Calculator
Enter your weight, age and goal, and this calculator gives your daily protein in grams from the official reference intakes and the trials behind them: about 0.8 g per kg of body weight for health, about 1.6 g per kg if you're strength training, more from 65, and a lower target if you have chronic kidney disease (CKD). It splits the total across your meals and shows how much of everyday foods gives 25 g.
Enter your weight and age, in kilograms, stones or pounds, and choose a goal and how many meals you eat. You can also add your height, which the calculator needs if your body mass index (BMI) is 30 or more, your family background, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and kidney disease or dialysis.
55g
0.8 g per kg. About 15 g a meal over 4 meals; 0.25 to 0.4 g per kg a meal is a common target.
The UK reference for adults is 0.75 g per kg; the average UK adult eats 76 g a day. No official upper limit exists, and there's no proven extra muscle benefit above about 2.2 g per kg. Food covers this for most people; protein powder is a convenience.
If you have kidney disease, your target is different: KDIGO suggests 0.8 g per kg a day for stages 3 to 5. Ask your renal team or dietitian. Exercise with kidney disease
| Food | For 25 g | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, grilled, no skin32 g per 100 g | 78 g | 116 |
| Turkey breast fillet, grilled35 g per 100 g | 71 g | 111 |
| Beef mince, extra lean, stewed24.7 g per 100 g | 101 g | 139 |
| Cod, baked23.9 g per 100 g | 105 g | 105 |
| Salmon, farmed, baked25.2 g per 100 g | 99 g | 230 |
| Tuna, canned in brine, drained24.9 g per 100 g | 100 g | 109 |
| King prawns, cooked16.2 g per 100 g | 154 g | 105 |
| Eggs, boiled14.1 g per 100 g | 177 g | 254 |
| Semi-skimmed milk3.5 g per 100 g | 714 g | 329 |
| Yogurt, low fat, plain4.8 g per 100 g | 521 g | 297 |
| Yogurt, Greek style, plain5.7 g per 100 g | 439 g | 583 |
| Quark14.6 g per 100 g | 171 g | 127 |
| Cottage cheese, plain9.4 g per 100 g | 266 g | 274 |
| Cheddar cheese25.4 g per 100 g | 98 g | 409 |
| Tofu, steamed8.1 g per 100 g | 309 g | 225 |
| Edamame beans, boiled12.2 g per 100 g | 205 g | 291 |
| Quorn pieces14 g per 100 g | 179 g | 130 |
| Red lentils, boiled8.1 g per 100 g | 309 g | 315 |
| Chickpeas, canned, drained8.4 g per 100 g | 298 g | 384 |
| Red kidney beans, canned, drained8.6 g per 100 g | 291 g | 291 |
| Baked beans in tomato sauce5 g per 100 g | 500 g | 405 |
| Soya milk, unsweetened, fortified2.4 g per 100 g | 1042 g | 271 |
| Peanuts, plain25.8 g per 100 g | 97 g | 547 |
| Peanut butter, smooth22.8 g per 100 g | 110 g | 666 |
| Almonds21.2 g per 100 g | 118 g | 653 |
| Pumpkin seeds24.4 g per 100 g | 102 g | 579 |
| Wholemeal bread9.4 g per 100 g | 266 g | 577 |
| Porridge oats, dry10.9 g per 100 g | 229 g | 874 |
| White pasta, boiled5.5 g per 100 g | 455 g | 768 |
| White basmati rice, boiled2.8 g per 100 g | 893 g | 1045 |
| Peas, frozen, boiled5.5 g per 100 g | 455 g | 318 |
The UK's reference nutrient intake (RNI) is 0.75 g per kg of body weight a day, the US recommended dietary allowance (RDA) 0.8 g, and the World Health Organization's (WHO's) and European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA's) reference 0.83 g. For a 70 kg adult that's about 55 g a day, and the average UK adult already eats 76 g.
In 49 trials of strength training, extra protein stopped adding muscle at about 1.62 g per kg a day, with a 95% confidence interval of 1.03 to 2.20. So the calculator gives 1.6 g, up to 2.2 g to cover the uncertainty.
Source 5
Expert groups advise at least 1.0 to 1.2 g per kg a day from 65, more if you're active, and 1.2 to 1.5 g if you're ill. WHO and EFSA keep the same reference value for older adults, so this is expert advice rather than an official requirement.
Across 24 trials, higher-protein diets lost a little more fat and kept more lean mass. The same range has been proposed for people on weight-loss medicines, but protein alone doesn't protect muscle without strength training.
