How much protein is needed per day?

For an adult, EFSA and ANSES use a reference of 0.83 g of protein per kilo of body weight per day, that is around 58 g for 70 kg. This benchmark applies to the general adult population. Needs differ during growth, pregnancy, breastfeeding, old age or intense sport: a doctor or dietitian can specify them.

Which plant foods are richest in protein?

According to the Ciqual 2020 table, seitan (20.6 g per 100 g), tempeh (16.1 g), plain tofu (13.4 g) and walnuts (13.3 g) are among the richest. Cooked legumes provide around 8 to 9 g per 100 g, and dry lentils 25.4 g. The content depends on the state of the food, dry or cooked.

Which nutrients should you watch on a plant-based diet?

ANSES mainly flags vitamin B12, found only in animal-derived foods, as well as iron and zinc, which are less well absorbed from plant foods. On a vegan diet, follow-up with a doctor or dietitian is recommended, with supplementation where appropriate.

Plant proteins: are they really enough?

A question that comes up often

"Without meat, how do you get enough protein?" It is the first concern of many people who want to eat more plant-based. The short answer: for a healthy adult, it is entirely possible to meet protein needs with plant foods. The full answer needs a few nuances, set out here.

How much protein does an adult need?

EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority, set in 2012 apopulation reference of 0.83 g of protein per kilo of body weight per dayfor adults, including older adults. ANSES had adopted this value as early as 2007, and EFSA confirmed it. For a 70 kg person, this comes to around 58 g per day. This benchmark concerns "mixed" protein, from both animal and plant sources.

The surveys cited by EFSA show that average intakes of European adults are often equal to or above this benchmark. Needs rise in some situations (growth, pregnancy, breastfeeding, old age, intense sport): this is a matter to discuss with a doctor or dietitian. Our articleHow much protein per day?details these benchmarks.

Essential amino acids: what "complete protein" means

Proteins are chains of amino acids. Our body uses 20 of them, of which9 are called essential: it cannot make them and must obtain them from food (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine).

A protein is of good quality when it provides these 9 amino acids in sufficient quantity and is well digested. Animal proteins are generally richer in essential amino acids and slightly more digestible. Plant proteins can be limited in some of them: according to ANSES, cereals are low in lysine, and legumes are low in sulphur-containing amino acids (methionine and cysteine).

For comparison, since 2013 the FAO has proposed an indicator, theDIAAS(digestible indispensable amino acid score). In simple terms, it measures the amount of each essential amino acid actually digested, relative to a reference requirement. It replaces the older PDCAAS score, which tended to overestimate the quality of some poorly digestible proteins. A low score for a single food does not tell you what happens on a varied plate: it is the mix that counts.

Should cereals and legumes be paired at every meal?

The idea comes from the fact that the two families complement each other: cereals provide the sulphur-containing amino acids that legumes lack, and vice versa for lysine. The classic examples are lentils with rice, chickpeas with semolina, or beans with corn.

But ANSES specifies that plant protein sources are varied enough in France thatno systematic pairing of cereals and legumes is necessary. In other words, what matters is variety across the day, not a perfect combination at every meal. On the scientific side, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' 2025 position considers that well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets can be nutritionally adequate for adults.

How much protein is in common plant foods?

Values from the nutritional composition tableCiqual (ANSES, 2020 edition), in grams of protein per 100 g of food as eaten. Mind the state of the food: dry or cooked, the content changes greatly.

Cooked lentils in water: 9.0 g (25.4 g for dry lentils, before cooking)
Cooked chickpeas in water: 8.3 g
Plain tofu: 13.4 g
Tempeh: 16.1 g
Seitan: 20.6 g
Raw precooked oat flakes: 11.0 g
Cooked quinoa in unsalted water: 4.7 g
Shelled dry walnuts: 13.3 g

A few practical benchmarks: a 200 g plate of cooked lentils provides around 18 g of protein, nearly a third of the reference for a 70 kg adult. Nuts also provide some, but with a lot of calories: count them in small handfuls. For more ideas, seeHigh-protein, high-fibre foods.

What do French authorities recommend?

According to Santé publique France, the PNNS benchmark is to eatdried pulses (lentils, chickpeas, dried beans) at least twice a week. In 2019, the agency noted that 85% of adults did not meet this benchmark. The official message is therefore not "cut out meat" but "eat more legumes".

In 2025, ANSES published its first benchmarks for adults following a diet that excludes all or part of animal-derived foods. They provide for example 75 g of dried pulses per day for a lacto-ovo-vegetarian and 120 g for a vegan. These benchmarks apply to adults in the general population, excluding pregnant or breastfeeding women, older people and very active people.

Soy, tofu, tempeh: we cover these in more detail inSoy: friend or foe?.

The real points to watch: B12, iron, zinc

Protein is not the weak point most often cited for plant-based diets. Certain micronutrients are more often the issue. In its February 2025 opinion, ANSES notes a difficulty in meeting the nutritional needs of vegetarians, and even more so of vegans:

Vitamin B12: it is found only in animal-derived foods. In ANSES simulations, even an optimised vegan diet covers only around a quarter to a third of the reference (4 µg per day). Fortified foods and supplements are therefore the usual route, to be discussed with a health professional.
Iron: for vegetarians, ANSES took into account lower absorption of plant-based iron (around 9% versus 13% in the general population) and raised the reference to 16 mg per day.
Zinc: ANSES notes the difficulty of reaching the reference for vegan men, using a reference that takes into account phytates, compounds found in wholegrain cereals and legumes that reduce zinc absorption.

These points justify monitoring, especially for a vegan diet, and for pregnant women, children or older people. A doctor or dietitian can prescribe tests and adjust the diet. See alsoFoods rich in iron, zinc and magnesium.

And processed plant products?

Steaks, sausages, nuggets or plant drinks: they can be useful in a pinch, but they are not equivalent. In the Ciqual table, a plant-based steak contains between 9.7 g (lentil and soy) and 16.8 g (soy and cheese) of protein per 100 g, but their ingredient list can be long, with flavourings, thickeners and salt. In its benchmarks, ANSES also sets 100 g per day of protein-rich meat analogues for a lacto-ovo-vegetarian, and none in the vegan benchmark.

On Yumiq, the product page shows the number of additives detected (harmless, to monitor, or of concern), which helps compare two plant-based steaks. Lentils, chickpeas, plain tofu or oat flakes, on the other hand, have very short ingredient lists.

So, are plant proteins enough?

Yes for most adults, with a varied diet and sufficient calories: the reference is 0.83 g per kilo per day.
Variety matters more than the combination: there is no need to pair cereals and legumes at every meal.
Legumes are the number one ally: the official benchmark is at least twice a week, and few people reach it.
Watch out for B12, iron and zincon a vegan diet, and for specific needs (pregnancy, children, old age, intense sport): talk to a doctor or dietitian.
Processed products are not equivalents: check the ingredient list.

Are plant proteins enough?