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Protein by weight & activity

Protein Calculator: Daily Protein Intake & RDA by Age

Determine optimal daily protein intake.

By Jeff Beem

Updated

No personal data leaves your browser, estimates only.

01

Demographics & activity

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BMI context

BMI 23.7 from height and weight. High g/kg targets merit clinician input for some body compositions.

Adds ~25 g/day each where applicable.

Shows protein as a share of energy (often 10–35%).

02

Targets & mix

Daily protein goal about 89.8 grams, about 1.2 grams per kilogram body weight. About 18 percent of 2000 kilocalories per day.

RDA benchmark

56 g/day

Minimum for men at age 35. Your goal is the higher of this and the activity-based target.

Caloric share

18% of 2000 kcal

Protein ≈ 359.2 kcal (4 kcal/g).

Macro slice (by calories)

Protein 18%

Other 82%

Source mix

Blend animal and plant proteins for amino acid coverage.

  • Skinless poultry (chicken, turkey)
  • Fish (salmon, cod, tuna)
  • Beans, lentils, chickpeas
  • Tofu, tempeh, edamame
  • Eggs
  • Greek yogurt, cottage cheese
  • Lean beef or pork (trimmed)
  • Nuts and seeds

What are proteins?

Proteins build tissue and act as enzymes and messengers. Nine amino acids are essential in the diet. This tool scales weight, activity, and state to a daily gram target (RDA floor, up to ~2 g/kg for very intense activity).

How much do I need?

Sedentary adults often cite ~0.8 g/kg; active people may use 1.2–2.0 g/kg. Pregnancy and lactation add ~25 g/day each. Compare your goal to total calories (commonly 10–35% from protein).

Grams per day, not one magic number

0.8 g/kg is the sedentary floor; a 70 kg lifter on "Very Active" lands near 105 g. Add calories if you want to see whether that fits inside the 10–35% AMDR for your day.

How the gram target is built

Not just muscle

Protein backs enzymes, antibodies, hormones, and tissue repair, not only hypertrophy. The math here is body weight times an activity factor, which turns a vague "eat more protein" recommendation into a daily gram line you can actually hit across meals.

RDA is the floor

0.8 g/kg is enough to prevent deficiency for sedentary adults but not enough for most training goals. Pregnancy and lactation each add about 25 g/day. The page uses the higher of two numbers: the age/sex RDA, or weight × your activity factor plus any +25 g toggles.

Complete vs. combined

Nine essential amino acids have to come from food. Animal sources like eggs, fish, and dairy are complete on their own; soy and quinoa are notable plant exceptions. On a plant-heavy diet, beans plus grains across the day cover the gaps. The Prioritize and Limit lists are nudges, not prescriptions.

Custom targets

Pro/Athlete Mode lets you set your own g/kg or g/lb when you have a reason to override the activity tiers. Above 2.5 g/kg the Safe Zone indicator turns yellow; the literature shows limited additional benefit beyond that range for most people. Enter total calories to see protein as a share of your day at 4 kcal/g.

Protein Calculator: Daily Grams & RDA

70 kg, very active: about 105 g/day (17.5% of 2,400 kcal). Sedentary same weight: 56 g from the RDA floor. Weight, activity, pregnancy/lactation toggles, optional calories.

What the calculator returns

Daily protein in grams from body weight and an activity multiplier (0.8–2.0 g/kg), with +25 g each for pregnancy and lactation when toggled on. The displayed goal is the max of that activity-scaled number and the age/sex RDA floor. Add total calories to see protein as a percentage of energy against the 10–35% AMDR.
  • Worked example:
    70 kg male, age 30, Very Active, 2,400 kcal/day: 70 × 1.5 = 105 g, well above the 56 g RDA floor; (105 × 4) / 2,400 = 17.5% of calories. Bumping the activity tier to Very Intense pushes the goal to 140 g.
  • What this misses:
    Lean-mass-based dosing (the page uses total weight), meal timing, and medical meal plans. Kidney disease, diabetes, or pregnancy complications need a clinician or dietitian, not this page.
  • Also on screen:
    RDA benchmark by age/sex, Prioritize vs. Limit food lists, and Pro/Athlete Mode with the Safe Zone indicator above 2.5 g/kg.

How the Math Works

Activity-scaled formula

Base grams from weight and activity factor:
Pbase=Wkg×factivityP_{\text{base}} = W_{\text{kg}} \times f_{\text{activity}}

Wkg is body weight; factivity is 0.8–2.0 g/kg by level. Final goal uses life stage adds and the RDA floor:

Pgoal=max⁡ ⁣(Pbase+Ppregnancy+Plactation,  RDAage,sex)P_{\text{goal}} = \max\!\big(P_{\text{base}} + P_{\text{pregnancy}} + P_{\text{lactation}},\; \text{RDA}_{\text{age,sex}}\big)
  • factivity values:
    Sedentary: 0.8 g/kg | Light: 1.0 | Moderate: 1.2 | Very Active: 1.5 | Very Intense: 2.0 g/kg
  • Pregnancy add:
    +25 g/day when Pregnant toggle is on
  • Lactation add:
    +25 g/day when Lactating toggle is on
  • RDA floor:
    Age 9–13: 34 g; 14–18: M 52 g / F 46 g; 19+: M 56 g / F 46 g

Protein as % of calories

With total daily calories entered:
Protein %=Pgoal×4 kcal/gTotal Daily Calories×100%\text{Protein \%} = \frac{P_{\text{goal}} \times 4\text{ kcal/g}}{\text{Total Daily Calories}} \times 100\%

AMDR for protein is 10–35% of calories. Outside that band may be fine for some goals; ask a provider if you are unsure.