About 0.4 g per kg a meal over 3 to 5 meals is a sensible target, but in one lab study 100 g of protein at once gave a bigger and longer muscle-building response than 25 g. Your daily total matters most.
No upper limit has been set for healthy people, and in 28 trials higher protein didn't change kidney function in healthy adults. But in CKD stages 3 to 5, the kidney guideline group Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) suggests 0.8 g per kg a day, and avoiding more than 1.3 g if kidney function is at risk of getting worse.
Daily protein = grams per kg × your weight in kg, shown to the nearest 5 g with the grams per kg beside it. The per-meal figure is the daily total ÷ the meals you choose (3, 4 or 5; 4 to start), also to the nearest 5 g, with the common target of about 0.25 to 0.4 g per kg a meal for comparison.
In grams per kg of body weight a day:
No official upper limit exists, but 2.2 g per kg is the top of the range where extra protein helped muscle in trials, so the calculator never goes higher (our choice).
The calculator uses your current weight. If you've given your height and your BMI is in the obesity range, 30 or more, or 27.5 or more for the backgrounds the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) lists, it also works out your figure on the weight at a BMI of 25 for your height and shows both, because per-kg values were set for healthy weights and experts don't agree which weight to use with obesity. In pregnancy and breastfeeding, enter your weight before pregnancy.
Under the result, the calculator compares your figure with the UK reference for adults, 0.75 g per kg, and with the 76 g a day the average UK adult eats. The UK reference works out at 55.5 g a day for men and 45.0 g for women aged 19 to 64, and 53.3 g and 46.5 g from 65, based on average body weights at the time. Food labels use 50 g for an average adult.
Rounded as the calculator rounds them, to the nearest 5 g:
The UK RNI is 0.75 g per kg a day, set by the Department of Health in 1991. The US RDA is 0.8 g per kg "for the reference body weight", from an estimated average requirement of 0.66. WHO's safe level of 0.83 g per kg is "sufficient for 97.5% of the population" and "the same for both sexes, at all ages, and for all body weights within the acceptable range", and EFSA uses the same 0.83, including for older adults.
In 49 trials with 1,863 people, protein supplements added 0.30 kg of fat-free mass and 2.49 kg to the one-rep max, and gains levelled off at 1.62 g per kg a day (95% confidence interval 1.03 to 2.20). The breakpoint wasn't statistically significant (p = 0.079), and because its confidence interval reached 2.20, the authors suggest "~2.2 g protein/kg/d for those seeking to maximise resistance training-induced gains". In 74 trials, more protein added a little lean mass with strength training, significantly at 1.2 to 1.59 g per kg in people 65 and over and at 1.6 or more in younger people. In 105 articles, each extra 0.1 g per kg added 0.39 kg of lean mass below 1.3 g per kg and 0.12 kg above it.
The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) says 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg a day "is sufficient for most exercising individuals", and that 2.3 to 3.1 g may help lean, trained people keep muscle while eating less; several of its authors declare industry funding or consultancy. The British Nutrition Foundation reports other sports bodies' ranges of 1.2 to 2.0 g, and says higher intakes "would not be recommended for the general population".
Expert groups, PROT-AGE and the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN), advise at least 1.0 to 1.2 g per kg a day from 65. Trials found more lean mass with strength training at 1.2 to 1.59 g in people 65 and over, and better lean mass with higher protein during weight loss. But WHO found "no firm evidence warranting different values" for older people, and EFSA keeps one value for all adults.
In 24 trials (1,063 people, about 12 weeks), energy-restricted higher-protein diets lost 0.79 kg more weight and 0.87 kg more fat, and 0.43 kg less fat-free mass, than standard-protein diets. In 20 trials in older adults, people on higher-protein diets "retained more lean mass and lost more fat mass during weight loss".
A review suggests diets with "between 1.2 and 1.6 g protein" per kg a day. A 2025 advisory for people on glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medicines, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, notes the same range "proposed during active weight reduction", and adds that more protein alone "is likely inadequate" to preserve muscle without strength training. In 40 young men eating 40% less and training hard 6 days a week, 2.4 g per kg gained 1.2 kg of lean mass in 4 weeks, against 0.1 kg at 1.2 g.
