Protein Calculator - How Much Protein Do You Need Per Day?

Protein needs are set by body weight. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight a day. That is the amount that prevents deficiency in most healthy, fairly inactive adults. It is a floor, not a target for everyone.

If you exercise regularly, are trying to lose fat or want to build muscle, research supports eating more. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) recommends 1.4-2.0 g/kg for most exercising people, and up to about 2.2 g/kg is commonly used for building muscle. This protein intake calculator uses three ranges:

Within each range, your activity level decides where you land: sedentary uses the low end and extra active the high end. The Macro Calculator uses exactly the same numbers, so the two tools always agree. For an India-focused guide, read our article on daily protein requirement in India.

Use this table as a quick protein requirement calculator. Values are rounded to the nearest 5 g, the same way the calculator above rounds your result.

Typical Indian diets are built around rice, roti and other cereals, with a small bowl of dal on the side. Surveys regularly find that many Indians, and vegetarians in particular, eat less protein than they need, and that much of it comes from cereals rather than richer sources. A day of roti, rice, one katori of dal and sabzi often lands well below even the 0.8 g/kg baseline for an adult.

The fix is not complicated. Add a protein-rich food to every meal. Use the "protein calculator in food" approach: look up what you actually eat, then fill the gap.

How you spread your protein matters as well as the daily total. Many people eat very little protein at breakfast and most of it at dinner. Research suggests muscle responds best to about 20-40 g of protein per meal, spread over 3-4 meals.

• Breakfast: add curd, paneer bhurji, besan chilla, eggs or a glass of milk to poha or upma.
• Lunch and dinner: make dal, chana, rajma, paneer, chicken or fish a proper portion, not a side.
• Snack: roasted chana, peanuts, sprouts chaat or Greek yogurt fill the gap between meals.
• Around workouts: a protein-rich meal within a few hours before or after training is enough. You do not need to rush a shake.

If protein powder helps you hit your target, it is a convenience, not a requirement. Whole foods can cover the full amount for most people.

The same g/kg ranges apply to men and women. Women usually need fewer grams in total simply because they tend to weigh less, not because the recommendation is different. Pregnancy and breastfeeding raise protein needs, so follow your doctor's advice during those times.

Older adults lose muscle more easily with age, and many experts suggest they aim a little above the 0.8 g/kg RDA, with regular strength or resistance exercise. If you are older or have a health condition, a doctor or registered dietitian can help you set the right number.

For healthy adults, eating up to about 2 g of protein per kg a day is generally considered safe. There is no need to go far beyond the ranges in this calculator: extra protein above your needs is simply used for energy.

The main practical risk of a very high protein diet is that it pushes out other foods. Keep vegetables, fruit, whole grains and water in your day alongside your protein.