Protein Intake Calculator — Daily Grams by Weight & Activity (2026)
Your daily protein in grams: the 0.8 g/kg RDA baseline plus the evidence-based range for your activity level (up to the 1.2–2.0 g/kg athlete range). Sources cited, no signup.
Protein needs scale with body weight and training, not with marketing. Enter five details and get your RDA baseline plus the commonly cited range for your activity level — in grams you can act on, with the sources named.
Where these numbers come from
The 0.8 g/kg baseline is the IOM's Recommended Dietary Allowance — the intake that prevents deficiency in nearly all healthy adults. The upper ranges come from the joint position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine, which supports 1.2–2.0 g/kg for active people.
We scale the range with your selected activity level: sedentary adults sit near the RDA, while very active people get the full athlete range. Older adults benefit from the higher end of whatever range applies — muscle protein synthesis gets less efficient with age.
Hitting the number in real meals
Most people land easiest by anchoring each meal around 25–40 g: eggs or yogurt in the morning, a palm-or-two of meat, fish, beans, or tofu at lunch and dinner. Distribution matters less than the daily total, but even spacing makes the total easier to reach.
On a calorie deficit, protein is the macro you protect: keep the absolute grams steady while calories drop, which usually means protein becomes a larger share of the plate — exactly what the higher-protein patterns in our macro calculator model.
What is my protein requirement in grams per day?
Your protein requirement starts at 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight — the IOM's Recommended Dietary Allowance — and climbs with how hard you train. The calculator above scales that floor across four activity bands: 0.8–1.0 g/kg for sedentary adults, 1.0–1.4 for moderately active, 1.2–1.7 for active, and 1.4–2.0 g/kg at very active, the ceiling of the AND/DC/ACSM position stand.
In grams, a 70 kg (154 lb) adult needs about 56 g a day at the RDA floor, 70–98 g when moderately active, and 98–140 g at the top of the athlete range. A 90 kg (198 lb) adult scales to 72 g, 90–126 g, and 126–180 g. Enter your own weight above and every band fills in at once.
Is a protein requirement the same as a protein target?
No, and treating them as one number is why protein advice sounds contradictory. The RDA is a floor — the intake that prevents deficiency in nearly all healthy sedentary adults. It was never set as the amount that best supports training, protects muscle during weight loss, or offsets ageing.
The higher bands are targets rather than requirements, drawn from performance research instead of deficiency prevention. The gap is not small: at 70 kg it runs from 56 g at the floor to 140 g at the top, more than 80 grams a day at one body weight. Which number is yours depends on training, age, and whether you're eating in a deficit.
How do I turn a protein requirement into food?
The USDA counts protein foods in ounce-equivalents, and most adults need 5 to 6½ a day. One ounce-equivalent is 1 ounce of cooked meat, poultry, or seafood; 1 egg; 1 tablespoon of peanut butter; ¼ cup of cooked beans; or ½ ounce of nuts or seeds. The protein foods group page carries the full daily amounts by calorie level — 2 ounce-equivalents at 1,000 calories up to 7 at the highest.
Grams and ounce-equivalents answer different questions: grams tell you how much protein, ounce-equivalents tell you how much food. To plan against grams directly, the High-Protein Foods Chart lists protein per serving for common foods on a single printable page.
Formula & sources
Daily protein
W = weight in kg. The RDA floor is 0.8 g/kg; g/kg rises with activity (below).
Protein per kilogram by activity
| Activity level | g per kg |
|---|---|
| Sedentary (RDA floor 0.8) | 0.8–1.0 |
| Moderately active | 1.0–1.4 |
| Active | 1.2–1.7 |
| Very active | 1.4–2.0 |
Sources
- Institute of Medicine (2005) Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids — the 0.8 g/kg protein RDA.
- Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM (2016) Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and ACSM: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. J Acad Nutr Diet 116(3):501–528 (1.2–2.0 g/kg).
Protein questions, answered
How much protein do I need per day?
The RDA is 0.8 g per kg of body weight — the floor, not the target. Active people benefit from 1.2–2.0 g/kg per the AND/DC/ACSM position stand. This page computes both for your actual weight.
Is high protein bad for your kidneys?
In healthy people, intakes within the ranges shown haven't been demonstrated to harm kidney function. People with existing kidney disease are the exception and should set protein targets with their clinician.
Can I just use grams per pound?
Sure — divide the g/kg figures by 2.2. The popular '1 g per pound' rule equals 2.2 g/kg, slightly above the evidence-based ceiling for most people; it's not dangerous for healthy adults, just usually unnecessary.
Does protein timing matter?
Far less than the daily total. Spreading intake across 3–4 meals of 25–40 g each modestly helps muscle protein synthesis, especially around training and in older adults — but total grams remain the headline.
Do I need protein powder?
No — it's a convenience, not a requirement. The USDA protein-foods group (meat, seafood, eggs, beans, lentils, nuts, soy) covers any target on this page; powder just makes some totals easier to schedule.
How does this connect to my MyPlate Plan?
The MyPlate Plan expresses protein as daily ounce-equivalents of protein foods at your calorie level. This page gives you the grams target; the plan shows what it looks like as actual food on a plate.
How much protein do I need to build muscle?
The band for muscle gain sits at the top of the active range: 1.4–2.0 g/kg, per the AND/DC/ACSM position stand. At 80 kg that's 112–160 g a day. Intakes above 2.0 g/kg haven't been shown to add further benefit in healthy adults.
Does my protein requirement change with age?
The RDA itself doesn't change after 19, but older adults do better nearer the top of whichever band applies: muscle protein synthesis becomes less responsive with age, so the same grams do less work. That's an argument for the upper end of your range, not for exceeding it.
How much protein do I need to lose weight?
The same grams as before the deficit, or slightly more — protein is the macro to hold steady while calories fall, because that's what protects lean mass. In practice it becomes a larger share of a smaller plate, which is what the high-protein split in the macro calculator models.
Is the protein requirement different for women?
The g/kg figures are the same. The RDA and the 1.2–2.0 g/kg active range scale with body weight rather than sex, so the grams differ only because weights differ. Pregnancy and lactation do raise requirements and should be set with a clinician.