In single doses of up to 40 g, muscle protein building levelled off after about 0.24 g per kg in young men and 0.40 g in older men. But 40 g beat 20 g after whole-body training, and 100 g gave "a greater and more prolonged (>12 h) anabolic response" than 25 g. Over 12 hours, four 20 g doses beat eight of 10 g and two of 40 g.
In 28 trials of 1,358 adults without kidney disease, higher protein (1.5 g per kg or more, 20% of energy or more, or 100 g a day or more) didn't change kidney function. WHO says claims of kidney damage in otherwise healthy people don't "stand up to scrutiny".
In 1,624 women followed for 11 years, protein wasn't linked with decline when kidney function was normal, but with mildly reduced function each extra 10 g a day went with a faster fall, more so for non-dairy animal protein. KDIGO suggests avoiding more than 1.3 g per kg in CKD at risk of getting worse.
The US and Canada list the upper limit as not determined. EFSA says the data "are not sufficient" to set one and that twice its reference intake "is considered safe", and WHO says twice its safe level is unlikely to carry any risk. In 1991 the UK advised adults to avoid more than twice the RNI.
In 38 young men training for 12 weeks, a vegan diet with soy protein at 1.6 g per kg matched a mixed diet with whey for muscle and strength gains. In the UK, intakes are above the reference intake on average, "including in vegetarians and vegans".
About 1.6 g per kg a day, and up to 2.2 g to cover the uncertainty: that's where the benefit levelled off in 49 trials, and the authors suggest 2.2 g "for those seeking to maximise" gains. For an 80 kg person, that's about 130 to 175 g a day (our arithmetic). Our men's and build-muscle guides use the same figures.
Source 5
In those trials, extra protein added 0.30 kg of fat-free mass (95% confidence interval 0.09 to 0.52) and 2.49 kg to the one-rep max (0.64 to 4.33). The effect was smaller with age and larger in people who already trained. The training does most of the work, and protein adds to it (our reading).
Source 5
Above about 1.3 g per kg, each extra 0.1 g added only about 0.12 kg of lean mass. Higher intakes may help lean, trained people who are eating much less: ISSN suggests 2.3 to 3.1 g per kg for them, and in one 4-week trial young men eating 40% less gained more lean mass on 2.4 g than on 1.2 g. That's specialist advice, so the calculator stops at 2.2 (our choice).
In a meta-analysis of about 20 trials, eating protein around training didn't change gains in muscle or strength once total daily protein was taken into account.
Source 31
A vegan diet with soy at 1.6 g per kg built as much muscle as a mixed diet with whey in 38 young men over 12 weeks. Lentils, beans, tofu, edamame, Quorn, nuts and seeds all count; the calculator's food table shows how much of each gives 25 g.
PROT-AGE (2013) advises an "average daily intake at least in the range of 1.0 to 1.2 g protein per kilogram of body weight per day", 1.2 g or more for people who exercise or are otherwise active, and says "Most older adults who have acute or chronic diseases need even more dietary protein (ie, 1.2-1.5 g/kg body weight/d)". ESPEN (2014) says the diet of healthy older people should provide "at least 1.0-1.2 g protein/kg body weight/day", and 1.2 to 1.5 g for those who are malnourished or at risk because of illness, with more still for severe illness or injury.
WHO: "there is at present no firm evidence warranting different values" for older people. EFSA: "For older adults, the protein requirement is considered to be equal to that for adults." KDIGO notes that "Geriatric guidelines recommend protein intakes of 1.0-1.2 g/kg body weight/d".
In trials, more protein added lean mass with strength training at 1.2 to 1.59 g per kg in people 65 and over, and older adults on higher-protein diets kept more lean mass while losing weight. Our older adults guide treats a protein-rich diet as a weaker recommendation than strength training itself.
From 65 it uses 1.0 to 1.2 g per kg for general health, and 1.2 to 1.6 g if you're building muscle or losing weight (our choice). Tick "I'm unwell or recovering from illness" and it uses 1.2 to 1.5 g. PROT-AGE makes an exception for severe kidney disease, so tick the kidney box instead if that applies. If you're frail or losing weight without trying, talk to your GP or a dietitian.
Pooled lab studies found that muscle protein building "reached a plateau after ingestion of 0.40 ± 0.19 and 0.24 ± 0.06 g/kg body mass" in older and younger men. A review added two standard deviations to the young men's figure and recommends "a target intake of 0.4 g/kg/meal across a minimum of four meals in order to reach a minimum of 1.6 g/kg/day", up to about 0.55 g per kg a meal at 2.2 g a day. ISSN suggests 0.25 g per kg, or 20 to 40 g, every 3 to 4 hours.
