The World Health Organization and the American National Academy of Medicine recommend that we get 0.8 grams/kg body weight daily. For a 180 lb. person, that would translate to about 65 grams of protein daily. At least 85% of Americans already get that much.
For reference, 6 ounces of chicken give you 53 grams of protein while 6 ounces of salmon or lean hamburger give you 44. A 6 oz container of Greek yogurt supplies about 14 grams.
Vegans must be more careful, but an ounce of almonds supply 6 gm, 8 oz of soy milk give 7 and 6 oz of tofu contain 14 gm protein.
Does anyone need more protein? If you are working out vigorously trying to build muscle, upping your protein intake probably helps, but only up to double the recommended 0.8 gm/kg intake, with no added benefit no matter how much more protein you consume.
Older adults often lose muscle mass. The greatest way to avoid this is with resistance training (lifting weights). There is some evidence that modest increase of protein intake, to about 1.2 gm/kg/day may help, but the key is exercise, not diet.
What about protein bars?
They can be an easy way to get calories and protein if you cannot eat a normal meal. Think long hikes or gym workouts squeezed in at lunch hour. They are certainly easy to carry.
Be careful to read the ingredients. Manufacturers can slap a “high protein” label on anything, and the majority of “energy bars” are glorified candy bars, loaded with sugar and ultra-processed. Some of the better options are Clif Bars, RxBars and Rise protein bars, but even the better bars are not as good as a balanced meal with natural protein.
Excess protein can be harmful to the kidneys, so keep your protein intake to no more than 1.6 gm/kg/day (130 gm for a 180 lb. person – proportionally more or less depending on your weight).
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