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Protein calculator: your daily target in grams
Protein targets are usually written as grams per kilogram of bodyweight, which is not much use when you are stood in a supermarket. This tool is for healthy adults aged 18 and over doing resistance training, and it turns the range into a number of grams for your bodyweight, then into a rough amount per meal.
The short answer
Most healthy adults doing resistance training need roughly 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight a day. For a 70kg person that's about 112 to 154 grams, split into 25 to 40 gram portions across three or four meals. New lifters or anyone in a surplus can sit nearer the lower end.
- 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight a day
- Split across three or four meals of 25 to 40 grams
- Start near the bottom of the range if you are new to training
- Everyday food covers it; shakes are only convenience
Work out your protein target
Enter your bodyweight and how many times a day you eat. The result is a range rather than a single number, because the research it comes from found benefits anywhere across that band rather than at one exact figure.
Work out your daily protein target
120g to 165g of protein a day
That is roughly 30g to 41g per meal across 4 meals. If you are new to training, start near the lower figure; if you have been lifting consistently for a while, work towards the higher one.
Based on the widely used 1.6 to 2.2g per kilogram of bodyweight range for people doing resistance training. It is a general estimate for healthy adults, not personal or medical advice. Nothing you type here is saved or sent anywhere.
Where these numbers come from
The 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram range is the one most commonly used for people training for muscle growth. Below roughly 1.6, muscle gain tends to be slower than it needs to be. Above roughly 2.2, the extra protein is generally used for energy rather than building more muscle.
| Bodyweight | Lower target | Higher target | Per meal (4 meals) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55kg / 121lb | 88g | 121g | 22-30g |
| 65kg / 143lb | 104g | 143g | 26-36g |
| 75kg / 165lb | 120g | 165g | 30-41g |
| 85kg / 187lb | 136g | 187g | 34-47g |
| 95kg / 209lb | 152g | 209g | 38-52g |
What that looks like on a plate
A target in grams only helps if you can picture it as food. These are the portions most people end up leaning on, because they are cheap, quick and easy to repeat.
- 150g cooked chicken breast: about 46g
- Two medium eggs: about 13g
- 170g pot of Greek yoghurt: about 17g
- Tin of tuna: about 25g
- 200g cooked lentils: about 18g
- One scoop of whey powder: about 22g
When to sit higher or lower in the range
Step 1
New to lifting
Start near 1.6g per kilogram. Early progress comes mostly from training and eating enough overall.
Step 2
Training hard, three or more sessions a week
Work towards 1.8 to 2.0g per kilogram as your sessions get heavier.
Step 3
Eating at or below maintenance
Sit nearer 2.2g per kilogram, which helps protect muscle when calories are tight.
Step 4
Carrying a lot of body fat
Base the sum on a bodyweight closer to your target weight, or the number can come out unrealistically high.
Why the spread across the day matters
Two people can eat the same 140 grams of protein and get different results from it. Muscle is rebuilt in bursts through the day rather than all at once overnight, so a target met in three or four reasonable portions is used more fully than the same total crammed into one large evening meal.
| When | What | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Two eggs on toast with a pot of Greek yoghurt | About 32g |
| Lunch | Tin of tuna, rice and salad | About 33g |
| Evening | 150g cooked chicken breast with potatoes and veg | About 48g |
| Later | Milk and a handful of nuts, or one scoop of whey | About 25g |
You do not need to eat immediately after training. The old idea of a 30-minute window has not held up well; getting a normal meal in within a few hours either side of a session is enough for the vast majority of people.
Hitting the target without meat or dairy
A plant-based target is the same number, reached with slightly larger portions. Most plant foods carry less protein per 100 grams and a lower share of the amino acid leucine, which is the one most closely tied to muscle repair. The practical fix is not a special product: it is bigger servings and more variety across the day.
- Aim towards the upper half of the range, nearer 1.8 to 2.0g per kilogram
- Lean on the denser sources: tofu, tempeh, seitan, soya mince, lentils and beans
- Combine grains with pulses across the day, such as rice with beans, so the amino acid profile fills out
- Soya and pea protein powders behave much like whey when a target is hard to reach on food alone
Common questions
- How many grams of protein do I need a day?
- Between 1.6 and 2.2 grams for every kilogram you weigh, if you are doing resistance training. A 70kg person needs roughly 112 to 154 grams a day. If you are not training, general health guidance is far lower, at around 0.75 grams per kilogram.
- Is this protein calculator accurate?
- It applies a well-established range to your bodyweight, so it is as accurate as that range is. It cannot account for medical conditions, pregnancy or a very high body-fat percentage, so treat it as a sensible starting point rather than a personal prescription.
- Should I calculate protein from my current weight or my goal weight?
- Use your current bodyweight if it is reasonably close to where you want to be. If you are carrying a lot of body fat, using a weight nearer your goal keeps the target realistic, because fat tissue does not need feeding with protein.
- How much protein per pound of bodyweight should I eat?
- The same range in imperial terms is roughly 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. A 165lb person would aim for about 115 to 165 grams a day, which matches the 75kg row in the table above.
- Can I eat too much protein?
- For healthy adults, intakes above the range are not generally harmful, but they do not build extra muscle either. The practical downside is that very high protein intakes crowd out the carbohydrates and fats that fuel your training.
References
Every figure in this guide traces to one of these documents. Open them and check.
- Protein — British Nutrition Foundation
- A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength — British Journal of Sports Medicine (2018)
- ISSN position stand: protein and exercise — Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
- Composition of foods integrated dataset (CoFID) — Public Health England
Educational information for adults aged 18 and over. It does not diagnose, treat or manage any medical condition. If you have a health condition, or symptoms that worry you, speak to a qualified clinician.