It traces to a study in 6 young men, where 20 g of egg protein maximised muscle protein building after leg exercise and more was burned for energy. The review notes these findings "are specific to the provision of fast-digesting proteins without the addition of other macronutrients", and that not all the extra protein is burned.
After whole-body training, 40 g of whey beat 20 g. In 36 young men, 100 g of milk protein gave "a greater and more prolonged (>12 h) anabolic response" than 25 g, with little effect on how much was burned.
Over 12 hours of recovery, four 20 g doses every 3 hours beat eight 10 g doses and two 40 g doses in 24 men. Over weeks, though, timing didn't change results once total protein was counted.
Your daily total matters most, and 3 to 5 meals with some protein in each is an easy way to reach it (our reading). The calculator splits your total across the meals you choose and shows the common target of about 0.25 to 0.4 g per kg a meal alongside. This matches our food page's advice of protein at every meal.
Source 11
KDIGO's 2024 guideline: "We suggest maintaining a protein intake of 0.8 g/kg body weight/d in adults with CKD G3-G5 (2C)", a weak suggestion on low-certainty evidence, and "Avoid high protein intake (>1.3 g/kg body weight/d) in adults with CKD at risk of progression." Very low-protein diets are only for use under close supervision, and for older adults with frailty or muscle loss it suggests considering higher protein and calorie targets. Tick the kidney box and the calculator shows 0.8 g per kg and the 1.3 g ceiling, and switches off the other goals.
Source 13
NICE: "Do not offer low-protein diets (dietary protein intake less than 0.6 to 0.8 g/kg/day) to adults with CKD." It also advises not eating any meat in the 12 hours before a blood test for kidney function, the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).
Source 34
Protein needs change on dialysis, so the calculator gives no number: your renal team or dietitian sets your target. Our kidney disease guide has more.
In 28 trials of 1,358 adults without kidney disease, higher protein didn't change kidney function, and WHO says claims of kidney damage in otherwise healthy people don't "stand up to scrutiny".
In women with mildly reduced kidney function, each extra 10 g of protein a day went with a faster decline over 11 years. If you've been told your kidney function is reduced, or you have diabetes or high blood pressure, check with your GP before going above about 1.3 g per kg (our suggestion).
The US and Canada list protein's upper limit as "ND", not determined. EFSA: "The available data are not sufficient to establish a Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for protein. In adults an intake of twice the PRI is considered safe", where the PRI is its reference intake. WHO: "No safe upper limit has been identified, and it is unlikely that intakes of twice the safe level are associated with any risk", but "caution is advised to those contemplating the very high intakes of 3-4 times the safe intake". In 1991 the UK advised adults to avoid more than twice the RNI.
Twice EFSA's and WHO's 0.83 g is 1.66 g per kg; twice the UK RNI is 1.5 g; three to four times 0.83 is 2.5 to 3.3 g.
The British Nutrition Foundation reports that intakes of 3 to 4 times EFSA's reference have been seen without apparent harm, but that acute adverse effects have been reported when protein makes up 45% or more of energy. The 2025 GLP-1 advisory says prolonged intakes of 2 g per kg or more should be avoided, citing a review we couldn't open, while ISSN cites trials of 2.5 to 3.3 g per kg in trained people without harm.
There's no proven extra muscle benefit above about 2.2 g per kg, so the calculator never shows more (our choice). For context, the US acceptable range for adults is 10 to 35% of energy from protein.
WHO's per-kg value applies "for all body weights within the acceptable range", the US RDA is "for the reference body weight", and EFSA works out its grams a day from weights at a BMI of 22.
The 2025 GLP-1 advisory: "For individuals with obesity, it is unclear whether these goals should be based on actual body weight, corrected (adjusted or ideal) body weight, or fat-free mass, as the use of actual weight can significantly overestimate protein requirements." In 2,291 people, the methods gave "large differences", and "It is yet unknown which method is the best". In 60 older adults with obesity losing weight with strength training, more than 1.2 g per kg of actual weight went with muscle gain.
If your BMI is 30 or more (27.5 or more for the backgrounds NICE lists) and you've given your height, the calculator also works out your figure on the weight at a BMI of 25 for your height, and shows both (our choice). For 165 cm and 100 kg, losing weight, that's 80 to 110 g on the BMI 25 weight of about 68 kg, and 120 to 160 g on current weight (our arithmetic). Without your height, it uses your current weight.
