Protein Calculator – How To Calculate Protein Intake
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Protein is an important nutrient that helps maintain the cells in our body and aids weight loss, muscle growth, and general health. Getting enough protein in your diet may help promote muscle growth and repair, which is important for anyone engaging in physical activity. And that is why it’s important to ensure you are consuming enough protein. This calculator helps to measure your total protein intake as per your calorie requirement, age, and physical activity level and to help you ensure that you meet your specific protein needs. Scroll down to check out the tool.
In This Article
What Are Proteins?
Proteins are the building blocks of our body and are made up of amino acids. Our muscles, skin, bones, tendons, enzymes, and digestive juices all are made of protein. Besides supporting growth and development, proteins also provide energy to the body (1 gram of protein = 4 calories).
How Much Protein Do We Need?
The amount of protein required depends on the age, sex, and physical activity of the person. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 g/kg body weight (1). Ideally, an average person should consume a dose of 25-30 grams of proteins thrice a day with meals (1).
As per the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the protein requirement depends on the age and physical activity of a person. Here is a breakdown of protein intake as per physical activity levels (2):
- No to Minimal Physical Activity: 0.8-1 g/kg body weight
- Moderate Physical Activity: 1-1.3 g/kg body weight
- Intense Physical Activity (athletes or sportspersons): 1.6-2g/kg body weight
A maximum protein intake of 2-2.5 g/kg body weight per day is considered safe for a healthy person (for an 80 kg person consuming 2900 calories per day). This roughly comes to around 16-200 g of protein (2).
How To Calculate Protein Intake
- Measure your body weight on a digital weighing machine. For conversion from pound to kg, multiply pound by 2.2 ( pound*2.2= weight in kg).
- Analyze your physical activity. If you do a desk job and sit for about 10 hours with no physical activity, multiply 0.8 g by your body weight to understand how much protein is required per kg to maintain muscle mass.
Recommended Dietary Allowance For Protein
Here is an overview of the RDA for protein (3):
| Age | Protein Requirement (g/day) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Child | Male | Female | |
| 1-3 years | 16 | – | – |
| 4-6 years | 24 | – | – |
| 7-10 years | 28 | – | – |
| 15-18 years | – | 59 | 44 |
| 19-24 years | – | 58 | 46 |
| 25-50 years | – | 63 | 50 |
| 51+ years | – | 63 | 50 |
Pregnancy and lactation are anabolic phases that require extra protein intake. Here is an overview(3):
| Safe Intake(grams / day) | Additional Energy Requirement(kj/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pregnancy trimester 1 | +10 | 375 |
| Pregnancy trimester 2 | +10 | 1200 |
| Pregnancy trimester 3 | +10 | 1,950 |
| Lactation (1st 6 months) | +15 | 2,800 |
| Lactation (2nd 6 months) | +12 | 1,925 |
What Is The Best Source Of Protein?
You can get protein from both plant-and animal-based foods. Animal-based sources of proteins contain all the essential amino acids needed to support growth, while plant-based protein sources lack one or two essential amino acids that can be complemented if mixed with cereal proteins.
Some of the best protein sources are (4):
- Poultry, lean meat, and fish
- Eggs
- Dairy products like cheese, milk, and yogurt
- Nuts and seeds
- Beans and legumes (such as kidney beans, lentils, and chickpeas)
- Soy products like tofu
Fortified cereals and some grains may also contain some amount of proteins, but they are not the best sources compared to meat and meat products.
To optimize your protein consumption, consider exploring the high-protein foods you should include in your diet, ensuring you meet your nutritional goals.
Is Too Much Protein Bad?
Excess protein intake may have toxic effects on the body. Ammonia is the by-product of protein (or amino acid) metabolism. Protein intake beyond RDA may produce more ammonia, which is converted to urea. Excess urea production burdens the kidneys and liver and may lead to mineral and calcium loss and the risk of osteoporosis (4).
Should I Increase My Protein Intake To Lose Weight?
Protein can help you lose weight when combined with calorie deficit and other macronutrients in a balanced manner. Adequate protein intake as per weight and physical activity increases satiety. It also has a thermic effect that is more when compared to carbs and fat and boosts the metabolic rate (5).
The amount of protein our body needs for staying healthy may vary from person to person. It is calculated based on several factors like weight, activity levels, age, and calorie intake. Using a protein calculator can help you evaluate your daily protein intake. However, it is always important to consult a doctor and work with them to plan a diet. This will ensure you are getting adequate protein and other nutrients
Frequently Asked Questions
Does protein burn belly fat?
Protein may be useful for losing belly fat. According to one study, people who consume adequate amounts of better-quality protein have significantly less abdominal fat (6). Another study found that eating protein is associated with much lower chances of women gaining abdominal fat over the course of 5 years (7).
Can high protein diets lead to kidney damage?
It is a common misconception that eating a lot of protein can cause kidney damage, but this only happens to people who already have kidney issues. A high-protein diet can be safe for healthy people when combined with other nutrients and adequate hydration.
Are bananas full of protein?
Bananas have a low protein content with less than 1.5 g per medium-sized banana.
Is peanut butter high in protein?
Compared to the majority of other plant foods, peanut butter offers a significant amount of protein. Two tablespoons of peanut butter contains 5-6 grams of protein and 100 g of peanut butter contains 22.5 g of protein (8).
Does protein burn fat without exercise?
It is possible to lose weight on a high-protein diet without exercise. Research shows that boosting protein consumption from 15% to 30% of calories may help you eat 441 fewer calories each day and lose 11 pounds on average over 12 weeks without actively restricting any meals (9).
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