Free Tools
Protein Calculator
Work out exactly how much protein you need each day to build muscle, lose fat without losing muscle, or simply stay healthy — based on your bodyweight and goal.
No sign-up, no maths. Enter your weight, pick your goal, and get your daily gram target, a sensible per-meal split, and how much whey it takes to hit the number.
Enter your bodyweight and pick a goal to see your daily protein target.
Nutrition tool
TDEE & Macro Calculator
Protein is one macro. Get your full calorie, carb and fat targets for any goal here.
Why protein per kilo, not a flat number
A 60kg runner and a 100kg powerlifter do not need the same protein, so a single "eat 150g" rule is useless. Scaling the target to your bodyweight is what the research actually does, which is why every serious guideline is written in grams per kilogram. Your goal then shifts the multiplier: building or dieting sits at the high end to build or protect muscle, while general health sits lower.
Spread it across the day
Total daily protein is what matters most, but how you split it still helps. Landing roughly 0.4 grams per kilogram in each of three to five meals maximises the muscle-building signal per sitting and is easier to digest than one giant serving. That is the per-meal figure the calculator shows alongside your daily total.
Where whey fits
Whole foods should do the heavy lifting, but most people fall short by dinner without realising it. A whey shake is the cheapest, fastest way to add 20 to 25 grams of complete protein, which is why it is the one supplement almost every evidence-based coach recommends. On our whey rankings, value comes down to true cost per effective serving — not the sticker price on the tub.
Common questions
How much protein should I eat per day?+
For most people training to build or keep muscle, roughly 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight daily is the evidence-based range. On a fat-loss phase it is pushed a little higher, around 1.8 to 2.4 g/kg, to protect lean mass while you eat in a deficit. A lightly active adult with no physique goal needs less, closer to 0.8 to 1.0 g/kg. Enter your weight above and the calculator turns that into a gram target.
How much protein to build muscle?+
Muscle growth is well supported by about 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day, combined with progressive resistance training and enough total calories. Eating far beyond that range does not build extra muscle; the surplus is simply used for energy. Consistency across the week matters more than any single high-protein day.
Should I use bodyweight or lean body mass?+
Total bodyweight works well for most people and is what this calculator uses. If you are carrying a lot of excess fat, basing the target on lean body mass (or a goal bodyweight) avoids over-shooting the number, since fat tissue does not need feeding with protein. For lean and average builds the two approaches land in a similar place.
How much protein can I absorb in one meal?+
Your body absorbs almost all the protein you eat; the real question is how much drives muscle building per meal. Around 0.4 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per sitting, roughly 25 to 40 grams for most people, maximises that response. Spreading your daily total across three to five meals of that size is more effective than loading it all into one.
Do I need a protein powder to hit my target?+
No, whole foods can cover it, but a scoop of whey is the cheapest and easiest way to close the gap when real food falls short, especially around training or on busy days. One 30g scoop adds roughly 24 grams of high-quality protein. If you tolerate dairy, whey is the best-value option; if not, a plant blend works too.
Is this medical advice?+
No. These are general, evidence-based starting points for healthy adults, not personalised medical or clinical advice. If you have kidney disease, are pregnant, or have another health condition, speak to a qualified clinician before making large changes to your protein intake.
Hit your number with the right whey
Once you know your daily target, the easiest way to close the gap is a scoop or two of whey. We score every whey protein 0–100 on the evidence and rank them by true cost per effective serving, so you pay for protein, not marketing.
Informational only — not medical advice. Protein targets are general, evidence-based starting points for healthy adults. Buy links are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.