Protein Intake Calculator
Grams of protein a day, per meal, and on a plate.
Fill in the fields and the answer appears here.
An estimate from a formula, not a measurement. It does not replace a doctor, a dietitian or a qualified trainer — least of all with a health condition, during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or under 18. With kidney or liver disease, how much protein to eat is a question for your doctor.
How this was worked out
Fill in the fields and the answer appears here.
Guide: By the kilogram, and by the goal4 min read
By the kilogram, and by the goal
Protein for people who train is given in grams per kilogram of body weight, in a range that moves with the goal: 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg to stay healthy and active, 1.6 to 2.2 to build muscle, and 1.8 to 2.4 to lose fat while keeping muscle. The calculator shows the whole range in grams, its middle, and all three ranges side by side for your weight.
A range rather than a number, because that is how the evidence comes: below the bottom end gains are left on the table, and above the top end no benefit shows up.
Why more protein in a deficit
Eating less than you burn, the body is readier to break down muscle for energy. More protein is what holds on to it, which is why the fat-loss range is the highest of the three — higher still for people who are already lean and for steeper deficits. For the full split with carbohydrate and fat, the macro calculator takes it from here.
On the plate
A number of grams only means something as food. The page turns a meal’s worth of protein into grilled chicken breast and boiled eggs, from Brazil’s TACO food composition table: 32 g of protein per 100 g of chicken, and about 6.7 g in a large egg. Examples for scale, not a menu — beans, fish, dairy and tofu count just the same. On the imperial setting the chicken is weighed in ounces; protein stays in grams, as it is on every label.
Spreading protein over three or four meals is the one arrangement with some evidence behind it; the daily total matters most.
When total weight misleads
For someone carrying a lot of body fat, grams per kilogram of total weight overstate the need, because fat does not ask for protein. Dietitians work from a reference weight in that case, and you can type it in as the weight. With kidney or liver disease, the amount is your doctor’s decision.
Everything is worked out in your browser; nothing is sent.
How we calculate
Protein per kilogram (2018)
body weight (kg) × grams per kilogram for the goal
Source: Morton RW et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(6):376-384. Jäger R et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20. Helms ER et al. A systematic review of dietary protein during caloric restriction in resistance trained lean athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2014;24(2):127-138.
Foods
Chicken breast, skinless, grilled: 32 g of protein per 100 g. Whole hen's egg, boiled: 13.3 g per 100 g, and a large egg without its shell weighs about 50 g.
Source: Tabela Brasileira de Composição de Alimentos (TACO), 4ª ed. revisada e ampliada. NEPA-UNICAMP; 2011.
Frequently asked questions
How much protein do I need a day?
It depends on the goal. For staying healthy and active, 1.2 to 1.6 g per kilogram of body weight; for building muscle, 1.6 to 2.2; for losing fat while keeping muscle, 1.8 to 2.4. The calculator multiplies your weight by the range for your goal and shows the arithmetic.
How much protein to build muscle?
1.6 to 2.2 g per kilogram a day. The 2018 meta-analysis by Morton and colleagues found gains in muscle levelling off around 1.6 g/kg, with 2.2 as the upper end worth aiming for when you want to be sure. More than that is not harmful for a healthy person, but it adds nothing measurable.
Why more protein when losing fat?
In a calorie deficit the body is readier to break down muscle for energy, and a higher protein intake is what holds on to it. Reviews of lean, trained people dieting point to 1.8 to 2.4 g/kg, higher the leaner and the steeper the deficit.
How much protein per meal?
The calculator divides the middle of your range across the meals you choose: 152 g a day over four meals is 38 g each. Spreading protein over three or four meals is the arrangement with some evidence behind it; the daily total matters most.
How much chicken or how many eggs is that?
Grilled skinless chicken breast has about 32 g of protein per 100 g, and a large boiled egg about 6.7 g, from Brazil's TACO food composition table. The page turns a meal's worth into both, for scale; beans, fish, dairy and tofu count the same.
Is too much protein bad for the kidneys?
For healthy kidneys, intakes in these ranges have not been shown to cause harm. With kidney or liver disease it is different, and how much protein to eat is a decision for your doctor, not a calculator.