bmicalculatorsystem.com
Enter your weight, activity level, and goal to get a daily protein target in grams — with a healthy range and a per-meal split, computed instantly in your browser.
Maintain · Lose fat · Build muscle · Free
Estimates use grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, scaled for your activity and goal. Results update instantly — nothing is stored or sent anywhere.
Your result
120
grams of protein / day
A solid daily target to maintain your muscle and overall health.
Daily range
108 – 132 g
Per meal
30 g
From protein
480 kcal
Intake basis
1.6 g/kg
How it works
Protein needs track body weight more closely than calories, so guidelines from the International Society of Sports Nutrition and the ACSM are written in grams per kilogram. This tool takes that band, nudges it for how active you are, and points it at your goal — whether that's holding your weight, losing fat, or building muscle.
01
Grams per kilogram is the standard. We use your body weight as the base and never drop below the 0.8 g/kg dietary minimum.
02
Training breaks down muscle protein. The more you move, the more your target shifts up within the evidence-based range.
03
Losing fat or building muscle both call for more protein to protect lean mass. We raise the band and split it across your meals.
Reference
A quick map of grams-per-kilogram targets, from the bare minimum to the high end used when cutting on a tight deficit. These ranges follow ISSN and ACSM position stands.
| Intake | Who it suits |
|---|---|
| 0.8 g/kg | RDA minimum |
| 1.2 – 1.4 g/kg | Active, general fitness |
| 1.4 – 1.6 g/kg | Endurance training |
| 1.6 – 2.2 g/kg | Fat loss / muscle gain |
| 2.2 g/kg and above | Advanced / cutting |
Where to get it
Hitting a 120–160 g daily target is easier once you know roughly what each food delivers. Here's a handful of staples and their protein per common serving.
| Food | Serving | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast | 100 g, cooked | 31 g |
| Greek yogurt | 170 g tub | 17 g |
| Eggs | 2 large | 12 g |
| Lentils | 1 cup, cooked | 18 g |
| Tofu, firm | 100 g | 17 g |
| Whey protein | 1 scoop | 24 g |
The playbook
The number on the calculator only helps if you reach it most days. These habits make a high protein intake practical rather than a chore.
TIMING
Three to five meals of 20–40 g each drive more muscle-protein synthesis than one big hit. A protein source at every meal is the simplest rule that works.
QUALITY
Animal foods and soy contain all nine essential amino acids. If you eat mostly plants, combine sources — beans with grains, for example — to cover the full set.
TRAINING
A protein-rich meal within a few hours of lifting supports repair. The exact timing matters far less than hitting your daily total, so don’t stress the window.
FAT LOSS
Protein is the most filling macronutrient and costs the most energy to digest. Keeping it high makes a calorie deficit easier to sustain and protects your muscle.
PRACTICAL
Knowing three or four 30 g-protein meals by heart removes the daily guesswork. Repetition, not novelty, is what keeps intake consistent week to week.
HYDRATION
Higher protein intakes increase the nitrogen your kidneys clear. For healthy people that’s no problem — just keep fluids up across the day.
Under the hood
We take a grams-per-kilogram band for your goal, shift it by an activity offset, and never let it fall under the 0.8 g/kg dietary minimum. Your daily target is the middle of that band times your weight; the per-meal figure simply divides it by how many meals you eat.
Every result on this page is computed locally in your browser with these exact formulas. Nothing is uploaded, logged, or stored.
# Protein target (weight in kg)
# Base band by goal (g per kg)
maintain = 1.2 – 1.6
lose / gain = 1.6 – 2.2
# Activity offset (g per kg)
sedentary -0.2 light 0.0
moderate +0.1 active +0.25
lo = max(0.8, base_lo + offset)
hi = base_hi + offset
target = weight × (lo + hi) / 2
per_meal = target / meals
kcal = target × 4The bigger picture
A protein target tells you what to eat; it doesn't tell you where you stand. Pair it with your BMI for a quick read on whether your weight sits in a healthy range, and with your body fat percentage to see how much of that weight is muscle versus fat.
Those three numbers work together: BMI and body fat show you the destination, and protein — alongside training and a sensible calorie balance — is one of the levers that gets you there while keeping your muscle intact.
Working with a child's nutrition instead? Adult protein targets don't apply — start with our children's BMI calculator, or read more in our health blog.
FAQ
It depends on your weight and goal. The bare minimum to avoid deficiency is about 0.8 g per kg of body weight, but most active people do better at 1.2–1.6 g/kg, and 1.6–2.2 g/kg is the sweet spot for losing fat without losing muscle or for building it. For a 75 kg person that is roughly 90 g to 165 g a day.
This calculator uses body weight, which is how most sports-nutrition guidelines (ISSN, ACSM) frame protein needs — grams per kilogram. It is more reliable than a flat percentage of calories because the same percentage means very different amounts depending on how much you eat.
For healthy people, intakes up to about 2 g per kg per day are well tolerated, and even higher in the short term. Very high intakes are usually just unnecessary rather than harmful. If you have kidney disease or another medical condition, talk to your doctor before raising protein significantly.
Total daily protein matters most, but spreading it across 3–5 meals of roughly 20–40 g each maximises muscle-protein synthesis better than loading it all into one meal. That is why this calculator shows a per-meal target alongside the daily total.
For most people, current body weight works well. If you carry a lot of excess fat, basing protein on your target or lean body weight avoids overestimating — fat tissue needs little protein to maintain. When in doubt, aim toward the lower end of the range.
No. It is an evidence-based estimate for general fitness and health. Individual needs vary with age, training, pregnancy, and medical conditions, so use it as a starting point and consult a registered dietitian or doctor for a personalised plan.
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