A 75-year-old woman should aim for 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. For a woman weighing 150 pounds (68 kg), that works out to roughly 68 to 82 grams of protein daily. This is notably higher than the old standard recommendation of 0.8 g/kg, which nutrition researchers now consider insufficient for preserving muscle and strength in older adults.
Why the Standard Recommendation Falls Short
The longstanding guideline of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight was designed to prevent deficiency, not to protect aging muscle. That number was set using data from younger populations, and it doesn’t account for a biological shift that happens as you age: your muscles become less efficient at using the protein you eat.
This phenomenon, called anabolic resistance, means an older adult needs roughly 68% more protein per meal than a younger person to get the same muscle-building response. Several things drive this. As you age, your body diverts more of the amino acids from food to your gut and liver before they ever reach your muscles. Chronic low-grade inflammation, which increases with age, also blunts the signaling pathways that tell muscles to repair and grow. The net effect is that the same chicken breast that easily maintains muscle in a 30-year-old does significantly less for a 75-year-old.
This is why expert groups now recommend 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg per day for healthy older adults, with some researchers favoring the higher end of that range for preventing muscle deterioration, maintaining independence, and reducing the risk of falls and frailty. The one major exception is kidney disease, which may require a lower intake.
Your Target in Real Numbers
Since grams per kilogram can feel abstract, here’s what it looks like at common body weights:
- 120 lbs (54 kg): 54 to 65 grams per day
- 140 lbs (64 kg): 64 to 77 grams per day
- 160 lbs (73 kg): 73 to 87 grams per day
- 180 lbs (82 kg): 82 to 98 grams per day
To calculate your own target, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to get kilograms, then multiply by 1.0 and 1.2 to get your range.
How to Spread Protein Across the Day
Hitting your daily total matters, but so does how you distribute it. Research suggests older adults should aim for 25 to 30 grams of protein at each of three main meals rather than loading most of it into dinner, which is the typical pattern. Each of those meals should also contain about 2.5 to 3 grams of leucine, an amino acid that acts as the main trigger for muscle repair. Below that threshold, the muscle-building signal may not fully activate, especially in the presence of anabolic resistance.
Breakfast is where most people fall short. A piece of toast with jam and a cup of coffee provides almost no protein. Shifting to meals like a Greek yogurt and peanut butter smoothie with milk (around 25 grams of protein) or a tofu scramble with vegetables (also around 25 grams) can close the gap without requiring a dramatically different routine. Eggs, cottage cheese, and overnight oats made with milk and protein powder are other practical morning options.
Best Protein Sources for Older Adults
Not all protein is created equal when it comes to how efficiently your body absorbs and uses it. Animal-based proteins like eggs, poultry, fish, dairy, and lean meats have a higher bioavailability, meaning more of the amino acids actually reach your muscles after digestion. They also tend to be richer in leucine. Among protein supplements, whey protein appears particularly effective for building muscle in older adults, outperforming both plant-based proteins and casein (the other major dairy protein) in research comparisons.
That said, plant-based proteins absolutely count toward your daily total. Soy, lentils, beans, tofu, and quinoa all provide meaningful protein. Soy isolate protein powder is a solid option if you avoid dairy. The tradeoff is that plant proteins generally have a lower amino acid profile and slightly reduced bioavailability, so you may need to eat a larger portion or combine sources to reach the same leucine threshold. Pairing beans with rice or adding nuts to a grain bowl improves the overall amino acid balance.
For many older adults, the most realistic approach is a mix. A piece of fish at dinner, Greek yogurt at breakfast, lentil soup at lunch, and a handful of almonds as a snack can add up to 75 or 80 grams without any single meal feeling overwhelming.
Why This Matters More at 75
Starting around age 50, adults lose roughly 1 to 2% of their muscle mass per year. By 75, that cumulative loss can meaningfully affect balance, walking speed, the ability to rise from a chair, and the capacity to recover from illness or a fall. This progressive muscle loss, known as sarcopenia, is one of the strongest predictors of loss of independence in older age.
Adequate protein doesn’t just slow this process. Combined with physical activity (even light resistance exercises like standing from a chair repeatedly, wall push-ups, or walking with a weighted vest), it can partially reverse it. Protein provides the raw materials, and movement provides the signal that tells muscles to use them. Neither works nearly as well alone.
When Higher Protein Isn’t Appropriate
The main situation where you’d need to eat less protein, not more, is chronic kidney disease. When kidney function drops below a certain level, the kidneys struggle to filter the waste products of protein metabolism. In that case, guidelines suggest sticking closer to 0.8 g/kg or sometimes lowering intake to 0.6 g/kg per day, depending on the stage of disease. If you’ve been told your kidney function is reduced, your protein target should come from your care team rather than general guidelines. For everyone else, there is no evidence that protein intakes of 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg per day pose a risk to healthy kidneys.