Protein Intake Calculator
Find your daily protein target in grams from body weight, activity level and goal — maintain, build muscle or lose fat — with a per-meal split.
About the Protein Intake Calculator
This protein intake calculator estimates how many grams of protein you should eat per day based on your body weight, activity level and goal. It uses evidence-based ranges from sports-nutrition research: roughly 0.8-1.0 g per kg of body weight for sedentary adults (the basic RDA level), rising to 1.6-2.2 g/kg for people training hard to build muscle or dieting to lose fat while keeping muscle.
Enter your weight in kilograms or pounds, pick your activity level and goal, and you get a daily range in grams plus a practical per-meal split across 3 or 4 meals — research suggests spreading protein through the day (roughly 25-40 g per meal) supports muscle building better than one huge serving.
The built-in food table makes the numbers concrete with everyday examples: cooked chicken breast has about 31 g of protein per 100 g, one large egg has 6 g, and cooked daal — the staple across Pakistan and India — provides about 9 g per 100 g, so vegetarians typically combine daal with yogurt, paneer and milk to hit their target. As always, guideline numbers are not medical advice; anyone with kidney disease should consult a doctor first.
How to Use the Protein Intake Calculator
- 1Enter your body weight and choose kg or lbs.
- 2Select your activity level, from sedentary to daily training.
- 3Pick a goal: maintain weight, build muscle, or lose fat while keeping muscle.
- 4Read your daily protein range in grams, the per-meal split, and browse the food examples.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein do I need per day for my weight?
Multiply your weight in kg by a factor for your situation: about 0.8-1.0 g/kg if sedentary, 1.2-1.6 g/kg if moderately active, and 1.6-2.2 g/kg if building muscle or dieting. A 70 kg person training regularly to build muscle needs roughly 112-154 g per day. The calculator picks the range for you.
How much protein do I need to build muscle?
Research consistently supports 1.6-2.2 g per kg of body weight per day for muscle growth alongside resistance training. For a 60 kg person that is 96-132 g daily. Eating beyond 2.2 g/kg shows little extra benefit for most people — training quality and total calories matter more.
Should I eat more protein when losing fat?
Yes — protein needs go up, not down, in a calorie deficit. Around 1.8-2.2 g/kg helps preserve muscle while dieting and keeps you fuller, making the deficit easier to stick to. A 80 kg person cutting fat should aim for roughly 145-175 g per day.
How can vegetarians in Pakistan or India hit their protein target?
Combine plant and dairy sources: cooked daal or chana (about 9 g per 100 g), paneer (18 g per 100 g), Greek yogurt (10 g per 100 g), milk (3.4 g per 100 ml) and eggs if you eat them (6 g each). A plate of daal-chawal with a bowl of yogurt and two eggs already delivers 30-35 g.
Is it better to split protein across meals?
Yes. Studies suggest 25-40 g of protein per meal, spread over 3-5 meals, stimulates muscle protein synthesis more effectively than one large serving. If your target is 120 g, that is about 40 g per meal over 3 meals or 30 g over 4 — the calculator shows both splits.
Can eating too much protein be harmful?
For healthy people, intakes up to around 2.2 g/kg are generally considered safe, though very high intakes add little benefit. People with existing kidney disease need medical guidance before increasing protein, and protein should displace neither fruit and vegetables nor adequate hydration.