Protein Calculator
Find your ideal daily protein intake based on your goals.
Protein kcal/day: —
How This Calculator Works
The calculation starts from a grams-per-kilogram figure set by your activity level, then applies a goal modifier. Sedentary adults start at 0.8 g/kg, which is the official minimum intake to avoid deficiency. Lightly active people start at 1.2 g/kg, moderately active at 1.6, very active at 1.8, and athletes at 2.0. Choosing Lose Fat multiplies by 1.2 and Build Muscle by 1.4, reflecting the higher protein intakes that research associates with preserving lean mass during a deficit and with supporting muscle growth.
Protein provides 4 kilocalories per gram, which is why the calculator also shows the calories your protein target represents.
What the Research Suggests
Observational and trial evidence suggests that intakes between 1.2 and 1.6 g/kg are associated with better preservation of muscle than the bare minimum. For people doing resistance training, gains appear to taper off somewhere between 1.6 and 2.2 g/kg. During weight loss, higher intakes in the region of 1.6 to 2.4 g/kg may help retain lean mass while in a calorie deficit. Older adults generally benefit from more protein than younger adults because of an age-related reduction in muscle protein synthesis.
Where to Get It
- Eggs: about 6 g per large egg, a complete protein.
- Chicken breast: about 31 g per 100 g cooked.
- Salmon: about 22 g per 100 g cooked.
- Greek yogurt: about 23 g per cup, plain non-fat.
- Lentils: about 18 g per cooked cup.
- Chickpeas: about 14.5 g per cooked cup.
Our Common Foods reference pages carry full nutrition facts for each of these. Plant sources are lower in one or more essential amino acids individually, but eating a variety across the day covers the requirement.
Timing and Distribution
Total daily intake matters most. Distribution appears to have a smaller but real effect: spreading protein across three or four meals, roughly 0.4 g/kg per meal, may support muscle protein synthesis better than concentrating it in one large evening meal. For most people this simply means including a protein source at breakfast rather than only at dinner.