Skip to content
PepFitCoach™

Try berberine, leg press, retatrutide or HbA1c.

    Protein calculator

    How much protein
    do I need?

    Enter your weight and your goal for your grams a day and per meal, what that looks like in food, and a printable protein plan with a sample day.

    How much protein do I need?

    Protein is what your muscles are built from. Enter your weight and your goal; you'll get grams a day, grams per meal, and what that looks like on your plate.

    What's your goal?
    Meals a day

    Your daily protein

    131 g–180 g

    That's 1.6–2.2 g per kg (0.7–1.0 g per lb) of body weight a day.

    Per meal (3 meals)

    about 52 g

    Spread it out: most people use about 25–40 g at a meal best.

    Building or keeping muscle: protein only builds muscle if you give it a reason to. Lift weights 2–4 days a week, sleep 7–9 hours, and have a protein-rich meal within a few hours after training. Most of the benefit comes by about 1.6 g per kg; the top of the range is useful when you're eating less to lose fat.

    What 155 g of protein looks like in food
    • A palm-sized chicken breast or fish fillet (4 oz)≈ 30 g
    • 1 cup Greek yogurt≈ 20 g
    • 1 scoop whey or plant protein powder≈ 22 g
    • 3 eggs≈ 18 g
    • 1 cup cottage cheese≈ 25 g
    • 1 can of tuna≈ 25 g
    • 1 cup cooked lentils or beans≈ 17 g
    • A palm-sized steak or ground beef patty (4 oz)≈ 28 g

    Example day: 3 eggs (18 g) + a cup of Greek yogurt (20 g) + chicken at lunch (30 g) + fish at dinner (30 g) + one shake (22 g) ≈ 120 g.

    Your target, protein foods to pick from and a sample day. Easy to print.

    Estimates for healthy adults. If you have kidney disease, are pregnant, or your doctor has limited your protein, ask your clinician or a dietitian for your number.

    More free tools