Protein Intake Calculator

Protein is the nutrient almost everyone underestimates. Government guidelines set the floor at 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, but that minimum was designed to prevent deficiency, not to build or preserve muscle. This calculator scales your target to your activity level: a sedentary multiplier near 1.0, a moderate one around 1.5, and up to 2.0 for serious athletes. It returns a minimum, an optimal zone, and a sensible maximum — plus a per-meal figure so the daily total becomes actionable.

A 175-pound recreational lifter in San Diego training four days a week is a good example. At a moderate-to-high activity level, his optimal lands around 130 to 155 grams a day — roughly 45 to 50 grams across three meals. That is a palm-and-a-half of chicken or a big Greek yogurt at each sitting, a very different picture from the 60-gram RDA minimum his weight alone would suggest.

More is not always better: consistently extreme intakes add cost and calories without extra benefit for most people, and anyone with kidney disease should follow their doctor's guidance, not a calculator. Spread intake through the day, since the body uses protein best in per-meal doses.