How much protein do you actually need? Most Australians already eat 1.5 times the recommendation
The Recommended Dietary Intake for protein is 64 g a day for men and 46 g for women aged 19 to 70, rising to 81 g and 57 g after 70. The ABS found 98.5% of Australians already met their protein requirement in 2023, with median intakes of 98 g for men and 75 g for women. Some people do benefit from more (older adults, regular strength training, pregnancy and breastfeeding), but for most Australians fibre is the bigger gap.
What the 2023 national survey found
In March 2026 the ABS released usual nutrient intakes from the 2023 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, the first full national picture since 2011–12. On protein, the finding is blunt: 98.5% of Australians had an adequate protein intake, barely changed from 99.1% a decade earlier.
Protein: what Australians eat vs what they need
Median usual daily protein intake in 2023 against the Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI), adults 19 to 70, grams a day.
Source: ABS Usual nutrient intakes 2023 (medians for all adults); NHMRC Nutrient Reference Values (RDI for ages 19 to 70).
Show the numbers
| Group | Recommended Dietary Intake | Median intake, 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Men | 64 g | 98 g |
| Women | 46 g | 75 g |
The median man eats about 98 g of protein a day, roughly 1.5 times his RDI. The median woman eats about 75 g, about 1.6 times hers. So while social media has spent two years telling everyone to add protein to their coffee, cereal and snacks, most Australians were never short.
The same survey tells a different story about fibre: average intakes of 19.2 g for women and 22.3 g for men, well under the 25 g and 30 g benchmarks. That's why food forecasters picked fibremaxxing as the 2026 successor to the protein craze.
Your number: a quick protein calculator
The RDI is set per kilogram of body weight, so a personal number is more useful than the headline grams. Pick your group, add your weight, and tick the box if you train regularly.
The RDI covers the needs of 97 to 98% of healthy people in each group. The training range is from sports nutrition guidance, not the RDI. This calculator is general information, not individual advice.
Who genuinely benefits from more protein
- Adults over 70. The RDI jumps by about a quarter (64 g to 81 g for men, 46 g to 57 g for women) because holding on to muscle gets harder with age. Appetite often drops at the same time, which makes this the group most likely to fall short.
- People who train. For regular resistance or endurance training, sports nutrition guidance uses 1.2 to 2.0 g per kilogram, depending on the training. For a 75 kg person that's 90 to 150 g a day.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding. The RDI rises to 60 g in the second and third trimesters and 67 g while breastfeeding.
- People eating less overall. When total food intake is low, for example during illness, the share of it that comes from protein matters more.
If you're in one of these groups, spreading protein across breakfast, lunch and dinner is a practical approach. Breakfast is usually the lightest protein meal of the day, so that's the easiest place to add some.
The foods that bring protein and fibre together
Plot common foods by protein and fibre per serve and a clear pattern appears. Meat, fish, eggs and dairy are excellent protein sources with no fibre at all. Legumes are the only everyday foods that rank well on both.
Protein and fibre per serve: only legumes do both
Each dot is a typical serve. Animal foods sit on the floor because they contain no fibre. Hover or tap a dot for its numbers.
Food values: FSANZ Australian Food Composition Database. Serves: chicken breast grilled, lower-fat beef mince cooked, tuna in brine drained, eggs hard-boiled, lentils boiled, canned legumes drained.
Show the numbers
| Food | Group | Protein (g) | Fibre (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast (100 g) | Meat, fish, eggs, dairy | 29.8 | 0 |
| Beef mince (100 g) | Meat, fish, eggs, dairy | 32.3 | 0 |
| Tuna (95 g) | Meat, fish, eggs, dairy | 24.8 | 0 |
| Eggs (2) | Meat, fish, eggs, dairy | 12.9 | 0 |
| Meat, fish, eggs, dairy | 8.5 | 0 | |
| Meat, fish, eggs, dairy | 9.8 | 0 | |
| Meat, fish, eggs, dairy | 10.2 | 0.2 | |
| Tofu (100 g) | Legumes and soy | 12.8 | 1 |
| Lentils (1 cup) | Legumes and soy | 14.6 | 8.2 |
| Baked beans (½ can) | Legumes and soy | 10.1 | 10.1 |
| Kidney beans (½ can) | Legumes and soy | 7.9 | 7.8 |
| Chickpeas (½ can) | Legumes and soy | 7.6 | 6.8 |
| Quinoa (1 cup) | Nuts, seeds and grains | 6.7 | 6.3 |
| Peanut butter (2 tbsp) | Nuts, seeds and grains | 9.7 | 2.6 |
| Almonds (30 g) | Nuts, seeds and grains | 5.9 | 3.3 |
| Oats (½ cup) | Nuts, seeds and grains | 4.9 | 3.8 |
