Protein Calculator
Protein protects muscle when you cut, builds it when you gain, and keeps you full either way. Here is your number, per day and per meal.
Where these numbers come from
The research on protein intake is unusually consistent. For people who train, muscle protein synthesis is maximised somewhere between 1.6 and 2.2 g per kg of body weight per day; eating beyond that is not harmful, just unnecessary. Sedentary adults get by on far less, but even there, higher intakes protect muscle as you age.
Dieters get the highest target. In a calorie deficit your body is looking for tissue to burn, and abundant protein plus resistance training is what convinces it to take fat instead of muscle.
What your target looks like as food
| Food | Portion | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast | 150 g cooked | ~46 g |
| Eggs | 3 large | ~19 g |
| Greek yogurt | 200 g | ~20 g |
| Tuna | 1 can (140 g) | ~30 g |
| Lean beef | 150 g cooked | ~40 g |
| Lentils, cooked | 1 cup | ~18 g |
| Whey protein | 1 scoop | ~24 g |
| Tofu, firm | 150 g | ~17 g |
The 30-gram anchor. Build every meal around at least 30 g of protein and your daily total mostly takes care of itself. Breakfast is where most people fall short — fixing that one meal usually closes the gap.
Common mistakes
- Counting cooked weight as raw. 150 g of raw chicken is about 110 g cooked; know which one your tracker expects.
- Saving it all for dinner. Your total matters most, but 3–5 doses spread over the day edges out one huge meal for muscle building.
- Buying supplements before food. Whey is convenient, not magic. If you can hit your number with food, you lose nothing by skipping the powder.
Frequently asked questions
Is high protein bad for my kidneys?
Not in healthy people — the research on intakes well above 2 g per kg shows no harm to normal kidneys. Anyone with existing kidney disease should follow their doctor's limits.
Does plant protein count the same?
Yes, with a small caveat: most single plant sources are lower in one amino acid or another, so vegans benefit from variety and roughly 10% higher totals.
Can my body only absorb 30 g per meal?
It absorbs virtually all of it — larger meals simply digest more slowly. The 30 g figure is about optimising muscle building per meal, not an absorption ceiling.