Protein Calculator
Find your ideal daily protein intake based on your weight, goal, and activity level; then see exactly how much to hit per meal, across Low, Moderate, and High protein targets.
Protein Targets by Goal
Lose Weight / Fat
High protein preserves muscle during a calorie deficit
Maintain
Support lean mass and daily tissue repair at maintenance
Gain Muscle
Maximise muscle protein synthesis during a calorie surplus
Protein targets are expressed as a range because the research shows a spread, not a single magic number. Activity level, training age, and body composition all shift where in that range you should sit.
The Basics
Why Protein Matters
Muscle & Recovery
The primary building block
Protein provides the amino acids your body uses to repair and build muscle tissue after training. Without adequate protein, resistance training stimulus goes to waste, your muscles can't rebuild what was broken down. It's not optional if you're training seriously; it's the foundation everything else sits on.
Satiety & Fat Loss
The most filling macronutrient
Protein is significantly more satiating per calorie than carbohydrates or fat, it suppresses appetite hormones and keeps you full for longer. During a calorie deficit, high protein intake also protects lean muscle mass from being used as fuel, so more of the weight you lose comes from fat rather than muscle.
Thermic Effect
Burns more calories to digest
Protein has the highest thermic effect of food (TEF) of any macronutrient, your body burns approximately 20–30% of protein calories just processing it, compared to 5–10% for carbohydrates and 0–3% for fat. This means a high-protein diet gives you a small but meaningful metabolic advantage at the same total calorie intake.
Setting Your Target
How Much Protein?
There is no single universal protein target, the research consistently shows a range, and where you sit within that range depends on your goal, your activity level, and your body composition.
For fat loss, higher protein is more important than at any other goal. You're eating less food overall, which creates pressure to lose muscle alongside fat. Sitting at the upper end of the range, 2.2–2.7g per kg, minimises that muscle loss and helps you stay full on fewer calories.
For muscle gain, you need enough protein to support muscle protein synthesis, but the upper ceiling is lower than most people think. Research suggests that beyond roughly 2.2g per kg, additional protein provides diminishing returns for muscle growth specifically.
Activity level matters because more training means more muscle breakdown requiring repair. A sedentary person can maintain lean mass at 1.2g per kg. Someone training hard six days a week needs significantly more to recover and adapt.
The calculator gives you a Low, Moderate, and High target; use the moderate range as your starting point and adjust based on how well you recover, how full you feel, and whether you're hitting your body composition goals over 4–8 weeks.
Targets by Goal — per kg bodyweight
Activity Level Adjustment
Sedentary individuals can maintain lean mass at the low end of each range. Moderate exercisers (3–5 days/wk) should target the middle. High and very heavy trainers (6–7 days/wk or intense daily exercise) should sit at the upper end; recovery demands are significantly higher.
Spreading It Out
Timing & Distribution
Spread It Evenly
~0.4g per kg per meal
Research shows muscle protein synthesis (MPS) is maximised when protein is distributed evenly across meals, not front-loaded or back-loaded. Each meal gives your muscles a fresh stimulus to build. Eating 40g at breakfast, lunch, and dinner is more effective than eating 10g, 10g, and 100g.
Post-Workout Window
Useful, not critical
The "anabolic window", the idea that you must consume protein within 30 minutes post-training, is largely overstated. What matters more is total daily protein. That said, if your next meal is more than 3–4 hours away after training, a post-workout protein source is a sensible habit that doesn't hurt and may help.
Number of Meals
3–6 meals works best
The calculator lets you choose 3, 4, 5, or 6 meals per day and adjusts your per-meal target accordingly. Research suggests 3–6 protein-containing meals is the practical sweet spot for maximising MPS across the day. Going below 3 leaves long gaps; going above 6 offers no additional benefit and becomes impractical for most people.
Food & Special Cases
Sources & Pregnancy
Hitting your protein target is only half the job — the quality of the protein you eat matters too. Protein quality is determined by its amino acid profile, particularly its content of essential amino acids (EAAs) and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) like leucine, which directly triggers muscle protein synthesis.
Animal-based proteins — meat, fish, eggs, and dairy — are generally complete proteins, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids in proportions your body can use efficiently. They also tend to have higher leucine content per gram of protein.
Plant-based proteins can meet your needs but typically require more attention to variety. Most plant proteins are lower in one or more essential amino acids. Combining different sources — legumes, grains, tofu, tempeh, edamame — across the day ensures a complete amino acid profile without needing to combine at every single meal.
During pregnancy, protein requirements increase substantially to support foetal development, placental growth, and the mother's expanding blood volume and uterine tissue. The calculator accounts for this by adding approximately 25g per day to the base target when the pregnancy option is selected — in line with WHO and EFSA guidance.
These are general guidelines only. Pregnant women should always work with a registered dietitian or midwife to ensure their specific nutritional needs are being met appropriately throughout each trimester.
Protein per 100g — Common Sources
Pregnancy Protein Needs
Additional requirements above baseline
General guidance only — always consult your midwife or registered dietitian for personalised advice during pregnancy.