Free tool
How much protein, in grams.
Protein needs scale with body weight and with what you ask your body to do, which is why they are given in grams per kilogram rather than as a percentage of calories. This uses published intake ranges rather than our opinion, and links to them below.
Everything here runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded, nothing is stored, and there is no sign-up. These are estimates from published equations, not medical advice.
How much protein do you need a day?
It depends on body weight and on whether you train. The recommended dietary allowance is 0.8 grams per kilogram, which is set to prevent deficiency rather than to build anything. People who exercise regularly are generally advised to eat 1.4 to 2.0 grams per kilogram instead.
For a 70 kilogram adult that is the difference between 56 grams a day and 98 to 140 grams a day. The RDA is a floor for the general population, not a target for someone lifting three times a week, and the two are routinely confused.
Does protein need to go up while losing weight?
Generally yes. Eating less means the body is more willing to break down muscle for energy, and a higher protein intake blunts that. A practical range while in a deficit is 1.6 to 2.4 grams per kilogram. Resistance-trained people in steep deficits have been studied as high as 3.1 grams per kilogram.
Protein is also the most filling of the three macros per calorie, which matters more than the muscle argument for most people. A deficit you can tolerate is worth more than an optimal one you abandon in week 3.
Does it matter how you spread protein across the day?
A little, and less than the daily total. Spreading intake across 3 or 4 meals of roughly 25 to 40 grams is commonly recommended over eating most of it at dinner. The daily total is the part that clearly matters; the distribution is a refinement on top of it.
If you are hitting your number and feel fine, the timing question is not worth optimising. If you are struggling to hit it at all, spreading it out usually makes the total easier to reach, because 40 grams at breakfast is less daunting than 90 grams at 9pm.
Can you eat too much protein?
For healthy people, high intakes have not been shown to harm kidney function, and intakes well above these ranges are common in athletes without incident. The real cost is opportunity: calories spent on protein are calories not spent on carbohydrate or fat, inside the same total.
If you have kidney disease, liver disease, are pregnant, or take medication that depends on what you eat, these general ranges are not for you. Your own clinician is the one to follow. There is a list of places that can help if tracking ever stops feeling good.
What does hitting this look like in real food?
Three or four deliberate choices rather than a special diet. A 170 gram pot of Greek yogurt is 17 grams, a 150 gram chicken breast is 46 grams, a tin of tuna is 25 grams, and 2 eggs are 12 grams. That combination alone is 100 grams before anything else on the plate.
| Food | Protein |
|---|---|
| Chicken breast, 150 g cooked | 46 g |
| Tin of tuna, 145 g drained | 25 g |
| Greek yogurt, 170 g pot | 17 g |
| 2 large eggs | 12 g |
| Lentils, 200 g cooked | 18 g |
| Whey powder, 1 scoop (30 g) | 24 g |
Figures are rounded and vary by brand. The gap most people have is breakfast, which is often the only meal of the day carrying under 10 grams.
FAQ
How much protein for a 70 kg person?
Between 56 grams at the recommended dietary allowance and 98 to 140 grams if they train regularly. In a calorie deficit, 112 to 168 grams is the commonly used range. Adjust the fields above for your own weight.
Should protein be based on body weight or goal weight?
For most people current body weight is fine. At higher body fat percentages, using goal weight or lean body mass avoids inflating the number, because fat mass has a much lower protein requirement than muscle does.
Do I need protein powder to hit these numbers?
No. Powder is a convenience, not a requirement. Most people can reach these ranges from food, though it takes deliberate choices at breakfast and lunch rather than leaving all the protein until the evening meal.
Sources
- Jäger R et al., International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise, 2017
- Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Protein and Amino Acids, National Academies
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Be first in line.
CalorieCounter is coming to the App Store for iPhone. Leave your email and you get the link the day it is live. One email, nothing else.