How much protein do I need a day?

At least 0.8 g per kilogram of body weight (0.36 g per pound), the RDA for healthy adults cited by the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: about 56 g a day at 70 kg. Treat that as a floor. This calculator starts at 1.2 g/kg and adds for exercise, your goal, age 60+ and GLP-1 use, which gives 85 g for a 154 lb, 5 ft 9 in adult who rarely exercises and 160 g for a 176 lb adult building muscle who trains 4 to 5 times a week.

What will I get from the protein calculator?

You will see one daily protein target in grams and an explanation of why that target fits you.

What changes my protein target?

Your body size, age, activity and goal can all change the result. If you use a GLP-1 medication, we account for that too. We ask whether you are a woman or a man so the guidance feels relevant, but we use the same published protein ranges for both.

Why does the calculator ask about GLP-1 medications?

GLP-1 medications can reduce appetite, which can make enough protein harder to eat. We use this answer to set a practical minimum and clearly explain when it changes your target.

Why does my height matter?

Weight is a useful starting point, but it can sometimes make the result too high. Height helps us use a more suitable weight for the calculation when needed.

Why do I need to enter my email?

After we build your plan, we ask for your email before showing the target. Your email and quiz result are saved by Protein Buddy so we can show your result and send occasional product emails. You can unsubscribe at any time.

What happens after I see my target?

We ask whether you want help tracking it. Choose no and you can keep the result. Choose yes and you will see a personalized tracking plan and the available web checkout options.

Can I track protein for free?

Yes. Manual entry, the text estimate and barcode scanning are unlimited and free in Protein Buddy. Photo and voice logging each start with 3 free tries, and a subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase unlocks them after that.

4.9 out of 5

Personalized and free

2 minutes

Science-backed protein calculator

Get a clear daily protein target built around your body, lifestyle and goal, not a generic number. In about two minutes, you’ll know how many grams to aim for and why that target fits you, with GLP-1 use included when relevant.

Answer a few quick questions and get a clear daily protein target built around your body, lifestyle and goal, with an explanation of what shaped it.

Your daily target in grams
Why that target fits your situation

Get your personal protein target

CALCULATE MY PROTEIN TARGET

Protein Buddy

The short answer

How much protein do you need a day?

At least 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight (0.36 g per pound). That is the RDA for healthy adults, set by the Food and Nutrition Board and cited by the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: about 56 g a day at 70 kg (154 lb). Treat it as a floor. The same NIH fact sheet puts athletes at 1.2 to 2.0 g/kg. This calculator starts at 1.2 g/kg and moves up with exercise, your goal, age 60+ and GLP-1 use.

The formula this calculator uses

Start from how often you exercise. Not often (0 to 1 times a week): 1.2 g/kg. 2 to 3 times a week: 1.5 g/kg. Often (4 to 5 times): 1.8 g/kg. Most days (6 or more): 2.0 g/kg.
Add your goal. Build muscle: plus 0.2 g/kg. Lose fat, keep muscle: plus 0.1. Look great: plus 0.1. Maintain: no change.
Apply the minimums. Age 60+ (read as 65, where the older-adult guidance starts): at least 1.3 g/kg. Losing fat: at least 1.5 g/kg. Taking a GLP-1 medication: at least 1.6 g/kg. The highest one that applies wins. The GLP-1 figure is a planning minimum carried over from weight-loss research, because there is no established GLP-1-specific protein target, so your prescriber has the final say.
Choose the weight it multiplies. If you exercise 3 times a week or less and weigh more than a BMI of 24 for your height, the rate is applied to an adjusted weight: the weight at BMI 24 plus a quarter of the difference. Otherwise it uses your actual weight.
Round it. Rate times weight, rounded to the nearest 5 g, never below 40 g and never above 260 g (or 2.4 g/kg for a larger body).

Worked examples

Each target was computed with the formula above, and entering the pounds or the kilograms gives the same result. The RDA column is 0.8 g/kg of actual weight, for comparison.
You	Rate	Weight used	RDA floor	Daily target
132 lb (60 kg), 5 ft 5 in, 30 to 39, exercises 2 to 3 times a week, maintain	1.5 g/kg	60 kg	48 g	90 g
154 lb (70 kg), 5 ft 9 in, 30 to 39, exercises rarely, maintain	1.2 g/kg	70 kg	56 g	85 g
150 lb (68 kg), 5 ft 7 in, 60+, exercises rarely, maintain	1.3 g/kg (age 60+ minimum)	68 kg	54 g	90 g
176 lb (80 kg), 5 ft 11 in, under 30, exercises 4 to 5 times a week, build muscle	2.0 g/kg	80 kg	64 g	160 g
198 lb (90 kg), 5 ft 5 in, 50 to 59, exercises rarely, lose fat and keep muscle	1.5 g/kg (fat-loss minimum)	71.5 kg (adjusted)	72 g	105 g
220 lb (100 kg), 5 ft 5 in, 50 to 59, exercises 2 to 3 times a week, lose fat, takes a GLP-1	1.6 g/kg (GLP-1 minimum)	74 kg (adjusted)	80 g	120 g