The US values are an estimated average requirement of 0.88 g per kg and an RDA of 1.1 g per kg a day, or 71 g. Health Canada's table says these are "only for the second half of pregnancy. For the first half of pregnancy, protein requirements are the same as those of the nonpregnant woman". WHO adds 1, 9 and 31 g a day in the first, second and third trimesters, EFSA 1, 9 and 28 g, and the UK 6 g.
The US values are 1.05 g per kg (average requirement) and 1.3 g per kg (RDA), or 71 g a day. WHO adds 19 g a day, falling to 12.5 g after 6 months; EFSA 19 g for the first 6 months and 13 g after; the UK 11 g for the first 6 months and 8 g after.
A 2016 review describes the US pregnancy values as applying to all stages, and its authors' tracer studies suggest needs of about 1.2 g per kg at about 16 weeks and 1.52 g at about 36 weeks. A conference abstract puts exclusive breastfeeding at about 1.7 to 1.9 g per kg. These are small studies, so the calculator uses the official values.
Choose pregnant (second half) or breastfeeding (first 6 months, or 6 months on), and it shows the US per-kg value and the UK add-on side by side, using your weight before pregnancy (our choice; we didn't check which weight the US values assume). At 62 kg, the second half of pregnancy gives about 70 g (US) or 50 g (UK), and the first 6 months of breastfeeding about 80 g (US) or 55 g (UK) (our arithmetic).
The calculator's table of how much food gives 25 g of protein uses McCance and Widdowson's Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID) 2021, the UK's official food values. Protein and calories per 100 g are as published, for each food as CoFID describes it (grilled, boiled, drained or dry); the amounts for 25 g and their calories are our arithmetic, and the shorter food names are ours.
Source 32
KDIGO notes that "100 g of meat contains only approximately 25 g of protein", which fits CoFID: 100 g of canned tuna has 24.9 g and extra lean stewed mince 24.7 g, and about 78 g of grilled chicken breast gives 25 g (our arithmetic).
Brands vary, especially strained yogurts sold as Greek (CoFID's Greek-style yogurt has 5.7 g per 100 g), so check the label. The table shows how much food gives about 25 g, not suggested portions. Some protein-rich foods are also high in calories: 25 g of protein from peanut butter comes with about 670 kcal, against about 110 kcal from grilled turkey breast (our arithmetic).
Source 32
UK intakes are above the reference intake on average, "including in vegetarians and vegans", and food covers the higher targets for most people too. Protein powder is a convenience, not a need (our reading, as in our build-muscle guide).
Source 1
Your target is lower: tick the kidney box and the calculator shows only KDIGO's 0.8 g per kg and the 1.3 g ceiling. Your renal team or dietitian sets your own target.
No number: your renal team or dietitian sets this.
Children need different amounts per kg while they grow: EFSA's values run from 1.31 g per kg at 6 months to 0.83 g at 18. The calculator stops below 18.
Source 4
Use the pregnancy or breastfeeding option, which shows the values for that stage instead of the goals.
You may need more protein and energy, and an individual assessment: talk to your GP or a dietitian.
Numbers like these aren't the right tool. The calculator shows where to get help with the weight-loss goal, and the support section below has the numbers.
100 g produced a larger and longer muscle-building response than 25 g. The 20 g plateau came from a fast-digesting protein after leg exercise in 6 men.
Kidney function didn't change in 28 trials of healthy adults. The caveat is existing kidney disease, where KDIGO suggests 0.8 g per kg.
Gains levelled off at about 1.6 g per kg, and above 1.3 g each extra 0.1 g per kg added only about 0.1 kg of lean mass.
It's set to cover the needs of 97.5% of healthy people. Trials show more helps with strength training, and expert groups advise more for older adults, though WHO and EFSA keep one value for all adults.
Timing didn't matter once total daily protein was counted.
Source 31
One gram per pound of body weight is 2.2 g per kg, the top of the uncertainty range in the trials, not a minimum.
Source 5
At 1.6 g per kg, a vegan diet with soy matched a mixed diet with whey in 38 young men over 12 weeks.
Source 30
Expert groups advise at least 1.0 to 1.2 g per kg from 65, and WHO notes that sedentary older people are "most likely to be at risk from protein deficiency" under its models.
