What's the protein target during maintenance?

The maintenance target most research and sports nutrition guidelines converge on is 0.8 to 1.0 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day, or roughly 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram. For a 160 pound person that is around 130 to 160 grams daily. The number matters because protein preserves the lean mass you have left, blunts hunger, and has the highest thermic effect of any macronutrient. Distribution matters too. Muscle protein synthesis caps at around 30 to 50 grams per meal depending on your size, so spreading protein across three or four meals beats loading it all at dinner. A typical maintenance day might be Greek yogurt and eggs at breakfast, chicken at lunch, a whey shake mid-afternoon, and salmon at dinner.