Protein
Your Most Important Macro
The building block of muscle tissue, hormones, and enzymes. Without enough protein, you can train hard and eat well and still get mediocre results. It's that important.
Daily targets
How much do you
actually need?
actually need?
Per kilogram of bodyweight per day. Ranges vary with training intensity and goal.
Sedentary
0.8g/kg
Active / Training
1.6g/kg
Building muscle
1.8–2g/kg
In a calorie deficit
2–2.4g/kg
Higher intake in a deficit helps preserve muscle while losing fat.
Where to get it
Complete vs.
incomplete sources.
incomplete sources.
Complete Proteins
Chicken, beef, fish, eggs, dairy, whey protein
Plant Sources
Lentils, chickpeas, tofu, edamame, tempeh, seitan
Complete proteins contain all essential amino acids. Plant proteins often don't — but combining sources throughout the day covers all bases.
How to hit it
Make protein
non-negotiable.
non-negotiable.
01
Anchor every meal with protein
Before you build the meal — meat, fish, eggs, dairy, or legumes goes on the plate first. Everything else fills around it.
Most effective habit
02
Spread it across the day
Your body can only synthesise so much muscle protein at once. 3–4 protein-rich meals beat one large hit at dinner.
03
Use supplements sensibly
Protein powder is a convenient top-up, not a replacement. Whole food protein first — powder closes the gap.
Common Traps
Where people
come up short.
come up short.
×
Eating "high protein" foods, not high protein amounts
Chicken is high protein. One chicken breast at dinner is not a high protein day.
×
Skimping on protein during a cut
The deficit is already asking your body to break things down. Low protein gives it muscle to take instead of fat.
×
Relying only on protein shakes
Whole food protein comes with nutrients shakes don't. Both have a place. Whole food leads.
The Naked Truth
The average person eating "pretty healthy" gets about 80–100g of protein a day. If you're training, that's probably half of what you need. No supplement fixes that gap — only food does.
Calculate your target. Track for three days. Be honest about where you actually land.