Protein intake for women: how much is actually enough

Protein is the most underestimated part of most women's diets I see in clinic — not because anyone is avoiding it deliberately, but because the number most people have in their head for "enough" is genuinely outdated.

The outdated number most people still use

The standard RDA of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is a minimum designed to prevent deficiency — not a target for someone actively trying to manage weight, preserve muscle, or simply feel fuller through the day. More recent evidence points to 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram as a far more useful range for general health outcomes.

Why women specifically tend to fall short

A few patterns show up repeatedly: meals built around roti and rice with a comparatively small protein portion, protein servings at a shared family table that quietly skew smaller for women, and increased requirements around menstruation, pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause that rarely get factored into daily planning at all.

What the extra protein actually buys you

• Meaningfully better appetite control — roughly 30 grams of protein per meal is the threshold most studies point to for satiety.
• Preserved muscle mass, which matters more with age and during any period of weight loss, since cutting calories without enough protein tends to cost you muscle, not just fat.
• Steadier blood sugar when protein is paired with carbohydrate at the same meal, rather than carbohydrate eaten alone.

What this looks like in practice

For a 60kg woman, 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg works out to roughly 72 to 96 grams of protein a day — spread across meals, that is an egg and a glass of milk at breakfast, a reasonable chicken or daal portion at lunch, and paneer, yogurt or fish worked into dinner, rather than one large serving at a single meal.

“When I add up what most women are actually eating across a day, protein is almost always the macro furthest from where it should be — not fat, and not even carbs.”

Protein pairs directly with the fibre-quality changes covered in Insulin Resistance: The Diet Changes That Actually Matter. If you would like a protein target built around your own weight and activity level, book a consultation.