You want to lose weight and are on the low carb diet? Then protein-rich foods should be on your menu. But how much protein per day is actually healthy? And when should you be careful?

Protein, along with carbohydrates and fat, is one of the three main essential nutrients that the body needs. It is super important because it is the basic building block of all human cells.
To get enough protein, we need to eat protein-rich foods like cottage cheese, meat or eggs every day. But how much protein should we eat per day? Is the amount unlimited, especially if you want to lose weight and follow a high-protein diet like Atkins? Or if you want to build muscle mass?

How much protein per day is recommended ?

The Nutrition Society (DGE) advises eating about 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight. Regardless of whether you are a woman or a man. The upper limit is 2 g per kilogram of body weight.

For a 60 kg woman, this means that she may eat between 48 and 120 g of protein per day. If she weighs 80 kg, the recommended intake is between 64 g and 160 g of protein per day.

These values sound a lot at first. Most people certainly don’t know how much protein they eat per day and are afraid of being under-supplied. Don’t worry, on average women eat about 60 g per day, men 81 g. More than enough.

This is partly because protein is found in many foods. In animal foods such as meat, fish, eggs or dairy products, for example. But some plant-based foods also score high in protein: legumes, wholemeal bread, cereals or nuts.

How many grams of protein should be eaten per day to lose weight?

As a result of low carb diets, protein has become the focus of attention as a small miracle nutrient for losing weight.
Hardly eat bread and pasta, i.e. carbohydrates, they often turn to protein-rich foods. They keep you full for a long time and are supposed to stimulate fat burning. But how much protein do you need to eat per day to keep the pounds off?

There is no clear indication. It should be more than 0.8 g per kilogram of body weight. However, 2 g per kilogram should not be exceeded. In general, however, the German Nutrition Society makes it clear: “If you want to lose weight, you have to eat less than you consume – regardless of whether you eat a low-fat or low-carbohydrate diet.

Is too much protein unhealthy?

It is not scientifically confirmed, but you should not eat too much protein. However, since many protein-rich foods are also high in fat and, in the case of animal products, contain cholesterol, she advises moderation.

More than 300 to 600 g of meat should not be eaten per week, and cheese and sausage should only be eaten in small quantities. She recommends covering protein requirements primarily with plant-based foods and eating legumes, whole grain products or nuts regularly.