When trying to build muscle, Jessica said that protein intake should account for about 10 to 35 percent of your total calories, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Academy of Sports Medicine.
For general health and for maintaining muscle, you need less protein. The recommendation is about 0.36 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight) per day, so if you weigh 150 pounds, that's 54 grams of protein a day.
Athletes need more protein and if they're looking to build muscle, The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend 0.54 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight (1.2 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight) per day. So if you weigh 150 pounds, that's 81-150 grams of protein a day.
Some experts will recommend even more. Brittany Linn, RD, CDN, a clinical nutrition coordinator at The Mount Sinai Hospital told POPSUGAR in a previous interview to go for 1.0 to 1.7 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (2.2 to 3.7 grams per kilogram of body weight) per day in order to supply your muscles with amino acids, which build up your muscle tissue. (For a 150-pound person, that's 150-255 grams a day).
If that seems like a lot, you'll be able to reach your daily goal by making sure to eat protein every time you eat. Good sources include lean meat and fish, eggs, dairy products, tofu, beans, nuts and seeds.