Protein intake calculator
The RDA of 0.8 g/kg is the bare minimum to prevent deficiency — not the optimum for your body. Get your real target in 10 seconds, plus what it actually looks like in food.
Your daily protein target
- Based on peer-reviewed studies (Phillips, Helms, Morton, Bauer)
- Adjusted for your goal, activity & age
- Shown as grams + as real foods
How this calculator works
We use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to estimate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), then apply a goal-specific protein coefficient based on the latest sports nutrition research:
- Maintain weight: 1.2–1.6 g/kg of bodyweight (Phillips & Van Loon 2011)
- Lose fat: 1.6–2.2 g/kg — preserves lean mass under deficit (Helms et al. 2014)
- Build muscle: 1.6–2.2 g/kg — meta-analysis ceiling (Morton et al. 2018)
Adults 50+ are biased toward the upper end of each range to combat anabolic resistance (Bauer et al. 2013). For the full math and citations, see the methodology page →
Next step
Here's the cheapest, fastest and easiest way to hit your target.
Cheapest route Wheat flour, white — $1.16 per 100 g protein See all 13 staples priced from BLS retail data. Fastest route Dymatize ISO100 Hydrolyzed 100% Whey Isolate 2.7 g leucine per 25 g protein — top of 26 powders. Eating out today? Chipotle averages 49.9% density 6 items scored the same way as the snacks.