Protein is the main staple of your nutrition plan and you need it to rebuild all your cells and to build strong, lean muscle. Eating a protein rich diet will help maintain your muscle mass while you eat to lose fat, and will help build more muscle while you workout to tone up and increase your muscle mass.
Much has been written about how much protein you should have daily and at one time. This will vary with each person and their individual goals. Most people will need 80 to 110 grams of protein per day.