Protein Daily Value: 50 g
The FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g for adults and children 4+.
Key facts
- Adults & children 4+
- 50 g
- Ages 1–3
- 13 g
- Pregnant/lactating
- 71 g
- Infants
- 11 g
- Label rounding
- Regulation: 0 below 0.5 g · nearest 1 g above
- 20% DV (high)
- 10 g · at a protein quality score of 1.0
- 5% DV (low)
- 2.5 g · at a protein quality score of 1.0
Common amounts of protein
Per serving, adults and children 4+. %DV assumes a protein-quality-corrected amount.
- 2 g is 4%
- 5 g is 10%
- 20 g is 40%
- 50 g is 100%
Protein Daily Value: 13 g
The FDA Daily Value for protein is 13 g for children 1–3 years.
- Adults & children 4+
- 50 g
- Ages 1–3
- 13 g
- Pregnant/lactating
- 71 g
- Infants
- 11 g
- Label rounding
- Regulation: 0 below 0.5 g · nearest 1 g above
- 20% DV (high)
- 2.6 g · at a protein quality score of 1.0
- 5% DV (low)
- 0.65 g · at a protein quality score of 1.0
Per serving, children 1–3 years. %DV assumes a protein-quality-corrected amount.
- 0.5 g · label 1 g is 4%
- 1 g is 8%
- 2 g is 15%
- 5 g is 38%
- 10 g is 77%
Protein Daily Value: 71 g
The FDA Daily Value for protein is 71 g for pregnant and lactating women.
- Adults & children 4+
- 50 g
- Ages 1–3
- 13 g
- Pregnant/lactating
- 71 g
- Infants
- 11 g
- Label rounding
- Regulation: 0 below 0.5 g · nearest 1 g above
- 20% DV (high)
- 14.2 g · at a protein quality score of 1.0
- 5% DV (low)
- 3.55 g · at a protein quality score of 1.0
Per serving, pregnant and lactating women. %DV assumes a protein-quality-corrected amount.
- 5 g is 7%
- 10 g is 14%
- 20 g is 28%
- 50 g is 70%
- 100 g is 141%
Protein Daily Value: 11 g
The FDA Daily Value for protein is 11 g for infants through 12 months.
- Adults & children 4+
- 50 g
- Ages 1–3
- 13 g
- Pregnant/lactating
- 71 g
- Infants
- 11 g
- Label rounding
- Regulation: 0 below 0.5 g · nearest 1 g above
- 20% DV (high)
- 2.2 g · at a protein quality score of 1.0
- 5% DV (low)
- 0.55 g · at a protein quality score of 1.0
Per serving, infants through 12 months. %DV assumes a protein-quality-corrected amount.
- 1 g is 9%
- 5 g is 45%
- 10 g is 91%
About protein
The protein Daily Value is based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Protein is stated in grams per serving. When protein’s %DV is shown, it is highlighted, for example in bold type.
Questions about protein
What is the FDA Daily Value for protein?
The FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g for adults and children 4 years and older. On a Nutrition Facts label, a serving's %DV for protein is the protein-quality-corrected amount divided by 50 g, times 100.
How do I work out the %DV for protein?
Divide the amount in one serving by 50 g and multiply by 100, then round to the nearest whole percent. For example, 10 g ÷ 50 g × 100 = 20%. Protein is the exception: its %DV uses the protein-quality-corrected amount, so the figure a label shows can differ from this division.
How is protein rounded on a Nutrition Facts label?
A statement of the number of grams of protein in a serving, expressed to the nearest gram, except that if a serving contains less than 1 gram, the statement "Contains less than 1 gram" or "less than 1 gram" may be used as an alternative, and if the serving contains less than 0.5 gram, the content may be expressed as zero.
