Protein Calculator

Calculate your optimal daily protein intake based on your weight, activity level, and fitness goal.

100% Free No Sign-Up Calculated in Your Browser

Weight (kg)

Activity Level

Goal

Daily Protein

– g

Enter your details and press Calculate

Per Meal (3 meals)

–

mid-range ÷ 3

Per kg Bodyweight

–

g/kg range

Calories from Protein

–

4 kcal per gram

% of 2000 kcal Diet

–

based on mid-range

Food Source	Serving	Protein (g)	Quality
Chicken Breast	100 g	31	Complete
Tuna (canned)	100 g	30	Complete
Turkey Breast	100 g	29	Complete
Whey Protein	1 scoop (~30g)	24	Complete
Eggs	2 large	12	Complete
Greek Yogurt (0%)	1 cup (245g)	24	Complete
Cottage Cheese	100 g	11	Complete
Lentils (cooked)	100 g	9	Incomplete
Black Beans	100 g	9	Incomplete
Tofu (firm)	100 g	8	Complete

Calculate your recommended daily protein intake range based on your body weight, activity level, and specific fitness goal — from general health to muscle building.

How It Works

How Protein Calculator Works

Rather than a single fixed number, the calculator uses a grams-per-kilogram range that shifts based on both your activity level (sedentary through athlete) and your goal (general health, muscle gain, weight loss, or endurance training). Muscle-gain goals call for the highest ranges — up to 2.2 g/kg for very active individuals — since building and repairing muscle tissue requires more protein than baseline maintenance.

Weight-loss goals also use an elevated protein range (1.2–2.0 g/kg depending on activity), reflecting research showing higher protein intake helps preserve lean muscle mass during a calorie deficit, when the body might otherwise break down muscle tissue alongside fat for energy.

The midpoint of your range is used to calculate a suggested per-meal amount (assuming three meals), the calories that protein represents (4 kcal per gram), and what percentage of a standard 2,000-calorie reference diet that protein intake would represent.

Worked Example

See It In Action

A 75 kg person who is moderately active with a muscle-gain goal falls into the 1.6–2.2 g/kg range, giving a target of about 120–165 grams of protein per day (roughly 143g at the midpoint) — split into about 48g per meal across three meals, representing 572 calories or about 28.6% of a 2,000-calorie diet.

Real-World Use Cases

Who Uses Protein Calculator and Why

Setting a daily protein range based on both activity level and a specific goal, like muscle gain or weight loss.
Checking roughly how much protein to aim for per meal across a typical three-meal day.
Understanding what percentage of a reference diet your protein target represents.

Common Mistakes

Mistakes to Avoid

Treating the upper end of the range as mandatory rather than a range designed to reflect genuine uncertainty in individual protein needs.
Not adjusting the goal setting as training or diet phase changes — the underlying g/kg range shifts meaningfully between weight-loss, muscle-gain, and general health goals.
Worrying about missing the daily gram target by a small amount on any single day, when weekly average intake matters more than daily precision.

Pro Tips

Tips for Best Results

Aim for the midpoint of your range as a practical daily target, and don't stress over hitting it exactly every single day.
If you have a kidney condition or other relevant health concern, discuss a higher-protein target with a healthcare provider before adopting the upper end of these ranges.

Troubleshooting

Fixing Common Problems

My protein range seems too wide to be useful. — The range reflects genuine variation in individual needs based on training intensity and recovery demands — use the midpoint as your working target rather than trying to pin down one exact gram number.

Glossary

Terms Explained

g/kg (grams per kilogram): A protein intake target expressed relative to body weight in kilograms, allowing the recommendation to scale appropriately across different body sizes.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my protein range change based on my goal?

Muscle-building and weight-loss goals both benefit from higher protein intake, but for different physiological reasons — one supports new muscle tissue synthesis, the other helps preserve existing muscle during a calorie deficit — while general health and endurance goals need comparatively less.

Is it hard to eat too much protein?

For most healthy adults, protein intake within these ranges is well tolerated, but people with kidney conditions or other specific health concerns should consult a healthcare provider before significantly increasing protein intake, since very high protein diets may not be appropriate for everyone.

Do I need to hit my protein target every single day exactly?

No — weekly average protein intake matters more than perfect daily precision. Missing your target by a modest amount on any given day is not a concern as long as your overall weekly intake trends toward your range.

Why is the range so wide (e.g. 120–165g)?

Individual protein needs vary based on training intensity, recovery demands, and personal response, so a range rather than a single number better reflects the genuine uncertainty in translating general research findings to any one individual.