Protein Intake Calculator

How much protein do you need per day?

The official minimum, called the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), is 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight per day for healthy adults, or about 0.36 g per pound. This is enough to prevent deficiency in people who do little exercise. Research shows that people who exercise, want to build muscle, are losing weight or are older benefit from more:

Situation	Protein per kg per day	Per lb per day
Minimum for healthy, inactive adults (RDA)	0.8 g	0.36 g
Adults aged 65+	1.0 – 1.2 g	0.45 – 0.55 g
Regular exercise	1.2 – 1.6 g	0.55 – 0.73 g
Building muscle	1.6 – 2.2 g	0.73 – 1.0 g
Losing fat while keeping muscle	1.6 – 2.2 g	0.73 – 1.0 g
Pregnancy (2nd and 3rd trimester)	about 1.1 g	about 0.5 g
Breastfeeding	about 1.3 g	about 0.6 g

How the calculator works

It multiplies your body weight by a protein range that matches your activity level and goal, then raises the minimum if you are 65 or older, pregnant or breastfeeding. If you add your height and your BMI is 30 or above, it uses the weight you would have at a BMI of 25 instead, so the target is not inflated by body fat.

Example: a 70 kg adult who exercises 3–5 days a week and wants to build muscle needs 1.6–1.8 g per kg, which is 112–126 g of protein a day, or about 37–42 g per meal over three meals.

Protein in common foods

Food	Serving	Protein
Chicken breast, cooked	100 g	about 31 g
Fish (such as rohu or salmon), cooked	100 g	about 22 g
Beef or mutton, lean, cooked	100 g	about 26 g
Eggs	2 large	about 13 g
Greek yogurt	1 cup (200 g)	about 20 g
Plain yogurt (dahi)	1 cup (245 g)	about 9 g
Milk	1 glass (250 ml)	about 8 g
Paneer	100 g	about 18 g
Lentils (dal), cooked	1 cup	about 18 g
Chickpeas (chana), cooked	1 cup	about 15 g
Peanuts	30 g handful	about 7 g
Whole wheat roti	1 medium	about 3 g

Tips to reach your protein target

Spread protein across the day rather than eating most of it at dinner; about 20–40 g per meal suits most adults. Add a protein food to every meal, such as eggs at breakfast, dal or chana at lunch and chicken, fish or paneer at dinner. Combine plant proteins like dal with rice or roti to get a complete mix of amino acids. Keep easy snacks such as yogurt, milk, boiled eggs or roasted chana on hand. To plan your carbs and fat as well, use the Macro Calculator.

Can you eat too much protein?

For healthy adults, intakes up to about 2 g per kg a day are considered safe over the long term. Very high intakes offer no extra benefit and can crowd out fibre-rich foods. People with kidney disease need to limit protein and should follow their doctor's advice.

Frequently asked questions

How many grams of protein do I need a day?

At least 0.8 g per kg of body weight, which is about 56 g for a 70 kg person. If you exercise regularly or want to build muscle, aim for 1.2–2.2 g per kg.

How much protein do I need to build muscle?

Most research supports about 1.6 g per kg per day, with benefits up to around 2.2 g per kg, combined with regular strength training.

How much protein should I eat to lose weight?

Around 1.6–2.2 g per kg helps you feel full and keep muscle while eating fewer calories. If you have a lot of weight to lose, base it on a healthy reference weight rather than your current weight.

How much protein can the body absorb in one meal?

Your body absorbs almost all the protein you eat. For muscle building, about 20–40 g per meal is used most efficiently, which is why spreading intake over the day helps.

Can I get enough protein as a vegetarian?

Yes. Dal, chana, rajma, soy, paneer, milk, yogurt, nuts and seeds can easily meet your needs if you include them at every meal.