or more, you get the full amount from the start.

## Is too much protein bad for you?

Not for healthy adults. A review of 28 trials with 1,358 adults without kidney disease compared higher-protein diets (at least 1.5 g per kg a day, 20% or more of energy, or 100 g or more a day) with normal or lower-protein ones, and found no harm to kidney function, measured as glomerular filtration rate. The exception is people who already have kidney disease.

## Protein with Nume

Nume plans your day at your own eating times, from the cuisines you eat and the food rules you keep, whether that's vegetarian, eggs but no meat, veg-only on certain days or anything else. Every meal shows its protein, and Progress shows how your protein has averaged against the plan, by day and by meal. You log with a tap, a sentence or a photo, and the rest of the day adjusts when a meal runs lighter or heavier than planned.

Eating out counts too: see [what to order when you eat out](/eating-out/). Protein matters most while you lose weight: see [why the scale may not be moving](/not-losing-weight/), and [the protein check](/check-my-plan/#2-is-there-enough-protein) for a plan you already have.

## Common questions

### How can I get 100 g of protein a day?

Spread it over the day. One example over four eating times:

- **Morning:** 170 g non-fat Greek yogurt with 2 tbsp peanut butter on a slice of wholewheat toast, about 28 g
- **Midday:** a cup of cooked lentils with a cup of rice, about 22 g
- **Afternoon:** two boiled eggs, about 13 g
- **Evening:** 100 g chicken with a cup of pasta, about 38 g

That comes to about 100 g. Swap the chicken for 150 g of firm tofu and it's still about 96 g.

### Can I get enough protein as a vegetarian?

Yes. Eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, paneer, tofu, lentils, beans and chickpeas all count, and the same rule applies: a protein food at most of your eating times. Vegans rely on pulses, soy foods, nuts and seeds, with soy milk in place of dairy.

### Is it bad to eat most of my protein at dinner?

It still counts toward the day. Spreading it into servings of 20 to 40 g through the day suits muscle better, and it's easier to reach the total that way.

## Sources

- [Jäger et al., International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise (2017)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5477153/)
- [Morton 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, British Journal of Sports Medicine (2018)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5867436/)
- [USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (protein per serving in the table and the example day)](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/)
- [FAO: UN launches International Year of Pulses](https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/From-butter-beans-to-pigeon-peas-UN-launches-International-Year-of-Pulses/en)
- [Devries et al., Changes in kidney function do not differ between healthy adults consuming higher- compared with lower- or normal-protein diets, Journal of Nutrition (2018)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6236074/)