A woman's individual protein requirement depends on her size and weight, and also on whether she is pregnant or lactating. Your personal requirements may be higher if you exercise vigorously. Most Americans receive enough protein from their daily diets, even vegetarians. In general, it is more dangerous to consume too much protein than not enough.

World Health Organization Recommendations

Calculate your recommended daily protein intake according to World Health Organization standards by figuring out your ideal body weight, converting pounds to kilograms, and then multiplying your ideal weight in kilograms by 0.45. Ideal body weight for a woman is 100 pounds for 60 inches (5 feet) of height, plus 5 pounds for every inch of height over 60 inches. Convert pounds to kilograms by multiplying the number of pounds by 0.45.

Institute of Medicine Recommendations

Calculate your recommended daily protein intake according to the Institute of Medicine by multiplying your actual body weight in kilograms by 0.8. The resulting figure represents the grams of protein that the institute suggests you consume each day.

Consensus in Recommendations

Although the World Health Organization and the Institute of Medicine provide different methods of calculating a woman's ideal protein intake, they agree that the average woman should consume 10 to 15 percent of her daily calories in the form of protein.

Pregnant and Lactating Women

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, pregnant and lactating women should increase their protein consumption by 45 percent.

Exercise and Protein

Women who exercise at least three times per week should consume one gram of protein for every pound of lean body mass. Subtract your percentage of body fat from your total weight to calculate the number of grams of protein you should consume each day.

Source:

Harvard School of Public Health Dietary Protein Guidelines

Calculating Individual Protein Requirements

Institute of Medicine Dietary Recommendations