Protein rounding rules
Amount
Protein is declared to the nearest 1g. Measuring finer than that changes nothing on the label.
| Amount range | Rounding rule |
|---|---|
| 0 to <0.5 | declare 0 |
| 0.5 to <1 | Contains less than 1 gram |
| ≥0.5 | nearest 1 g |
% Daily Value
| %DV range | Rounding rule |
|---|---|
| ≥0% DV | Nearest 1% |
Every %DV a label can show
What a serving has to contain for a label to print each figure. The %DV is worked out from the actual amount, before that amount is rounded.
| If the label shows | The serving must contain |
|---|---|
| Nearest 1%≥0% DV | |
| 0% DV | 0 g≤ amount <0.25 g |
| 1% DV | 0.25 g≤ amount <0.75 g |
| 2% DV | 0.75 g≤ amount <1.25 g |
| 3% DV | 1.25 g≤ amount <1.75 g |
| 4% DV | 1.75 g≤ amount <2.25 g |
| 5% DV | 2.25 g≤ amount <2.75 g |
| 6% DV | 2.75 g≤ amount <3.25 g |
| 7% DV | 3.25 g≤ amount <3.75 g |
| 8% DV | 3.75 g≤ amount <4.25 g |
| 9% DV | 4.25 g≤ amount <4.75 g |
| 10% DV | 4.75 g≤ amount <5.25 g |
| 11% DV | 5.25 g≤ amount <5.75 g |
| 12% DV | 5.75 g≤ amount <6.25 g |
| 13% DV | 6.25 g≤ amount <6.75 g |
| 14% DV | 6.75 g≤ amount <7.25 g |
| 15% DV | 7.25 g≤ amount <7.75 g |
| 16% DV | 7.75 g≤ amount <8.25 g |
| 17% DV | 8.25 g≤ amount <8.75 g |
| 18% DV | 8.75 g≤ amount <9.25 g |
| 19% DV | 9.25 g≤ amount <9.75 g |
| 20% DV | 9.75 g≤ amount <10.25 g |
| 21% DV | 10.25 g≤ amount <10.75 g |
| 22% DV | 10.75 g≤ amount <11.25 g |
| 23% DV | 11.25 g≤ amount <11.75 g |
| 24% DV | 11.75 g≤ amount <12.25 g |
| 25% DV | 12.25 g≤ amount <12.75 g |
| 26% DV | 12.75 g≤ amount <13.25 g |
| 27% DV | 13.25 g≤ amount <13.75 g |
| 28% DV | 13.75 g≤ amount <14.25 g |
| 29% DV | 14.25 g≤ amount <14.75 g |
| 30% DV | 14.75 g≤ amount <15.25 g |
| 31% DV | 15.25 g≤ amount <15.75 g |
| 32% DV | 15.75 g≤ amount <16.25 g |
| 33% DV | 16.25 g≤ amount <16.75 g |
| 34% DV | 16.75 g≤ amount <17.25 g |
| 35% DV | 17.25 g≤ amount <17.75 g |
| 36% DV | 17.75 g≤ amount <18.25 g |
| 37% DV | 18.25 g≤ amount <18.75 g |
| 38% DV | 18.75 g≤ amount <19.25 g |
| 39% DV | 19.25 g≤ amount <19.75 g |
| 40% DV | 19.75 g≤ amount <20.25 g |
| 41% DV | 20.25 g≤ amount <20.75 g |
| 42% DV | 20.75 g≤ amount <21.25 g |
| 43% DV | 21.25 g≤ amount <21.75 g |
| 44% DV | 21.75 g≤ amount <22.25 g |
| 45% DV | 22.25 g≤ amount <22.75 g |
| 46% DV | 22.75 g≤ amount <23.25 g |
| 47% DV | 23.25 g≤ amount <23.75 g |
| 48% DV | 23.75 g≤ amount <24.25 g |
| 49% DV | 24.25 g≤ amount <24.75 g |
| 50% DV | 24.75 g≤ amount <25.25 g |
| 51% DV | 25.25 g≤ amount <25.75 g |
| 52% DV | 25.75 g≤ amount <26.25 g |
| 53% DV | 26.25 g≤ amount <26.75 g |
| 54% DV | 26.75 g≤ amount <27.25 g |
| 55% DV | 27.25 g≤ amount <27.75 g |
| 56% DV | 27.75 g≤ amount <28.25 g |
| 57% DV | 28.25 g≤ amount <28.75 g |
