Getting Enough Protein as You Age: What the 2025-2030 Guidelines Say

Protein helps your body keep muscle, bone, skin and blood in good repair, and many people find they eat less of it as they get older. The newest federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the 2025-2030 edition released in January 2026, put protein near the center of the plate. They also use a higher daily target than the long-standing minimum. But the experts do not all agree on one number for people over 60, and some people, especially those with kidney disease, should not simply eat more. This guide explains what the sources say, where they differ, and how to turn the numbers into everyday meals.

Key takeaways

• The current edition is the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 (10th edition, January 2026). The agencies update it every five years.
• The guidelines’ website lists a goal of 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. MedlinePlus says it may vary with your own protein and calorie needs.
• The older minimum, the Recommended Dietary Allowance, is 0.8 grams per kilogram. Some researchers say that is too low for older adults.
• Spreading protein across all meals, rather than saving it for dinner, is a common suggestion in the research.
• If you have chronic kidney disease, ask your doctor and a registered dietitian before changing your protein intake.

What the current guidelines say

The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) lists the 2025-2030 edition as the current one, and says the departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture refresh it every five years. Its page names protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats and whole grains as priority foods.

The guidelines website, RealFood.gov, states a protein target of 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight each day, and says every meal should feature high-quality protein from both animal and plant sources. MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine’s health site, repeats the 1.2 to 1.6 range for adults and children, and adds that it may vary with individual protein and calorie needs. Two points are worth noticing:

• The pages I reviewed give this range for adults in general. They do not set a separate number just for people over 60.
• The range is a goal for most healthy people. It is not a prescription, and it does not replace advice from your own clinician.

Why older adults get so much attention

Researchers have long asked whether the older minimum of 0.8 grams per kilogram is enough as we age. A 2016 review in the journal Nutrients, which is archived by the National Library of Medicine, noted that the official minimum is the same for older and younger adults. The review’s authors ran their own estimates and found values about 30 to 40 percent higher, around 1.2 grams per kilogram. They concluded the current figures may need to be re-assessed.

That review also covered how protein is spread through the day. It cited suggestions of about 30 grams of high-quality protein at each meal, and said at least 20 grams per meal seems to be needed to switch on muscle building in older adults. It also reported that amounts above 30 grams did not bring a bigger response. Treat these as research findings, not rules for any one person.

The evidence is not settled. Expert groups used different methods and reached different answers. The same review notes that another international group reached an estimate for all adults that showed no change with age.

Comparing the numbers

Source	Daily protein figure	Who it describes
Recommended Dietary Allowance (Institute of Medicine)	0.8 g per kg	Healthy adults, with the same figure used for older adults
Dietary Guidelines 2025-2030 (via RealFood.gov and MedlinePlus)	1.2 to 1.6 g per kg	Adults in general; may vary with individual needs
2016 Nutrients review, authors’ own estimate	About 1.2 g per kg	Healthy older adults

Remember that “per kilogram” means your body weight in kilograms. One kilogram is about 2.2 pounds. As plain arithmetic, a person weighing 150 pounds (about 68 kilograms) would multiply 68 by 0.8, 1.2 and 1.6 to get roughly 54, 82 and 109 grams. Your doctor or dietitian may suggest a different figure for your health, weight and medicines.

What counts as a protein food

MedlinePlus lists these protein foods: meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, processed soy products, nuts and nut butters, and seeds. It gives these example servings:

• 3 ounces of cooked meat, poultry or seafood
• 1 egg
• 3 ounces of tofu, tempeh or seitan
• half a cup of cooked beans or lentils
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
• 1 ounce of nuts or seeds

The same page suggests eating 8 ounces of cooked seafood a week, choosing leaner cuts of meat and skinless poultry, and keeping saturated fat to 10 percent or less of your calories.

Practical swaps and a sample day

Small changes usually work better than a new diet. If your appetite is smaller, or chewing is harder, these swaps add protein without a lot more food.

