Protein Calculator
Find your optimal daily protein intake based on your bodyweight and goal — with a per-meal breakdown and food equivalents.
Your Details
Enter your weight
Your protein targets will appear here
More Free Calculators
Protein is the most important macronutrient for body composition — whether your goal is fat loss, muscle gain, or general health. Yet most people eat far less protein than research recommends. This calculator gives you science-backed targets based on your body weight and specific goal, then breaks them down into practical per-meal amounts.
How Much Protein Do You Need Per Day?
The right protein intake depends on your goal. The minimum daily protein recommendation from the WHO and most health organizations is 0.8g per kilogram of bodyweight (0.36g/lb) — but this is a minimum for sedentary adults to avoid deficiency, not an optimal amount for active people.
For anyone who exercises regularly or wants to optimize body composition, the evidence-based optimal range is significantly higher:
| Goal | Recommended Intake | Example (80kg person) |
|---|---|---|
| General health | 0.8g/kg (0.36g/lb) | 64g/day |
| Fat loss (preserve muscle) | 1.6g/kg (0.73g/lb) | 128g/day |
| Muscle gain | 1.8g/kg (0.82g/lb) | 144g/day |
| Athlete / intense training | 2.2g/kg (1.0g/lb) | 176g/day |
Why Protein Is the Most Important Macro
Protein plays three critical roles in body composition that the other macronutrients cannot replicate:
- Muscle preservation: When you're in a calorie deficit, your body can break down muscle tissue for fuel. High protein intake signals the body to preserve muscle, ensuring the weight you lose is primarily fat.
- Satiety: Protein is the most satiating macronutrient — gram for gram, it keeps you fuller longer than carbohydrates or fat. Studies show high-protein diets naturally reduce calorie intake.
- Thermic effect: Your body burns 20–30% of protein calories during digestion (versus 5–10% for carbs and 0–3% for fat). This means high-protein diets have a small but meaningful metabolic advantage.
How to Hit Your Protein Target
The single most effective strategy is to plan your protein sources first, then build the rest of your meals around them. Here are the most protein-efficient whole foods:
| Food | Protein Content |
|---|---|
| Chicken breast (100g) | 31g |
| Canned tuna (100g) | 26g |
| Lean ground beef (100g) | 26g |
| Whey protein (1 scoop) | 22g |
| Large eggs (1 egg) | 6g |
| Greek yogurt (100g) | 10g |
| Cottage cheese (100g) | 11g |
| Lentils, cooked (100g) | 9g |
If you're struggling to hit your target from food alone, a whey protein shake (20–25g per scoop) is a convenient, cost-effective supplement — not a replacement for whole foods, but a practical tool.
Protein by Diet Type
Your diet type affects how you source your protein, but not how much you need. Here's how to hit your targets on common diet patterns:
- Keto / Low-carb: Protein targets are the same. Focus on eggs, meat, fish, and full-fat dairy. Avoid protein powders with significant carbs.
- Plant-based: Combine protein sources to cover all essential amino acids. Tofu, tempeh, edamame, lentils, chickpeas, and pea protein are all excellent. Leucine is the critical amino acid for muscle synthesis — ensure sufficient intake.
- Intermittent fasting: Protein needs don't change with meal timing. Eat the same daily total within your eating window. Higher protein per meal (0.55g/kg or more) maximizes muscle protein synthesis per sitting.
Frequently Asked Questions
For general health, the minimum recommended intake is 0.36g of protein per pound of bodyweight (0.8g/kg) per day. For people who exercise regularly or want to build or preserve muscle, research supports 0.7–1g per pound of bodyweight (1.6–2.2g/kg) per day. Athletes in intense training may benefit from up to 1.2g per pound (2.6g/kg) per day.
For healthy adults with normal kidney function, high protein intake is safe and does not cause kidney damage. Excess protein calories, like excess calories from any source, can contribute to fat gain if they push you above your TDEE. Very high protein diets (above 2.5g per kg of bodyweight) are generally unnecessary for most people and offer diminishing returns on muscle building.
The most protein-dense whole foods include chicken breast (31g per 100g), canned tuna (26g per 100g), lean ground beef (26g per 100g), cottage cheese (11g per 100g), Greek yogurt (10g per 100g), eggs (13g per 100g), lentils (9g per 100g cooked), and edamame (11g per 100g). Whey protein powder provides 20–25g per serving and is a convenient supplement when whole food intake is insufficient.
Research suggests that muscle protein synthesis is maximally stimulated by doses of 0.4g of protein per kg of bodyweight per meal, taken at least 3–4 times per day. Practically, this means spreading protein across 3–5 meals rather than consuming most of it in one sitting. Protein consumed before and after training sessions is particularly beneficial for muscle repair and growth.