| 58% DV | 28.75 g≤ amount <29.25 g |
| 59% DV | 29.25 g≤ amount <29.75 g |
| 60% DV | 29.75 g≤ amount <30.25 g |
| 61% DV | 30.25 g≤ amount <30.75 g |
| 62% DV | 30.75 g≤ amount <31.25 g |
| 63% DV | 31.25 g≤ amount <31.75 g |
| 64% DV | 31.75 g≤ amount <32.25 g |
| 65% DV | 32.25 g≤ amount <32.75 g |
| 66% DV | 32.75 g≤ amount <33.25 g |
| 67% DV | 33.25 g≤ amount <33.75 g |
| 68% DV | 33.75 g≤ amount <34.25 g |
| 69% DV | 34.25 g≤ amount <34.75 g |
| 70% DV | 34.75 g≤ amount <35.25 g |
| 71% DV | 35.25 g≤ amount <35.75 g |
| 72% DV | 35.75 g≤ amount <36.25 g |
| 73% DV | 36.25 g≤ amount <36.75 g |
| 74% DV | 36.75 g≤ amount <37.25 g |
| 75% DV | 37.25 g≤ amount <37.75 g |
| 76% DV | 37.75 g≤ amount <38.25 g |
| 77% DV | 38.25 g≤ amount <38.75 g |
| 78% DV | 38.75 g≤ amount <39.25 g |
| 79% DV | 39.25 g≤ amount <39.75 g |
| 80% DV | 39.75 g≤ amount <40.25 g |
| 81% DV | 40.25 g≤ amount <40.75 g |
| 82% DV | 40.75 g≤ amount <41.25 g |
| 83% DV | 41.25 g≤ amount <41.75 g |
| 84% DV | 41.75 g≤ amount <42.25 g |
| 85% DV | 42.25 g≤ amount <42.75 g |
| 86% DV | 42.75 g≤ amount <43.25 g |
| 87% DV | 43.25 g≤ amount <43.75 g |
| 88% DV | 43.75 g≤ amount <44.25 g |
| 89% DV | 44.25 g≤ amount <44.75 g |
| 90% DV | 44.75 g≤ amount <45.25 g |
| 91% DV | 45.25 g≤ amount <45.75 g |
| 92% DV | 45.75 g≤ amount <46.25 g |
| 93% DV | 46.25 g≤ amount <46.75 g |
| 94% DV | 46.75 g≤ amount <47.25 g |
| 95% DV | 47.25 g≤ amount <47.75 g |
| 96% DV | 47.75 g≤ amount <48.25 g |
| 97% DV | 48.25 g≤ amount <48.75 g |
| 98% DV | 48.75 g≤ amount <49.25 g |
| 99% DV | 49.25 g≤ amount <49.75 g |
| 100% DV | 49.75 g≤ amount <50.25 g |
The rules are FDA's; the inversion is ours. Ranges are inclusive at the low end and exclusive at the high end, because an exact half rounds up.
Does the protein Daily Value change for children or pregnancy?
Yes. It is 13 g for children 1 to 3 years, is 71 g during pregnancy and lactation and is 11 g for infants through 12 months.
How do I find out how much protein is in a food?
A Daily Value is a reference target, not a measurement of any particular food. To find the protein content of a specific ingredient or product, look it up in USDA FoodData Central, then use that amount here to see what a label would declare and what %DV it carries.
Where do these numbers come from?
- Daily Values and label rounding: FDA, 21 CFR 101.9, as of 2026-02-12.
- Protein Daily Value: 21 CFR 101.9(c)(9).
- Protein label rounding: 21 CFR 101.9(c)(7).
- %DV rounding: 21 CFR 101.9(d)(7)(ii).
- Old Daily Values: 21 CFR 101.9, April 1, 2016 edition.
- 5% low and 20% high: FDA's consumer page on the lows and highs of %DV.
- Dataset: bm-regulatory US Nutrition Label Rules v17.0.0.
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