| Food | Serve | Protein (g) | Fibre (g) | Energy (kJ) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef mince, lower fat, cooked | 100 g | 32.3 | 0 | 849 |
| Chicken breast, grilled | 100 g | 29.8 | 0 | 598 |
| Tuna in brine, drained | 95 g tin | 24.8 | 0 | 513 |
| Lentils, boiled | 1 cup (200 g) | 14.6 | 8.2 | 770 |
| Eggs, hard-boiled | 2 (104 g) | 12.9 | 0 | 592 |
| Tofu, firm | 100 g | 12.8 | 1.0 | 543 |
| Natural yoghurt | 200 g | 10.2 | 0.2 | 612 |
| Baked beans in tomato sauce | ½ can (210 g) | 10.1 | 10.1 | 800 |
| Cheddar cheese | 2 slices (40 g) | 9.8 | 0 | 674 |
| Peanut butter, no added sugar | 2 tbsp (40 g) | 9.7 | 2.6 | 1,051 |
| Milk, regular | 1 cup (250 mL) | 8.5 | 0 | 697 |
| Red kidney beans, canned, drained | ½ can (120 g) | 7.9 | 7.8 | 529 |
| Chickpeas, canned, drained | ½ can (120 g) | 7.6 | 6.8 | 569 |
| Quinoa, cooked | 1 cup (185 g) | 6.7 | 6.3 | 799 |
| Almonds | 30 g | 5.9 | 3.3 | 716 |
| Rolled oats, uncooked | ½ cup (40 g) | 4.9 | 3.8 | 626 |
If you want more protein and more fibre, swapping half the mince in a bolognese or chilli for lentils or kidney beans does both at once, and usually makes the pot cheaper.
Get the OzCal Weekly
One email a week: the nutrition story everyone is talking about, checked against Australian data, plus one cheap meal idea. Free. Unsubscribe any time.
Spend the protein money wisely
Protein-added snacks, drinks and cereals usually cost several times more per gram of protein than eggs, milk, tinned tuna, chicken or lentils, and some add a fair amount of energy along the way. If you're paying extra for a protein claim, check two numbers on the panel: grams of protein per serve and kilojoules per serve. Our protein-per-dollar ranking compares everyday supermarket options.
Can you eat too much protein?
For healthy adults, the intakes most Australians eat, and the higher ranges used in sport, are generally considered safe. The NHMRC's acceptable range is for protein to make up 15 to 25% of total energy. The bigger risk of chasing protein is what it pushes off the plate: if the extra protein replaces vegetables, legumes and wholegrains, fibre falls even further. People with kidney disease should follow their doctor's advice on protein.
Know your own number
National medians don't tell you what you eat. A week of logging usually answers it. OzCal shows protein next to kilojoules for every food you log by barcode, photo or voice, from a database of 86,000+ Australian and New Zealand foods.
Check your own protein and fibre
OzCal logs meals by photo, barcode or voice against 86,000+ Australian foods, kilojoules first. Free on iPhone, now in open beta.
Common questions
How much protein do I need a day?
For adults aged 19 to 70, the RDI is 64 g a day for men and 46 g for women, which works out at 0.84 g and 0.75 g per kilogram of body weight. After 70 it rises to 81 g and 57 g (1.07 and 0.94 g/kg). In pregnancy it is 60 g and while breastfeeding 67 g.
How much protein per kg do I need if I train?
The joint position stand on nutrition and athletic performance from the American College of Sports Medicine, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Dietitians of Canada suggests 1.2 to 2.0 g per kilogram a day for athletes, depending on the training.
Do I need protein powder?
Most Australians meet their protein needs from food. Powders are convenient after training or when appetite is low, but they are not necessary, and per gram of protein they usually cost more than eggs, milk, tinned tuna or lentils.
Is 100 g of protein a day too much?
For a healthy adult it sits within the range commonly eaten in Australia; the median man already eats about 98 g. The NHMRC suggests protein make up 15 to 25% of energy. People with kidney disease should follow the advice of their doctor.
Which foods have both protein and fibre?
Legumes: lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans and baked beans. A cup of cooked lentils has about 15 g of protein and 8 g of fibre. Nuts, seeds, oats and quinoa also bring some of both. Meat, fish, eggs and dairy have no fibre.
Want the next one in your inbox?
One email a week: the nutrition story everyone is talking about, checked against Australian data, plus one cheap meal idea. Free. Unsubscribe any time.
Sources
- ABS, Usual nutrient intakes 2023 (released 17 March 2026)
- NHMRC Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand: Protein
- Thomas D.T., Erdman K.A., Burke L.M., "Nutrition and Athletic Performance", joint position stand, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2016
- M. Murray (Swinburne), "Which is more filling, protein or fibre?" The Conversation, republished by 1News, 12 Oct 2026
- FSANZ Australian Food Composition Database (AFCD), food values used in every table
- Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, "Food trends 2026"