Protein calculator · free · adults 18+

How much protein per day

Get a daily protein target in grams from your weight, goal and training. It uses the same grams-per-kilogram table as the MacroLab app.

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Your daily protein

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Your result

Your daily protein will appear here

Enter your weight, goal and training to see grams per day and how to split them across meals.

Protein per day

How many grams of protein per day do you need?

Protein needs are given in grams per kilogram of body weight (g/kg). The minimum for healthy adults is about 0.8 g/kg (EFSA sets 0.83 g/kg). Training, losing fat and being over 65 are situations where the evidence supports more.

Daily protein by situation
Situation	g/kg per day	Example, 70 kg	Source
Sedentary adult (minimum)	0.8 g/kg	56 g	EFSA 2012
Adults over 65	1.0–1.2 g/kg	70–84 g	PROT-AGE 2013
Active adult who exercises	1.4–2.0 g/kg	98–140 g	ISSN 2017
Strength training to build muscle	1.6–2.2 g/kg	112–154 g	Morton 2018
Losing fat while keeping muscle	1.6–2.2 g/kg	112–154 g	Morton 2018

The calculator above uses 1.4–2.0 g/kg depending on your goal and training, the same as the MacroLab app.

When to take protein

The daily total matters most. The ISSN position stand concludes that total daily protein is the main driver; exact timing is secondary.

Spread it over 3–4 meals with about 20–40 g each (roughly 0.25 g/kg per meal), every 3–4 hours.

Around training, a protein-containing meal before or after is enough. A shake is optional if food already gets you to your total.

How much protein is in chicken and eggs?

How much protein is in 100 g of chicken breast?: About 22.5 g raw and 31 g roasted. Cooking removes water, so the same protein ends up in less weight. A 120 g cooked breast gives about 37 g.
How much protein is in one egg?: A large hard-boiled egg (50 g without the shell) has about 6.3 g.
And a can of tuna?: 60 g of drained light tuna in water has about 15 g.

Important limits

An estimate for healthy adults, not medical advice.

Made for adults 18 and over. Children and teenagers have different needs.
If you have chronic kidney disease or reduced kidney function, talk to your doctor before increasing protein.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding raise protein needs; ask your doctor or a registered dietitian for an individual target.
With a lot of excess weight, using total body weight can overestimate the number; a professional can base it on goal or lean weight.
Treat it as a starting point and adjust to your hunger, training and results.

Frequently asked questions

How much protein should I eat per day?: Healthy adults need at least about 0.8 g per kg per day. If you train or are losing fat, the evidence supports 1.6–2.2 g/kg. For 70 kg, that is 56–154 g depending on your situation.
How many grams of protein per day to build muscle?: With strength training, the Morton et al. (2018) meta-analysis found gains leveled off around 1.6 g/kg per day, with an upper bound near 2.2 g/kg. Without training, extra protein alone does not build muscle.
When should I take protein: before or after training?: The daily total matters more than timing. Split protein into 3–4 meals of 20–40 g and have one of them within a few hours of training, before or after.
How much protein does a woman or a man need per day?: The number depends on body weight, not sex: the same g/kg applies to both. A 60 kg woman who lifts would be around 96–132 g; an 80 kg man, around 128–176 g.
Is eating a lot of protein bad for you?: For healthy people who exercise, the ISSN considers concerns about 1.4–2.0 g/kg unfounded. If you have kidney disease, check with your doctor before increasing it.

Turn the number into real meals

MacroLab sets your protein with the same table and tracks it for you: snap a photo of your plate, say it, or type it.

Build my plan in MacroLab Calorie and macro calculator