Protein is the most important macronutrient for body composition — essential for building and repairing muscle, supporting immune function, and keeping you full between meals. But how much you actually need depends on your body weight and your goal. This calculator gives you a personalised daily protein target based on established research recommendations.
🧮 Calculate Your Daily Protein Target
📊 Your Daily Protein Target
🍗 How to Hit Your Protein Target
These high-protein foods are some of the most efficient ways to reach your daily target:
Use our Food Tracker to log your daily meals and track your protein intake against your target. See the full list of protein-rich foods in our blog.
📖 How Much Protein Do You Actually Need?
The Baseline: Sedentary Adults
The official Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8g per kilogram of body weight (0.36g per pound). This is the minimum required to prevent deficiency in sedentary adults — not the optimal amount for most people who exercise or have body composition goals.
For Weight Loss
When eating in a calorie deficit, higher protein intake (1.2–1.6g per kg) helps preserve lean muscle mass. Research consistently shows that people who eat more protein during weight loss retain more muscle and lose more fat compared to those eating standard protein amounts. Higher protein also increases satiety, helping you feel fuller on fewer calories.
For Muscle Gain
The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) recommends 1.6–2.2g of protein per kilogram of body weight for muscle gain. Recent meta-analyses suggest that protein intakes above 2.2g/kg provide diminishing returns for most people, though higher intakes are safe and not harmful.
For Older Adults
Protein requirements increase with age due to reduced muscle protein synthesis efficiency (a process called anabolic resistance). Adults over 65 benefit from 1.2–1.6g per kg to maintain muscle mass and strength, reduce fall risk, and support immune function. Spacing protein intake across 3-4 meals helps maximise muscle protein synthesis in older adults.
Spreading Protein Throughout the Day
Research suggests that muscle protein synthesis is maximised when protein is distributed across 3-5 meals per day, with each meal containing 20-40g of protein. A single large protein meal is less effective than spreading the same total amount across the day. Aim for a protein source at every meal.