How Much Protein Do Your Clients Need? A Practical Guide for Coaches
Evidence-based protein targets for fat loss, muscle gain and older clients, how to handle higher body weights, and how to spread protein across the day.
Protein is the macro coaches get asked about most, and the one where advice varies the most. Set it too low and clients lose muscle while dieting and stay hungry; set it unrealistically high and the plan becomes hard to follow. Here's a practical way to set protein targets for different clients, and how to make them easy to hit.
The short answer
For most clients who strength train, a target of 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (about 0.7–1 g per pound) is a well-supported range. Go toward the higher end when they're in a calorie deficit, and the lower end when calories are generous.
For comparison, the general recommendation for healthy, sedentary adults is around 0.8 g per kilogram. That's the amount to avoid deficiency, not the amount that best supports training, body composition and fullness.
Protein targets by client type
| Client | Typical target | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Strength training, maintaining | 1.6–2.0 g/kg | Comfortable for most people |
| Strength training, fat loss | 1.8–2.2 g/kg | Higher protein helps keep muscle and control hunger |
| Strength training, muscle gain | 1.6–2.0 g/kg | Extra calories already support growth |
| Endurance athletes | 1.4–1.8 g/kg | Carbs matter more for performance |
| Older adults who train | 1.2–1.6 g/kg or more | Often eat too little protein without guidance |
| Beginners and general health | 1.2–1.6 g/kg | A realistic first step up from their current intake |
These are starting points, not rules. Adjust to the client's preferences, appetite and budget.
Current weight or goal weight?
For lean and average clients, use current body weight. For clients carrying a lot of body fat, calculating protein from current weight gives numbers that are hard to eat and not necessary. Use goal weight, or a weight in between, instead.
Example: a client weighing 120 kg aiming for 90 kg. At 2.0 g/kg of current weight that's 240 g a day, which few people will manage. At 2.0 g/kg of goal weight it's 180 g, still high but realistic.
How to split protein across the day
Spreading protein over three to five meals works better than packing most of it into dinner. A simple guide: about 20–40 g per meal for most adults, or roughly 0.3–0.4 g per kilogram of body weight per meal.
A client with a 150 g target might eat:
- Breakfast: 35 g
- Lunch: 40 g
- Snack: 25 g
- Dinner: 40 g
- Evening snack (optional): 10 g
This also makes the plan easier to follow: each meal has a clear protein anchor.
Making protein targets easy to hit
High targets fail when meals don't make them practical. Build plans around protein-dense foods your client already likes:
- Animal sources: chicken, turkey, lean beef, fish, eggs and egg whites, Greek yogurt, skyr, cottage cheese.
- Plant sources: tofu, tempeh, lentils, beans, edamame, seitan.
- Convenience options: protein powder, ready-to-drink shakes, high-protein yogurts.
For vegetarian and vegan clients, combine several plant sources across the day and expect slightly larger portions, since plant foods often bring more carbs or fat with their protein.
Is high protein safe?
For healthy adults, protein intakes in the ranges above are widely used and considered safe. Clients with kidney disease or other medical conditions are different: they should follow the advice of their doctor or registered dietitian, and you should refer them rather than set protein yourself.
Protein in the bigger picture
Protein is one part of the targets. Once it's set, fat usually takes 20–35% of calories and carbs fill the rest. Our guide on how to calculate macros for clients walks through the full calculation, and the free client macro calculator lets you choose a protein level and see the full targets instantly. For the protein number alone, with the per-meal split, use the protein calculator.
When calories drop, for example on rest days or during a fat-loss phase, keep protein steady and take the reduction from carbs or fat.
Show it clearly in the plan
Clients hit protein targets more often when every meal shows its protein and the day shows the total. In SendFit, each meal and each day displays protein, carbs, fat and calories against the client's targets as you build, so you can see at a glance whether the day adds up before you send it.