Protein Intake Calculator
Find out how much protein you need a day for your body weight and goal, and how to split it across your meals.
How much protein do you need?
The official minimum for healthy adults is 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight a day (about 0.36 g per lb). That covers basic needs, but people who train, are trying to build muscle, are losing weight, or are over 65 benefit from more. This calculator gives a daily range for your goal based on sports nutrition guidelines and research on protein and muscle.
Protein targets by goal
| Goal | Per kg | Per lb |
|---|---|---|
| Little or no exercise | 0.8–1.0 g | 0.36–0.45 g |
| Age 65 or older | 1.0–1.2 g | 0.45–0.54 g |
| Cardio, sports, or general fitness | 1.2–1.6 g | 0.54–0.73 g |
| Lifting to build muscle | 1.6–2.2 g | 0.73–1.00 g |
| Losing fat while lifting | 2.0–2.4 g | 0.91–1.09 g |
For lifters, a 2018 meta-analysis of 49 trials found that muscle gains level off at about 1.6 g per kg a day, with little sign of extra benefit above about 2.2 g per kg. When you eat in a calorie deficit, more protein helps you hold on to muscle, so the range rises to 2.0–2.4 g per kg. Adults over 65 respond less to protein, which is why expert groups recommend 1.0–1.2 g per kg for them even without training.
How it's calculated
Daily protein = body weight (kg) × grams per kg for your goal
For example, a 75 kg lifter building muscle needs about 120–165 g a day, or 30–41 g per meal across four meals. Protein needs follow muscle, not body fat, so if your BMI is over 30 the calculator uses the weight at a BMI of 30 for your height instead of your full weight. That's why it asks for your height.
How to use this calculator
Choose Metric or US units, enter your weight and height, pick the description that fits you best, choose how many meals you eat, and press Calculate protein. You'll get a daily range in grams and how much to aim for at each meal.
Spreading protein across the day
Your body can use more protein than the old "30 g per meal" rule suggests, but muscle building responds best when protein is spread out. A common guideline is about 0.4 g per kg per meal over at least four meals. As a rough guide, each of these has about 25–30 g of protein: 100 g of cooked chicken breast, a 120 g can of tuna, 250 g of Greek yogurt, four large eggs, or 300 g of cooked lentils.
Limitations
These ranges are for healthy adults. People with kidney disease, and people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, should get advice from a doctor or registered dietitian. The ranges are a starting point: most people do well anywhere within them, so pick a number you can hit consistently. To build a full plan around your protein target, use the Macro Calculator, and see the Disclaimer for details.
Read the science
- Protein, Carbs, and Fat: The Science of Macronutrients →
What each macronutrient does, where calorie counts came from, how much protein you really need, and what large trials say about low-fat versus low-carb diets.
References
The formulas and figures on this page come from these sources. Our Editorial Policy explains how they're chosen and checked.
- 0.8 g/kg minimum (RDA): Institute of Medicine. (2005). Dietary reference intakes for energy, carbohydrate, fiber, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein, and amino acids. The National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/10490
- Protein for muscle gain (1.6–2.2 g/kg): Morton, R. W., Murphy, K. T., McKellar, S. R., Schoenfeld, B. J., Henselmans, M., Helms, E., Aragon, A. A., Devries, M. C., Banfield, L., Krieger, J. W., & Phillips, S. M. (2018). A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(6), 376–384. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608
- Sports nutrition range (1.2–2.0 g/kg): Thomas, D. T., Erdman, K. A., & Burke, L. M. (2016). American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement: Nutrition and athletic performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 48(3), 543–568. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000852
- 1.0–1.2 g/kg for adults over 65: Bauer, J., Biolo, G., Cederholm, T., Cesari, M., Cruz-Jentoft, A. J., Morley, J. E., Phillips, S., Sieber, C., Stehle, P., Teta, D., Visvanathan, R., Volpi, E., & Boirie, Y. (2013). Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: A position paper from the PROT-AGE Study Group. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 14(8), 542–559. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2013.05.021
- Higher protein in a calorie deficit: Longland, T. M., Oikawa, S. Y., Mitchell, C. J., Devries, M. C., & Phillips, S. M. (2016). Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: A randomized trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 103(3), 738–746. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.119339
- Higher protein in a calorie deficit: Helms, E. R., Zinn, C., Rowlands, D. S., & Brown, S. R. (2014). A systematic review of dietary protein during caloric restriction in resistance trained lean athletes: A case for higher intakes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 24(2), 127–138. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.2013-0054
- About 0.4 g/kg per meal over four meals: Schoenfeld, B. J., & Aragon, A. A. (2018). How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15, 10. doi:10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1