Free tool
How much protein do you actually need?
Most people are guessing, and most people are eating too little. Answer a few quick questions and you'll have your daily target in about ten seconds, along with a simple way to hit it across the day.
Work out your number
Answer a few quick questions to see your protein target.
Pop in your weight and pick a goal and training load first.
Your daily target
0 g
of protein a day
Spread over four meals, that's roughly 0 g each time, about a palm-sized serve per meal.
Carrying a fair bit of extra weight? Add your goal weight above for a sharper target.
How this is calculated
For most people who train, 1.4 to 1.8 g of protein per kg of body weight a day covers it: around 1.4 to 1.6 to maintain, 1.6 to 1.8 to build muscle, and the top of that band when you're losing fat, since more protein protects muscle in a calorie deficit. We cap it at 1.8 g per kg, as going higher rarely adds anything for most people. Your training load nudges the number within each band.
If you're carrying a lot of extra weight, basing protein on your current weight overshoots, so we use your goal weight when you enter one. These are strong starting numbers, not a substitute for a dietitian.
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This is general guidance to get you moving, not personal medical or dietary advice. For a plan built around your body, your health and your goals, our accredited dietitian Charlie can help.
How much protein do you actually need?
Protein is the one nutrient almost everyone under-eats, and the one that changes the most when you get it right. It keeps you full, it protects and builds muscle, and it does more for how your body looks and performs than any single food swap you can name. The problem is that the general advice, like the old 0.8 g per kg figure, is aimed at avoiding deficiency, not at looking and feeling your best.
For anyone who trains, the evidence points to 1.6 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. The higher end suits you when you're losing fat, because extra protein protects the muscle you've worked for while you're eating less. This calculator lands you in that range and adjusts for your goal and how often you train.
What if I'm carrying extra weight?
If you have a lot of fat to lose, basing the number on your current weight overshoots, because fat tissue doesn't need feeding the way muscle does. In that case, use your goal weight in the calculator above, or aim toward the lower end, around 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram. It's still far more than most people eat.
The easiest way to hit it
Don't overthink the grams. The simplest rule that works for almost everyone is a palm-sized serve of protein at every meal, three to four times a day. Chicken, fish, eggs, Greek yoghurt, tofu, lean mince. Build each plate around the protein first and the target tends to take care of itself.
How much protein do I need per day?
For anyone training, 1.6 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, leaning to the higher end when losing fat. That's well above the old 0.8 g per kg guideline, which was only ever about avoiding deficiency, not building or keeping muscle.
Is too much protein bad for you?
For healthy people, high-protein diets within the ranges above are well tolerated and not harmful to the kidneys, despite the common myth. If you have existing kidney disease, speak to your doctor or a dietitian first.
Does protein timing matter?
Far less than the total you eat across the day. Hitting your daily target matters most. Spreading it fairly evenly across three to four meals is a useful bonus, but it won't make or break your results.
Do I need protein powder to hit my target?
No. Whole foods can get you there easily: a palm of protein at each meal usually does it. A shake is just a convenient way to top up on busy days, not a requirement.
Can you build a plan around this for me?
Yes. Our accredited dietitian Charlie turns targets like these into a plan built around your food preferences, your training and your health, and first appointments are usually claimable on private health. You can book directly through the site.
Want it dialled in for you?
The calculator gets you the number. Charlie, our accredited dietitian, builds the whole thing around your life, your training and your goals.
Book with our dietitian