Protein Intake Calculator

Daily protein target for your body weight and goal.

Calculate how much protein you need per day based on body weight, activity and goal, with per-meal distribution and common food equivalents.

Written and maintained by Mohit PatelLast checked August 4, 2026How we build these

Units

Body weight

Situation

Meals per day4

Protein per day

112 g

1.6 g per kg of body weight

Per meal (4 meals)28 g

Calories from protein448 kcal

Roughly equal to4 chicken breasts

RDA minimum (0.8 g/kg)56 g

How the Protein Intake Calculator works

Protein is the one macronutrient with a genuine minimum requirement, and the gap between the amount that prevents deficiency and the amount that supports training is large. The RDA of 0.8 g/kg is the former. Anyone lifting, dieting or over about 60 needs considerably more.

Also known as: how much protein do I need · daily protein requirement · grams of protein per kg

The recommended intake and what it is for

The recommended dietary allowance for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. That figure is designed to prevent deficiency in the great majority of healthy sedentary adults, and it is not an optimum.

It was derived from nitrogen balance studies, which measure the intake at which nitrogen losses are matched. Nitrogen balance is a blunt method and it is generally accepted to underestimate requirements for anyone training or losing weight.

Which is why the guidance for active populations differs so much from the RDA. The two figures are answering different questions: one asks what prevents harm, the other what supports a goal.

Higher intakes and who they suit

For resistance training, the evidence supports around 1.6 grams per kilogram, with a systematic review finding benefits plateau around that point and a confidence interval extending to roughly 2.2.

During energy restriction, higher intakes preserve lean mass better. Recommendations for dieting athletes commonly run 2.3 to 3.1 grams per kilogram of lean mass, which is considerably higher than general guidance.

Older adults benefit from more than the RDA, with 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram commonly recommended to counter age-related muscle loss, and higher still where resistance training is involved.

Distribution across the day

Muscle protein synthesis responds to a dose of protein and then becomes refractory for some hours, which is the basis for spreading intake rather than concentrating it.

Around 0.4 grams per kilogram per meal, across four meals, is a commonly cited practical structure. That works out close to the daily targets above and provides a per-meal dose sufficient to maximise the synthetic response.

The size of the effect from distribution is smaller than the effect from total intake. Someone hitting their daily target in three meals rather than four is not meaningfully worse off, and total protein is the variable worth getting right first.

Protein quality

Not all protein sources are equivalent, and the difference is in the amino acid profile and digestibility.

Animal sources are generally complete, containing all essential amino acids in useful proportions, and highly digestible. Most plant sources are lower in one or more essential amino acids, commonly lysine in grains and methionine in legumes.

The practical answer for plant-based diets is variety rather than combining at every meal, which was an idea that circulated widely and is not supported. A varied intake across the day covers the profile, and total intake typically needs to be slightly higher to account for lower digestibility.

The kidney question

The belief that high protein intake damages healthy kidneys is persistent and not supported by the evidence. Controlled trials and reviews in people with normal kidney function have not found harm at intakes well above the RDA.

The concern originated from the correct observation that people with existing kidney disease may need protein restriction, and it was generalised to healthy people, where it does not apply.

Anyone with existing kidney disease should follow the advice of their own clinical team, and this page is not a substitute for it. For healthy adults, the evidence does not support limiting protein for kidney protection.

Where to go next

The Protein Intake question rarely arrives on its own. These are the ones that usually come with it:

Macro Calculator — Protein, fat and carbs in grams for your goal.
Calorie & BMR Calculator — Daily calorie needs for losing, holding, or gaining weight.
Lean Body Mass Calculator — Everything you weigh that is not fat.
BMI Calculator — Body mass index with category and healthy weight range.

Sources

Morton et al., Br J Sports Med 2018 (PubMed)

Not medical advice. This calculator gives a general estimate, not medical advice. It cannot account for your individual health, medical history, or medication. Talk to a qualified healthcare professional before acting on any result.

Frequently asked questions

How much protein per kilogram should I eat?

Sedentary adults: 0.8-1.0 g/kg. Active or building muscle: 1.6-2.2 g/kg. Dieting while trying to keep muscle: 2.0-2.4 g/kg, since the deficit itself raises the requirement. Older adults benefit from at least 1.2 g/kg to counter age-related muscle loss.

Does it matter how I spread protein across the day?

Moderately. Muscle-protein synthesis responds best to roughly 0.4 g/kg per meal across three or four meals, rather than one very large serving. The total still matters most, but even distribution edges out a single large dose.

Can too much protein damage your kidneys?

Not in people with healthy kidneys. This has been studied repeatedly in athletes eating well above 2 g/kg with no adverse effect on renal function. People with existing kidney disease are a genuine exception and should follow their clinician's guidance.

Is plant protein as good as animal protein?

Per gram it is usually slightly less effective, because plant sources tend to be lower in leucine and less complete in essential amino acids. The fix is straightforward: eat a bit more of it and vary the sources across the day.