Protein calculator
Enter your weight, get your daily protein allowance.
How much protein do I need a day?
The Recommended Dietary Allowance for adults is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight — 56 g for a 70 kg (154 lb) person.
How much protein during pregnancy?
The RDA rises to 71 grams a day during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
Is the RDA the most I should eat?
No — it is the amount that meets the needs of nearly all healthy people. The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range for protein is 10% to 35% of calories: 50–175 g on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Why is it per kilogram?
Bigger bodies need more protein. The 56 g for men and 46 g for women often quoted are 0.8 g/kg times reference body weights.
Do athletes need more?
Some sports groups recommend more for training athletes. Ask a registered dietitian or your doctor about your own needs, especially with kidney disease.
Worked example: a 165-pound adult on a 2,000-calorie diet
Convert pounds to kilograms: 165 lb × 0.4536 = 74.8 kg. Multiply by 0.8 g/kg: 59.9 g of protein a day. At 4 calories per gram that is 239 calories, or 12% of a 2,000-calorie diet, which sits inside the 10% to 35% range (50 to 175 g). So the RDA is near the bottom of what the range allows, and many people eat more without leaving the range.
How much do people who exercise regularly need?
The RDA is set for healthy adults in general. The International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand on protein (2017) states that an overall daily intake of 1.4 to 2.0 g of protein per kilogram of body weight is sufficient for most exercising individuals, a range that falls within the Institute of Medicine’s acceptable range. For the 165-pound person above that is 105 to 150 g a day. This is a sports-nutrition position, not the RDA, and people with kidney disease or other conditions should check with a clinician or dietitian first.
Common mistakes with protein targets
Typing pounds into the kilogram field: 165 typed as kilograms gives 132 g instead of 60 g; keep the unit selector in step with your weight. Confusing the weight of the food with the grams of protein in it: a nutrition label lists protein separately from serving size. Applying the pregnancy figure of 71 g as if it were per kilogram, or adding it on top of the standard RDA, when it replaces it. Using the percentage range without calories: 10% to 35% means something different at 1,500 calories than at 3,000. And treating the RDA as a ceiling or a target for muscle gain: it is the amount that meets the needs of nearly all healthy people.
Sources and related calculators
Sources: Institute of Medicine (National Academies), Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (2005), for the RDA and the acceptable macronutrient distribution range; R. Jäger et al., “International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise,” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2017). Related: macro calculator, calorie calculator, fiber intake calculator and lean body mass calculator.
For general information only — not medical advice. Talk with your doctor or another health professional about your own health. How we check our calculators.