Protein Calculator
Find your protein target in grams from body weight, goal and activity, with per-meal splits and real-food examples. Free, no sign-up, and it runs in your browser.
Dedicated page: /en/protein-calculator
Estimate only, not medical advice. If you have kidney or liver disease, diabetes, or a doctor has set a protein target for you, follow that advice instead of this estimate.
The adult RDA is 0.8 g per kg. The International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg for people who exercise regularly.
Leave blank to use total body weight. With body fat, the target is worked out on lean mass, which is more accurate above 25% body fat.
Vegetarian and vegan diets need a little more planning: combine beans, lentils, tofu, dairy or eggs across the day.
Quick answer
A protein calculator works out how much protein you need each day from your body weight, your goal and your activity level. It gives the target in grams, grams per kilogram and grams per pound, splits it across your meals, and shows what the target looks like in real food.
About this Protein Calculator
Find your protein target in grams from body weight, goal and activity, with per-meal splits and real-food examples. It is one of the Health and Family on ToolUstad, and like every tool here it runs entirely in your browser: nothing you type, paste or open is uploaded to a server, and there is no sign-up or usage limit.
What is a protein calculator?
A protein calculator turns your body weight and your goal into a daily protein target in grams. This tool covers the whole range, from the RDA minimum to athlete levels, and splits the total across your meals.
How the target is worked out
The formula is simple: protein in grams equals body weight in kilograms times a factor in grams per kilogram. Pregnancy raises the RDA to 1.1 g per kg.
Total weight or lean mass
Most calculators use total body weight, which is fine for lean and average builds. Above about 25% body fat it overstates the target, because fat tissue needs little protein. The lean-mass mode fixes that: enter your body fat percent and the tool works from lean mass instead. A 220 lb person at 35% body fat has about 143 lb of lean mass.
Protein per meal
Muscle building responds to each meal, not just the daily total. About 0.25 g per kg per meal, or 20 to 40 g, spread every 3 to 4 hours, is the usual advice. A 165 lb adult building muscle needs 30 to 41 g per meal over 4 meals. Eating 100 g at dinner and 10 g at breakfast does not work as well as spreading it evenly.
What the target looks like in food
Grams are abstract until you see them as food. Chicken breast has about 31 g of protein per 100 g, canned tuna about 25 g, salmon about 22 g, Greek yoghurt about 17 g per tub, two large eggs about 12 g, lentils about 18 g per cup, and a scoop of whey about 24 g. The food table shows how many servings of each food reach your exact target. Protein gives 4 calories a gram, so 120 g is 480 calories from protein.
Best practices
- Spread protein across every meal, aiming for 20 to 40 g each, rather than loading it all at dinner.
- Hit the range, not a single number: 120 to 165 g is a target band, and any day inside it counts.
- Prioritise complete proteins, animal foods, soy, or mixed plant sources, so all nine essential amino acids are covered.
Common mistakes
- Treating the RDA of 0.8 g per kg as a training target: it is a floor to prevent deficiency, not an optimum.
- Eating almost no protein at breakfast and then trying to catch up at dinner.
- Counting protein from foods that barely have any, like bread or vegetables, toward the total.
Who this tool is for
It is for anyone training, losing weight, or checking whether they eat enough protein: lifters, runners, older adults protecting muscle, and vegetarians planning their meals. It is not for people with kidney or liver disease, diabetes, or a doctor-set protein target: follow that advice instead of this estimate.
Learn: how to use the Protein Calculator
- Enter your body weight in pounds or kilograms.
- Pick your goal: sedentary, active, building muscle, losing fat, or pregnant.
- Add your body fat percent if you know it, for a lean-mass target.
- Read the daily range, the per-meal split, and the food table.
Features
- Daily protein range in grams, grams per kg and grams per lb
- Goals: RDA minimum, light, active, muscle building, fat loss, pregnancy
- Lean-mass mode from body fat percent
- Per-meal split for any number of meals a day
- Protein calories at 4 calories a gram
- Target table for every goal, with your goal highlighted
- Food table showing what the target looks like in real servings
- Vegetarian and vegan food lists
Worked example
A 165 lb (74.8 kg) adult building muscle needs 1.6 to 2.2 g of protein per kg, or 120 to 165 g a day. Over 4 meals that is 30 to 41 g per meal, and 480 to 660 calories from protein. The RDA minimum for the same person is only 60 g a day, which is a floor to prevent deficiency, not a training target. In food, 120 g is about 4 servings of chicken breast at 100 g each, or 2 eggs plus a tub of Greek yoghurt plus a scoop of whey and a cup of lentils.
Frequently asked questions
How much protein do I need a day?
The adult RDA is 0.8 g per kilogram of body weight, about 60 g for a 165 lb adult. Active people need 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg, muscle builders 1.6 to 2.2, and people losing fat 2.0 to 2.4 to protect muscle. The International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg for regular exercisers.
How much protein per meal?
About 0.25 g per kg per meal, or 20 to 40 g, spread every 3 to 4 hours. A 165 lb adult building muscle needs about 30 to 41 g per meal over 4 meals. More than about 40 g in one meal adds little extra muscle building for most people.
Is more protein always better?
No. Above about 2.2 g per kg a day, extra protein adds little for muscle and mostly becomes expensive energy. Very high intakes also strain kidneys in people with kidney disease, which is why they should follow a doctor target.
Should I use total weight or lean mass?
Total weight is fine for most people. Lean mass is more accurate above 25% body fat, because fat tissue needs little protein: a 220 lb person at 35% body fat should work from about 143 lb of lean mass, not 220 lb.
Do vegetarians need more protein?
A little more planning, not much more protein. Plant proteins are lower in some essential amino acids, so mix sources across the day: beans with grains, soy with lentils. Dairy and eggs make the vegetarian target easy.
Does protein help with fat loss?
Yes. Higher protein, 2.0 to 2.4 g per kg, preserves muscle during a calorie deficit, and protein is the most filling macronutrient, so it makes a deficit easier to hold. The calorie total still decides weight change.
What foods have the most protein?
Chicken breast has about 31 g per 100 g, canned tuna about 25 g, salmon about 22 g, Greek yoghurt about 17 g per tub, lentils about 18 g per cup, and a scoop of whey about 24 g. The food table in the tool shows servings for your exact target.
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