01What this calculator tells you
This calculator estimates your daily protein target in grams from your body weight and a goal you choose — from sedentary living at the RDA up to strength training for muscle gain. It applies the evidence-based grams-per-kilogram band for that goal, then shows the total, the amount per kilogram, the RDA floor for comparison, and a suggested per-meal target.
Protein needs are driven mostly by body weight and how much you train, not by calories, which is why this calculator asks for weight rather than a full diet profile. To size up your energy and carbohydrate needs alongside it, see our BMR calculator.
02How much protein by goal
The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements sets the baseline at 0.8 g/kg, but that is the minimum to prevent deficiency, not the optimum for active people. The table shows the ranges this calculator uses.
Complete proteins supply all nine essential amino acids and come mainly from animal foods — eggs, dairy, meat, fish — plus soy. Plant eaters can combine sources like beans with grains to cover the full set. The Harvard Nutrition Source emphasises choosing protein packaged with healthy fats and fibre rather than lots of processed red meat.
- Eggs, Greek yogurt, milk and cheese.
- Chicken, fish, lean beef and pork.
- Tofu, tempeh, edamame and other soy.
- Beans, lentils, nuts and whole grains (combine for completeness).
General healthy-eating advice from the NHS is a useful backdrop for fitting protein into a balanced plate.
03Related calculators
Working through a related project? Try our Carb Intake Calculator, Starbucks Calorie Calculator, and BMI Calculator.
01The protein formula
Daily protein is calculated from body weight, not calories: you multiply your weight in kilograms by a grams-per-kilogram factor chosen for your activity and goal. Pounds work too — 0.8 g/kg is about 0.36 g/lb — and the factor rises as your training and muscle-building demands increase.
Where:
- body weight= your current weight; the calculator converts pounds to kilograms at 0.4536.
- factor= grams per kilogram for your goal: 0.8 sedentary, ~1.4 active, 1.6-2.2 for muscle.
- meals= how many times a day you eat protein, used for the per-meal target.
02Worked example
Take a 70 kg adult who strength trains and wants to build muscle, eating 4 meals a day:
So this person aims for about 133 g of protein a day, or roughly 33 g per meal. A sedentary 70 kg adult, by contrast, needs only about 56 g. To round out the plan, our water intake calculator estimates the daily fluid that supports higher-protein eating.