If you have, or think you might have, an eating disorder, these numbers aren't the right tool. See a GP as soon as you can, or talk in confidence to the eating disorder charity Beat: 0808 801 0677 (England), 0808 801 0432 (Scotland), 0808 801 0433 (Wales) or 0808 801 0434 (Northern Ireland). Beat's helplines are open 3pm to 8pm, Monday to Friday, and it also offers web chat and email. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999 or Samaritans on 116 123; for medical advice, contact your GP or call 111.
If you take insulin, or a tablet such as gliclazide or glimepiride, and you're changing what you eat to lose weight, talk to your diabetes care team first: eating less can cause low blood sugar (a hypo).
A GP can give you advice about losing weight safely and refer you for treatment, including NHS weight management programmes. With kidney disease, your renal team or dietitian sets your protein target.
Source 42
If numbers like these make you anxious, set goals for health and strength instead, such as walking further or lifting a little more (our suggestion, as in our exercise for weight loss guide).
Protein helps most alongside strength training. These sessions cover bodyweight, dumbbell and gym training, and strength and balance for older adults.
A 20-minute full-body dumbbell workout: two supersets of squats, rows, Romanian deadlifts and push-ups. Twice a week covers the minimum dose.
20 minBeginner8 movesA dumbbell, A bench or boxA 20-minute full-body workout with no equipment: squats, knee push-ups, bridges, lunges and planks.
20 minBeginner10 movesNo equipmentA 35-minute full-body strength workout with dumbbells: goblet squats, presses, rows, Romanian deadlifts and carries.
35 minIntermediate9 movesA band, A dumbbellA beginner full-body gym workout: goblet squats, dumbbell bench press, lat pulldowns, Romanian deadlifts and dead bugs, with sets, reps and rest.
45 minBeginner12 movesCardio machine, A bandA 40-minute strength and balance session for over-65s, built from the Otago home programme and NHS exercises, using a chair, a counter and a step.
40 minBeginner18 movesA bench or box, Something with weightMost adults need about 0.8 g per kg of body weight a day: 0.75 g in UK guidance and 0.83 g from WHO and the European Food Safety Authority. For a 70 kg adult that's about 55 g a day, and the average UK adult already eats about 76 g. You need more if you're strength training, losing weight or over 65.
About 1.6 g per kg a day if you're strength training: in 49 trials, extra protein stopped adding muscle around there, and up to 2.2 g covers the uncertainty. For an 80 kg person that's about 130 to 175 g a day. The training matters more than the protein.
About 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg a day, with strength training: in 24 trials, higher-protein diets kept more lean mass and lost a little more fat. Experts suggest the same range on weight-loss injections such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, but protein alone doesn't protect muscle without strength training.
There's no fixed limit: in a lab study, 100 g of protein produced a bigger and longer muscle-building response than 25 g. A sensible target is about 0.4 g per kg a meal, spread over 3 to 5 meals, but your daily total matters most.
Expert groups advise at least 1.0 to 1.2 g per kg a day from 65, more if you're active, and 1.2 to 1.5 g if you're ill or recovering. Official reference values are the same for all adults, so this is expert advice. If you have kidney disease, ask your doctor first.
Not if your kidneys are healthy: in 28 trials, higher protein didn't change kidney function. If you have chronic kidney disease, the international kidney guideline (KDIGO) suggests about 0.8 g per kg a day and not more than 1.3 g, and on dialysis your renal team sets your target.
No official upper limit has been set. The European Food Safety Authority considers twice its reference intake (about 1.7 g per kg) safe, WHO says that's unlikely to carry any risk, and WHO advises caution at 3 to 4 times. There's no proven muscle benefit above about 2.2 g per kg, so this calculator stops there.
Guideline values per kg were set for healthy body weights, and experts say using a higher current weight can overestimate needs. If your BMI is 30 or more and you add your height, the calculator also works out your protein on the weight at a BMI of 25 for your height, and shows both.
In the second half of pregnancy, about 1.1 g per kg a day (US) or 6 g a day more than usual (UK). When breastfeeding, about 1.3 g per kg (US), or 11 g a day more for the first 6 months and 8 g after that (UK). Use your weight before pregnancy.
Yes. UK vegetarians and vegans eat more than the reference intake on average, and a vegan diet with 1.6 g per kg built as much muscle as a mixed diet in a 12-week trial. Lentils, beans, tofu, edamame, Quorn, nuts and seeds all count.
Estimates for healthy adults, not a personal prescription or a diagnosis, and clinical review of these pages is pending. Check with a GP before hard training or testing a maximum if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, chest pain, dizziness or breathlessness when active, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
