How much protein you need a day
Find out in seconds how many grams of protein you need per day. We set it by body weight — the correct way — adjusted for your goal (maintain, lose fat, build muscle or performance) and how much you train, following the sports-nutrition consensus.
Estimate based on the sports-nutrition consensus (1.2–2.4 g/kg). Not medical advice; with kidney issues, ask your doctor.
You have your target. Now the hard part
Hitting it daily. Photograph your plate and the app subtracts it from your target — no weighing, no searching.
Next time you sit down to eat, photograph the plate before the first bite. That is the whole method.
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How is your protein need calculated?
Protein is set per kilo of body weight, not as a percentage of calories — a percentage would move your protein target every time your calories changed, which makes no physiological sense. The general reference for healthy, active adults runs from 1.2 g/kg (sedentary, just covering needs) to 2.2 g/kg (training hard, or in a deficit where protein protects muscle). This calculator places you inside that range using your weight, your goal and your activity level. If you carry a lot of body fat, targets based on total weight overshoot, so a figure closer to your lean mass is more realistic — that is a known limitation of every weight-based formula, this one included.
How much protein a day for your situation
The 0.8 g/kg repeated everywhere is the MINIMUM to avoid deficiency, not the optimum for someone who trains. The last column turns each case into grams for a 70 kg person. And note the over-65 row: they need more than the general minimum, not less.
| Situation | Per kg of body weight | Example, 70 kg |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum to avoid deficiency | 0.8 g/kg | 56 g |
| Active person | 1.2 – 1.6 g/kg | 84 – 112 g |
| Strength training | 1.6 – 2.2 g/kg | 112 – 154 g |
| In a deficit, protecting muscle | 1.6 – 2.4 g/kg | 112 – 168 g |
| From age 65 | 1.0 – 1.2 g/kg | 70 – 84 g |
Sources: WHO/FAO reference intake for the minimum; International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand (2017) for sport; PROT-AGE group (Bauer et al., 2013) for over-65s. These are reference ranges for healthy adults, not a diagnosis or individual advice.
FAQ
How much protein should I eat a day?
It depends on your weight and goal. As a reference, 1.6 to 2.2 g per kilo if you train or are losing fat, and around 1.2-1.6 g/kg if you are sedentary. The calculator gives you the number for your case rather than a one-size-fits-all figure.
How much protein to build muscle?
Around 1.6-2.2 g/kg alongside a slight calorie surplus and resistance training. More protein than that does not build extra muscle — past roughly 2.2 g/kg the curve flattens, and the limiting factor becomes training and total calories, not protein.
Is high protein bad for your kidneys?
In healthy people, high protein intakes (up to about 2 g/kg and beyond) have not been shown to damage the kidneys. If you already have kidney disease, that is different and your protein intake should be set by your doctor, not by a calculator.
How much protein per meal?
Spreading it across 3-4 meals of roughly 20-40 g each makes the most of muscle protein synthesis through the day. That said, the daily total matters far more than the timing — hitting your target unevenly beats missing it neatly.