Protein Calculator

How much protein do you need?

The official minimum, the RDA, is 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight. That is enough to avoid deficiency in sedentary adults, but research on people who exercise, diet or are getting older points to more. The calculator above picks a range based on your goal and training so you get a target, not just a minimum.

Protein targets by goal

The 1.6 g/kg figure comes from a 2018 meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which found that the muscle-building benefit of extra protein levelled off around that point. 2.2 g/kg is a generous upper end that covers most people. While dieting, higher intakes help hold on to muscle and keep hunger down.

Spread it across the day

Your body uses protein better when it arrives in several decent servings rather than one huge dinner. A practical target is 25 to 40 g per meal across three or four meals. The calculator splits your daily range by your number of meals so you know what to aim for at breakfast, which is where most people fall short.

What does 30 g of protein look like?

• About 3.5 oz (100 g) of cooked chicken breast
• A cup (250 g) of low-fat cottage cheese
• Four large eggs plus a slice of cheese
• A scoop of whey protein in milk
• A Chipotle bowl with a single portion of chicken (32 g from the chicken alone)

Hitting your number

Protein is the macro most people undershoot, often by 30 g or more a day, and you only notice if you track it. Bento Bunny shows protein alongside calories for every meal you log from a photo or a sentence. For your full macro split, use the macro calculator.