Calori

Protein calculator

Find out how much protein you need a day for your body weight and goal, and how much to aim for at each meal.

By the Calori team · Updated · 2 min read

Protein a day

120–165g

Higher protein helps keep muscle in a deficit.

Aim for

145g

The middle of your range

Per meal

35g

Spread over 4 meals

How the protein calculator works

Protein needs are worked out in grams per kilogram of body weight. The calculator multiplies your weight by the range that research supports for your goal, then splits the middle of that range across your meals.

GoalProtein per kg a dayFor a 75 kg adult
General health (UK reference intake)0.75 g56 g
Endurance training1.2–1.6 g90–120 g
Over 651.0–1.2 g75–90 g
Building muscle1.6–2.2 g120–165 g
Losing fat while keeping muscle1.6–2.2 g120–165 g

Why the ranges are different

The UK reference intake of 0.75 g per kg is the amount that covers the basic needs of nearly all adults. It is a minimum for health, not the best amount for building or keeping muscle.

When you train with weights, a large analysis of studies found that muscle gains kept improving up to around 1.6 g per kg a day and levelled off after that, with 2.2 g per kg as a sensible upper limit to cover everyone. In a calorie deficit, the body is more likely to break down muscle for energy, so staying at the higher end helps you lose fat rather than muscle. Higher protein also keeps you fuller for longer, which makes a deficit easier to stick to.

From middle age onwards, muscles respond less to the protein you eat, so experts recommend 1.0 to 1.2 g per kg for people over 65, and more if they are active or recovering from illness.

Protein per meal

Spreading protein across the day works better than eating most of it at dinner. A practical target is 20 to 40 g per meal, or roughly 0.4 g per kg of body weight, over three or four meals. Breakfast is where most people fall short: toast or cereal on its own often has less than 10 g.

Easy ways to hit your target

  • Build every meal around a protein: eggs, Greek yoghurt, chicken, fish, tofu, lentils or lean mince.
  • Swap regular yoghurt for skyr or 0% Greek yoghurt for around 15 g of protein per pot.
  • Keep tinned tuna, cottage cheese and cooked chicken in for quick lunches.
  • Use a protein shake when you are short, not as a replacement for meals.

For 30 ideas with the protein listed for each, see our guide to high protein meals. To check you are hitting your number, track it: Calori shows your protein for every meal you photograph, alongside calories, carbs and fat.

Want the detail behind these numbers? Read how much protein do I need a day.

Frequently asked questions

How much protein do I need a day?
The UK reference intake for adults is 0.75 g of protein per kg of body weight, which is about 56 g for a 75 kg adult. If you lift weights, are trying to build muscle or are losing weight, research supports more: around 1.6 to 2.2 g per kg.
How much protein do I need to build muscle?
Most people build muscle best on around 1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight a day, alongside regular resistance training. Going up to 2.2 g per kg is a reasonable upper target if you want to be sure you are getting enough.
Can you eat too much protein?
For healthy adults, intakes up to about 2 g per kg of body weight are considered safe. If you have kidney disease, speak to your GP or a dietitian before increasing your protein.
Should I use my current weight or goal weight?
If you are carrying a lot of extra weight, use your goal weight or a healthy weight for your height instead of your current weight, otherwise the calculator will overestimate how much protein you need.

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