The last two rows are why height matters. On total body weight the same rates would give 135 g and 160 g. Protein needs track lean mass, not fat, so scaling from total weight at a higher BMI overshoots; the calculator uses the adjusted weight instead.

Made for your situation

What makes your target personal

Protein needs are not the same for everyone. We use the answers that matter, then show you what changed your result.

Body size

Your weight is the starting point. Height helps us avoid giving you a target that is too high when weight alone could be misleading.

Age

From age 65, we use a slightly higher minimum because older adults may need more protein to help maintain muscle.

Activity and goal

Training more often can raise your target. Building muscle and losing weight also need a different approach from simply maintaining.

GLP-1 medications

A smaller appetite can make enough protein harder to eat. We use a higher planning minimum and explain when it changes your result.

Women and men

Published protein ranges use the same approach for women and men. We ask so the plan and examples feel relevant to you.

Transparent by design

How we calculate your protein target

We turn your answers into one daily number in four simple steps.

1
Start with activity
How often you move and train gives us a starting point.
2
Add your goal
Building muscle or losing weight can raise that starting point.
3
Check your situation
Age 65+, weight loss and GLP-1 use can set a higher minimum.
4
Turn it into grams
We use your weight and height, then round the result to the nearest 5 g.

A helpful estimate

Research does not give one perfect formula for everyone. This result is a practical starting point, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, have kidney disease or follow a medical diet, ask a qualified clinician what is right for you.

Check our sources

Research and guidance

Want to check our work? These sources explain the numbers we use.

National AcademiesSets the US adult reference at 0.8 g per kg.
European Food Safety AuthoritySets the European adult reference at 0.83 g per kg.
WHO protein requirements reportReviews protein needs for adults around the world.
PROT-AGE guidance for older adultsSupports 1.0 to 1.2 g per kg for adults over 65.
ESPEN guidance for healthy agingExplains how protein and exercise support muscle with age.
ISSN guidance for active adultsSupports 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg for most people who exercise.
Protein and resistance training reviewCombines results from 49 strength-training trials.
Protein across meals studyLooks at the effect of spreading protein across the day.
Muscle during weight loss reviewReviews protein and exercise while losing weight.
GLP-1 nutrition advisoryExplains protein, strength training and nutrition during treatment.
Resistance training for older womenReviews muscle changes across 26 training studies.
Digital food tracking reviewLooks at how regular food tracking relates to results.

Frequently asked questions

How much protein do I need a day?: At least 0.8 g per kilogram of body weight (0.36 g per pound), the RDA for healthy adults cited by the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: about 56 g a day at 70 kg. Treat that as a floor. This calculator starts at 1.2 g/kg and adds for exercise, your goal, age 60+ and GLP-1 use, which gives 85 g for a 154 lb, 5 ft 9 in adult who rarely exercises and 160 g for a 176 lb adult building muscle who trains 4 to 5 times a week.
What will I get from the protein calculator?: You will see one daily protein target in grams and an explanation of why that target fits you.
What changes my protein target?: Your body size, age, activity and goal can all change the result. If you use a GLP-1 medication, we account for that too. We ask whether you are a woman or a man so the guidance feels relevant, but we use the same published protein ranges for both.
Why does the calculator ask about GLP-1 medications?: GLP-1 medications can reduce appetite, which can make enough protein harder to eat. We use this answer to set a practical minimum and clearly explain when it changes your target.
Why does my height matter?: Weight is a useful starting point, but it can sometimes make the result too high. Height helps us use a more suitable weight for the calculation when needed.
Why do I need to enter my email?: After we build your plan, we ask for your email before showing the target. Your email and quiz result are saved by Protein Buddy so we can show your result and send occasional product emails. You can unsubscribe at any time.
What happens after I see my target?: We ask whether you want help tracking it. Choose no and you can keep the result. Choose yes and you will see a personalized tracking plan and the available web checkout options.
Can I track protein for free?: Yes. Manual entry, the text estimate and barcode scanning are unlimited and free in Protein Buddy. Photo and voice logging each start with 3 free tries, and a subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase unlocks them after that.