Protein advice splits into two loud camps: the "you are wasting away" camp selling tubs of powder, and the "dal has protein, relax" camp. The truth is quieter. If you train with weights, you need more protein than the average person, less than supplement ads imply, and the hard part is hitting it with food you actually eat.
Protein, simply: how much you need and where to get it
Nutrition · 11 October 2026
A practical range
For people lifting regularly, research converges on roughly 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilo of body weight per day. At 70 kilos, that is about 110 to 155 grams. The lower end maintains and slowly builds; the higher end helps when dieting or training hard. More than that shows no extra muscle benefit in studies - it is just expensive calories.
What that looks like in real meals
Numbers get easy when you anchor them to food. Two eggs are about 12 grams. A bowl of dal, 8 to 10. 100 grams of chicken breast, around 25. Paneer, 18 per 100 grams. A scoop of whey, 24 or so. A day that adds up looks like: eggs at breakfast, dal and curd at lunch, a chicken or paneer dinner, and milk or a shake somewhere between. Most people who "eat a lot of protein" and check the total discover they land near 60 grams, not 120.
Spread it across the day
Muscle building responds better to several moderate protein meals than one giant one. Aim for 25 to 40 grams at each of three or four meals instead of saving it all for dinner. This also makes the target feel possible: four 35-gram meals is just a normal day with a plan.
When supplements make sense
Whey is food, not magic. It makes sense when cooking time is short, when you are vegetarian and struggling to hit the range, or right after a workout when a real meal is hours away. If your meals already cover the target, a shake adds nothing except cost. Buy it to fill a gap, not because the label has a muscle on it.
Is too much protein harmful?
For healthy kidneys, intakes within the range above are well studied and safe. If you have a kidney condition, that is a conversation for your doctor, not a blog.
I am vegetarian. Can I hit the target?
Yes, but it takes planning: dal, paneer, curd, milk, soya chunks, and legumes at every meal, often plus a whey scoop. Soya chunks are the quiet hero here, with protein comparable to chicken per 100 grams dry weight.
Protein before or after the workout?
Total daily intake matters far more than timing. Having some protein within a few hours on either side of training is plenty; you do not need to sprint to a shaker bottle mid-session.
