Free tool · protein
Protein calculator
How much protein does your goal need – and do you already get it from food? The calculator shows daily target, range and amount per meal and compares it with your diet.
- Reference values from DGE and ISSN
- Compared with your food
- Amount per meal
- No sign-up
- goals
- 4
- g per kg range
- 0.8–2.4
- no sign-up
- €0
Your details
If you carry a lot of excess weight, calculate with your goal weight.
Protein meals per day
Roughly how much protein do you eat per day?
Daily target
144g
1.8 g per kg · Range 128–176 g
per meal
≈ 35 g
Guide 0.4 g/kg
≈ 30 g
Compared with what you eat
Enter above how much protein you eat – the calculator then shows whether anything is missing at all.
If you want to close the gap with whey
Your daily target in food
- Low-fat quark1200 g
- Chicken breast, raw630 g
- Egg (medium)21 each
- Lentils, cooked1600 g
- Plain tofu1110 g
Rounded average values – in practice you combine different sources.
With kidney disease, during pregnancy or on a medically prescribed diet, follow your doctor's advice. The calculation runs only in your browser.
- 1
Target per kilogram
Healthy with little training 0.8 g/kg (DGE), endurance about 1.4 g/kg, muscle gain about 1.8 g/kg (range 1.6–2.2), fat loss with strength training about 2.1 g/kg.
- 2
Aged 65+
The DGE sets 1.0 g/kg as the reference for older adults – the calculator uses it as the floor.
- 3
Per meal
About 0.4 g/kg per meal across three to five meals is a good guide for muscle gain.
- 4
Compared with food
Estimate your intake via portions or enter grams. Within 10 g the target counts as reached – no shake needed.
Sources
- DGE: Referenzwerte Protein
- Jäger et al. 2017: ISSN Position Stand – Protein and exercise
- Morton et al. 2018: Protein supplementation and resistance training (Meta-Analyse)
- Schoenfeld & Aragon 2018: How much protein can the body use in a single meal?
- Helms et al. 2014: Protein intake during caloric restriction in lean athletes
Protein FAQ
How much protein do I need to build muscle?
For people who lift, studies and expert bodies give about 1.6 to 2.2 g per kg body weight per day. Above roughly 1.6 g/kg the extra benefit is small according to the Morton et al. 2018 meta-analysis.
Do I need a protein shake?
Only if you don't reach your daily target from food. The calculator compares your estimated intake with the target and tells you whether anything is missing.
Is too much protein harmful?
For healthy adults intakes up to about 2 g/kg are considered safe. With kidney disease, follow your doctor's advice.
Current weight or goal weight?
Usually current weight. With a lot of excess weight, goal weight is the better basis because fat mass needs little protein.