Daily Protein Intake Calculator
Enter your bodyweight and pick a training goal to instantly get your daily protein range (g/day), midpoint target, per-meal split for 3/4/5 meals and food equivalents. Every g/kg band is taken directly from mainstream nutrition consensus — IOM RDA, ISSN 2017, ACSM/AND/DC 2016, Helms et al. 2014 and PROT-AGE 2013 — not a guess.
Enter a valid bodyweight between 20 and 300 kg.
Daily target
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Recommended range
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Per-meal split
3 meals
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per meal
4 meals
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per meal
5 meals
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per meal
Food equivalents (at the midpoint)
Cooked chicken breast (skinless)
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Large eggs
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For healthy adults only. People with kidney disease, pregnant or lactating women, or anyone on a strict programme should consult a registered dietitian.
Formula
Daily protein (g) = bodyweight (kg) × target g/kg Bands: Sedentary 0.8–1.0 · Endurance 1.2–1.6 · Strength 1.6–2.2 Cutting 1.8–2.7 · Older adult (65+) 1.0–1.2 Per meal = daily total ÷ meals (3 / 4 / 5)
- · 0.8 g/kg is the US IOM (2005) RDA designed to prevent nitrogen imbalance — it is a floor, not an optimum.
- · The ACSM / AND / DC joint position stand (Thomas, Erdman & Burke, 2016) recommends 1.2–2.0 g/kg for athletes of every discipline.
- · ISSN position stand (Jäger et al. 2017): up to 2.2 g/kg for hypertrophy; splitting across 3–4 meals of ≈0.4 g/kg each maximises muscle protein synthesis.
- · Energy-restricted training: Helms et al. (2014) systematic review recommends 2.3–3.1 g/kg of lean body mass — this tool approximates that as 1.8–2.7 g/kg total bodyweight.
- · PROT-AGE Study Group (Bauer et al. 2013): 1.0–1.2 g/kg for healthy adults aged 65+, with higher targets during illness or strenuous exercise.
- · The result is a daily total — protein can come from any combination of meat, dairy, eggs, legumes and plant sources.
- · Not for people with kidney disease, pregnancy/lactation or strict medical diets — consult a registered dietitian.
- · Food equivalents are from USDA FoodData Central: cooked skinless chicken breast ≈ 31 g protein per 100 g; one 50 g large egg ≈ 6.3 g protein.
Frequently asked
How much protein do I actually need — do I really have to hit 2 g/kg?
Depends on your goal. For sedentary adults the RDA of 0.8 g/kg (e.g. 56 g/day for a 70 kg adult) is enough to maintain nitrogen balance. If you lift 3–5×/week and want to build muscle, the ISSN 2017 position stand recommends 1.6–2.2 g/kg; benefits beyond 2.2 g/kg are unproven but no harm has been shown in people with healthy kidneys. While cutting, raise it to 1.8–2.7 g/kg to preserve lean mass. Short version: 0.8 if sedentary, ≥ 1.6 if you train, plus a bit more in a deficit.
How much protein per meal, and how many meals should I have?
Studies (Schoenfeld & Aragon 2018; Areta et al. 2013) show muscle protein synthesis (MPS) maximises at roughly 0.4 g/kg of high-quality protein per meal — beyond that, surplus protein is mostly oxidised or excreted. So the most efficient split is 3–4 evenly-spaced meals: e.g. 70 kg × 1.8 g/kg = 126 g/day → 4 × 31 g. Older adults benefit from larger boluses per meal because their MPS response to small doses is blunted.
Will a high-protein diet damage my kidneys?
For people with healthy kidneys, the current literature (Devries et al. 2018 systematic review; Antonio et al. 2016 long-term ≥ 3 g/kg follow-up) shows high-protein diets do not cause kidney disease or worsen markers. However, if you already have chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetic nephropathy, poorly-controlled hypertension or a single kidney, protein restriction is part of medical management — work with a nephrologist or registered dietitian rather than self-prescribing.
Are plant proteins as effective as animal proteins?
On total grams alone, yes — but two caveats: (1) animal proteins are richer in essential amino acids, especially leucine. Plant-only meals usually need 25–30 % more total protein per meal to drive the same MPS response (Pinckaers et al. 2021). (2) Combine sources (legumes + grains, nuts + seeds) so every essential amino acid is covered. Vegan and vegetarian lifters can absolutely build muscle as long as each meal supplies ≥ 25 g of complete-amino-acid protein and the daily total is on target.
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