Easy swaps

• Instead of plain toast, add an egg or a spoonful of peanut butter.
• Instead of a cereal-only breakfast, add milk, yogurt or a handful of nuts.
• Instead of a vegetable-only soup, stir in beans, lentils or shredded chicken.
• Instead of crackers alone, pair them with cheese, tuna or hummus.
• Instead of dessert only, have yogurt or a milk-based pudding now and then.

If chewing is hard, softer choices such as eggs, fish, beans, tofu and yogurt may be easier to manage. A dentist can check whether tooth or denture problems are part of the picture.

A sample day

This is an illustration of spreading protein foods across the day, not a prescription, and the amounts are not calculated for you. Using the MedlinePlus serving sizes above, one possible day looks like this:

• Breakfast: two scrambled eggs, whole-grain toast, a piece of fruit, and a glass of milk or a soy drink.
• Lunch: a bean and vegetable soup with half a cup of beans, plus a sandwich with sliced turkey or tuna.
• Snack: yogurt, or an ounce of nuts, or peanut butter on apple slices.
• Dinner: about 3 ounces of baked fish or skinless chicken, a cooked vegetable and a whole grain such as brown rice.

Count the servings against your own goal with your dietitian, because food labels and portions vary.

When to ask a doctor or dietitian first

General guidance cannot see your lab results. Speak with your doctor or a registered dietitian before raising your protein if any of the following applies.

1. You have chronic kidney disease. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) says some people with this condition may need moderate amounts of protein so waste does not build up, but too little can cause malnutrition. It gives no single number. It says your health care professional, working with a dietitian, decides the amount and the sources, and that your needs may change over time. People on dialysis may need more protein.
2. You are losing weight without trying, or you have little appetite for weeks.
3. You take medicines or have conditions such as heart disease or diabetes. MedlinePlus advises talking with a provider or registered dietitian before dietary changes in those cases.
4. You are thinking of protein powders or shakes. Ask whether they suit you, especially if you have kidney disease.

The 2016 review adds that a high-protein diet is considered harmful for people with existing kidney dysfunction, and that kidney patients need separate clinical guidance. The NIDDK page also says that if you have Medicare and kidney disease, Medicare covers medical nutrition therapy, which is counseling from a registered dietitian, when your doctor gives a written referral. Ask your doctor whether this applies to you.

Frequently asked questions

Is 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram the official number for people over 60?

The guidelines pages I reviewed state this range for adults in general. They do not name a separate figure for older adults, although supporting reports discuss them as a group that may fall short. Ask your doctor what suits you.

Is the old 0.8 grams per kilogram figure now wrong?

It is still the Recommended Dietary Allowance, the minimum to avoid deficiency in healthy adults. Some researchers argue older adults need more, while others note that groups used different methods. The two figures are a floor and a goal, and your own needs may fall elsewhere.

Do I have to eat meat to get enough protein?

No. The guidelines site says protein should come from both animal and plant sources. Beans, lentils, tofu, eggs, dairy, fish, nuts and seeds all count.

Can too much protein hurt me?

For people with kidney disease it can. NIDDK says to find a balance that nourishes you without straining the kidneys. If you do not have kidney problems, ask your doctor before making a large change.

Before you decide

Treat the numbers here as a starting point for a conversation, not a target to chase. Look at your meals for a few days, note where protein is missing, and add one or two foods you already like. If you have kidney disease, are losing weight, or take several medicines, bring this list to your doctor or a registered dietitian first. Guidance is updated every five years, so the figures here reflect the 2025-2030 edition.

Sources

• Current Dietary Guidelines (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
• Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 (RealFood.gov, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture)
• Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030 (MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine)
• Healthy Eating for Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
• Protein Requirements during Aging (Nutrients, 2016, via PubMed Central, National Library of Medicine)

Last updated: November 2026. This article is general information, not medical or dietary advice.