Protein Calculator

Calculate Your Daily Protein

How Much Protein Do You Need Per Day?

Protein requirements vary significantly based on body weight, activity level and fitness goal. The standard RDA of 0.8g per kg is the minimum to prevent deficiency in sedentary adults, not the optimal intake for health, performance or body composition. Research from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) and multiple meta-analyses consistently support higher targets for active individuals.

Protein Recommendations by Goal

For general health and maintenance in moderately active adults: 1.2-1.6g per kg. For muscle building: 1.6-2.2g per kg, supported by a 2018 meta-analysis of 49 studies (Morton et al.). For fat loss while preserving muscle: 1.8-2.4g per kg. For endurance athletes: 1.4-1.7g per kg. Use our macro calculator to set carbohydrate and fat targets alongside protein, and our TDEE calculator to establish total calorie needs first.

Why Protein Needs Increase During Fat Loss

In a calorie deficit, the body may use muscle protein as fuel. Higher protein intake during a deficit keeps muscle protein synthesis elevated despite the energy shortage. Protein also has a 20-30% thermic effect — digesting it burns more calories than carbohydrates (5-10%) or fat (0-3%). Our calorie deficit calculator sets your total calorie target for fat loss. Use both calculators together for the best results.

Best High-Protein Foods

Meeting 150-200g daily through whole foods is achievable without supplements. The highest protein sources per 100g: chicken breast (31g), tuna (30g), turkey breast (29g), lean beef (26g), salmon (25g), eggs (13g per 100g, 6g per egg), cottage cheese (11g), Greek yogurt (10g), edamame (11g), lentils (9g cooked), tofu (8g). Anchor each meal around a high-protein source and use snacks to close any remaining gap toward your daily target.

Protein Per Meal and Timing

Current research supports distributing daily protein across 4-5 meals of 30-50g each. Each protein meal triggers muscle protein synthesis (MPS), which peaks at approximately 20-40g per meal and does not significantly increase beyond that threshold. Spreading protein produces more total MPS stimulation per day than consuming the same amount in one or two large sittings. Pre-sleep protein from cottage cheese or Greek yogurt (slow-digesting casein) consistently improves overnight muscle protein synthesis in peer-reviewed studies. Use our lean body mass calculator to refine your protein target based on lean mass rather than total body weight for even more precise recommendations.

Plant-Based Protein

Plant-based athletes face two challenges: lower bioavailability (70-80% for legumes vs 90-97% for eggs) and incomplete amino acid profiles in most individual plant foods. Compensate by targeting 20-30% above calculated needs and prioritising the highest-protein plant foods: tempeh (19g per 100g), hemp seeds (31g per 100g), edamame (11g), lentils (9g cooked), tofu (8g), quinoa (4g cooked, complete protein). Combining rice protein and pea protein in supplements, or combining rice and beans in meals, achieves a near-complete amino acid profile. Use our calorie calculator to ensure total energy intake supports your protein and body composition goals simultaneously.

Protein Across the Lifespan

Children and teenagers need 0.85-0.95g per kg due to growth requirements. Pregnant women need an additional 25g per day above baseline during the second and third trimester. Breastfeeding adds approximately 19g per day. Older adults (65+) need 1.0-1.6g per kg to counter age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia), with the higher end recommended for those who exercise. Track your intake for 1-2 weeks to find the gap between estimated and actual intake — most people consume 20-30% less protein than they think without tracking.

Tracking Protein Intake

Tracking protein intake for even two to four weeks consistently reveals the gap between assumed and actual intake. Most people find they consume 60-80% of their estimated intake without tracking, which explains why many training programmes fail to deliver expected results despite apparently adequate food intake. A free app such as Cronometer or MyFitnessPal used for two to four weeks gives you a clear picture of which meals are protein-strong and which fall short. Once you know your weak spots, you can adjust without tracking every day indefinitely. The protein calculator sets your target. Consistent daily execution against that target is what produces the body composition changes that training is designed to create. Use our macro calculator to track carbohydrate and fat alongside protein for a complete nutrition picture, and our water intake calculator to ensure hydration keeps pace with higher protein intake — the kidneys require additional fluid to process and excrete nitrogen from protein metabolism.

Protein Safety and Kidney Health

The concern that high protein intake damages kidneys originated from studies in people with pre-existing kidney disease, in whom additional protein does increase filtration load. For healthy adults, multiple large-scale reviews and long-term studies have found no evidence of kidney harm at intakes up to 3g per kg body weight per day. High protein intake does increase the kidney's workload moderately and increases urinary nitrogen excretion, which makes adequate hydration important. A practical guideline is to drink an additional 250-500ml of water per day for every 50g of protein above the standard RDA. For the vast majority of healthy, active adults, the risks of insufficient protein far outweigh any theoretical risk from adequate or high protein intake. If you have any kidney condition, consult your doctor or a registered dietitian before significantly increasing your protein intake.

Complete Protein Sources and Bioavailability

Protein bioavailability measures how much of the protein you eat is actually absorbed and used by the body. The DIAAS (Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score) is the current gold standard: eggs score 1.13, whey protein 1.09, beef 1.0, chicken 1.08, soy protein 0.9, black beans 0.75, wheat 0.4. Higher bioavailability means more of the stated protein content is usable. This is why plant-based athletes targeting 150g of protein per day may need to eat slightly more total protein than an omnivore with the same target, to achieve the same amount of usable amino acids. Practically: if you eat a varied diet including multiple protein sources throughout the day, bioavailability differences have minimal impact on outcomes. The differences become more significant when relying heavily on a single lower-bioavailability source. Animal proteins (meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs) consistently score highest for bioavailability and complete amino acid profiles, while plant proteins benefit from combination and variety across the day to achieve equivalent amino acid coverage. Use our calorie calculator alongside this protein calculator to ensure your total macronutrient targets are set consistently for your goal and body weight. Different protein sources also vary in their satiation effect per calorie. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient overall, but within protein sources, whole food proteins (chicken breast, fish, eggs) tend to produce stronger satiation signals than protein shakes of equivalent protein content, likely due to differences in digestion rate, food volume and the presence of other nutrients that modulate appetite hormones like ghrelin and leptin. For fat loss specifically, prioritising whole food protein sources over supplements maximises the satiation benefit of your protein intake, making the calorie deficit easier to sustain day to day without excessive hunger or cravings disrupting adherence.

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