  • 4 kcal/g:
    Energy density of protein (and carbohydrates); fat provides 9 kcal/g
  • AMDR Range:
    10–35% of calories from protein is the general adult recommendation

Worked Example

70 kg male, age 30, "Very Active" level, 2,400 kcal/day target.

  • Base protein: 70 × 1.5 = 105 g/day
  • RDA floor (male 19+): 56 g/day
  • Goal: max(105, 56) = 105 g/day
  • Caloric contribution: (105 × 4) / 2400 = 420 / 2400 = 17.5% of calories

This falls within the 10–35% AMDR. For muscle gain, selecting "Very Intense" would yield 70 × 2.0 = 140 g/day (23.3% of 2,400 kcal).

  • Safe Zone:
    Pro/Athlete Mode shows a yellow indicator above 2.5 g/kg, a common upper bound in the literature; intakes beyond this have limited additional benefit for most people
  • Body composition:
    Uses total body weight, not lean mass. High body fat can inflate g/kg targets slightly; goal weight is a partial workaround.

When GLP-1 meds quiet your appetite but protein still matters

This tool answers a narrow question: given your weight, activity, and life stage, how many grams of protein should you bank on per day? That's still the right anchor if you're losing weight and trying to hold onto muscle.

GLP-1 medicines (semaglutide, tirzepatide, and the brands people actually ask about by name, like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Zepbound) often shrink appetite. Smaller meals make it easier to fall short on protein even when the math says you still need those grams. Some days you'll want your protein target sitting next to a calorie budget, not off on its own.

For that fuller picture, open our GLP-1 Macro & Calorie Calculator. It keeps protein up front but folds in calories and macros the way people tend to plan when they're on these meds. It's still not medical advice; bring any numbers to your clinician or dietitian before you change what you eat.

Protein basics

Essential amino acids

Twenty amino acids build proteins; nine are essential (must come from food). Complete sources (eggs, fish, soy, quinoa) supply all nine; beans plus grains cover gaps on plant-heavy diets.
  • The nine essentials:
    Histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine.
  • Kidneys and diabetes:
    Healthy adults tolerate high protein for most goals; reduced kidney function may require limits set by your care team. Not medical advice.

Protein Calculator FAQ

Is too much protein bad for my kidneys?

For healthy adults, high protein intake (e.g. 1.5–2.0 g/kg) is generally not harmful to kidneys. People with existing kidney disease or reduced kidney function may need to limit protein; your provider or dietitian will advise. If you have kidney disease or diabetes, protein monitoring can be critical; discuss your intake with your healthcare team. Targets here are general, not medical advice.

How much protein for an athlete?

Athletes and very active people often need 1.6–2.0 g per kg body weight for repair and recovery. The RDA (0.8 g/kg) is a floor for sedentary adults. Select "Very Intense" (2+ hours of elevated heart rate daily, or a physical job plus training) for up to 2.0 g/kg in this tool. Building muscle usually also needs adequate calories and resistance training, not just grams.

Can I get enough protein on a vegan diet?

Yes. Plant-based proteins (beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, soy, quinoa, nuts, seeds) can meet daily needs. Combine complementary sources to get all nine essential amino acids (e.g. beans + grains). Use the Prioritize list for beans, tofu, and legumes. Vegan athletes may aim for the upper end of the range (1.6–2.0 g/kg) to account for digestibility.

How much protein do I need to build muscle?

For muscle hypertrophy, aim for about 1.6–2.2 g per kg body weight with adequate total calories and resistance training. Select "Very Active" (1.5 g/kg) or "Very Intense" (2.0 g/kg). In a cut, staying around 1.2–1.6 g/kg helps preserve lean mass.

What is daily protein intake for weight loss?

When losing weight, adequate protein helps preserve muscle. Aim for at least 1.2–1.6 g per kg body weight (or roughly 25–35% of calories). Enter total daily calories to see protein as a share of your energy budget (AMDR is 10–35%). Spread intake across meals.

How much protein at maintenance vs in a calorie deficit?

At maintenance, protein needs still scale with weight and activity. In a deficit, similar per-kg targets (often about 1.2–1.6 g/kg) help preserve lean mass while you lose weight. Enter total daily calories to see how your gram goal fits as a percentage of that full-day budget. General targets only, not a meal plan.

What are protein requirements for pregnancy?

Pregnancy increases protein needs for fetal and maternal tissue. Guidelines typically add about 25 g per day during pregnancy (and ~25 g for lactation). Use the Pregnant and Lactating toggles here (+25 g each on top of your activity-based target). Needs vary by trimester; discuss with your provider or dietitian.

What is the RDA of protein by age?

The RDA by age and sex: ages 9–13 about 34 g/day; 14–18 about 52 g (male) or 46 g (female); 19–70+ about 56 g (male) or 46 g (female). Your daily goal is the higher of this floor and your weight × activity factor.

Sources & citations

References used for the calculation method and definitions. Links open in a new tab when available.

[1]
Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids – IOM

IOM RDA for protein (0.8 g/kg for adults) and acceptable macronutrient distribution range (10-35% of calories).

[2]
Jäger R et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20

ISSN evidence-based recommendations for protein intake in athletes: 1.4-2.0 g/kg/day for muscle building and recovery.

Fitness Reference Note

Informational Use: These calculations (BMI, Calories, etc.) are based on standard statistical formulas and are intended for general reference and goal-setting purposes only.

Consult Experts: This tool does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Results may not be accurate for athletes, pregnant individuals, or those with underlying health conditions.

Health Safety: Always consult with a healthcare professional or qualified trainer before beginning any new diet or intensive exercise program.

Privacy First: All calculations are performed locally in your browser. No health data is stored or transmitted to any server.

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