How Much Protein Does Your Family Need?
First, My Plate tells us that we need protein every day. When you look at your plate, a balanced meal would have one fourth (1/4) of your plate filled with lean protein. The protein represents the purple part of the My Plate or the Food Pyramid.
The exact amount of protein that each of your family members need really depends on these factors:
To find out how much foods your child needs, visit our meal planner tool or for a print the daily requirements for your child.
In general, the USDA My Plate has created these daily recommended guidelines:
See what counts as a protein serving.*
Recommended servings are shown in ounces or ounce equivalents. You can see that you don't need a great deal of protein each day. For example, having a 12 ounce steak at dinner is double the amount of protein needed in one full day!
| Protein Group Recommended Daily Servings | |
|---|---|
| Total Protein Servings | |
| 2-3 years old | 2 ounce equivalents |
|
4-8 years old
|
4 ounce equivalents |
|
Girls 9-13 years old
|
5 ounce equivalents |
|
Girls 14-18 years old
|
5 ounce equivalents |
|
Boys 9-13 years old
|
5 ounce equivalents |
|
Boys 14-18 years old
|
6-1/2 ounce equivalents |
| Women 19-30 years old | 5-1/2 ounce equivalents |
| Women 31-50 years old | 5 ounce equivalents |
| Women 51+ years old | 5 ounce equivalents |
| Men 19-30 years old | 6-1/2 ounce equivalents |
| Men 31-50 years old | 6 ounce equivalents |
| Men 51+ years old | 5-1/2 ounce equivalents |
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