Bassam Mallick
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Protein Calculator

How much protein do you need a day?

Goal × age × diet-tuned targets, per-meal leucine checks, an Indian vegetarian food bank, and a sample day that actually hits the number. Grounded in the research, not gym folklore.

Units

+5% buffer for mixed lacto-veg DIAAS.

Daily protein target

Muscle gain

2.0 g/kg body weight
140g/day

Range: 118–162 g · ~559 kcal from protein

71 gEvidence-based band226 g

Per meal (4 meals/day)

2.8 g leucine / meal
35g protein per meal
Leucine threshold (2.5 g)Met
MPS cap (~0.4 g/kg = 28 g)Over cap — waste

Each feeding needs 2.5 g of leucine to fully trigger muscle protein synthesis. Above ~0.4 g/kg of protein per meal, surplus amino acids get oxidised rather than used for MPS — spread protein across 4 meals instead of dumping it.

Sample day · ~128 g

Target: 140 g

Breakfast

Paneer bhurji (60 g paneer) + 2 rotis + 1 cup milk

25g

Lunch

1 katori dal + 1 katori rajma + 1 katori curd + 2 rotis

32g

Snack

1 scoop whey + 1 fruit

27g

Dinner

100 g paneer/tofu sabzi + 2 rotis + 1 katori dal

35g

Bedtime

1 cup milk + handful almonds

9g

Hit 140 g from Indian foods

Sorted by protein density

Soya chunks

50 g dry · Good

26g

Whey isolate

1 scoop (30 g) · Excellent

25g

Paneer

100 g · Good

18g

Greek yogurt

150 g · Excellent

15g

Chana / rajma

1 katori cooked (150 g) · Limited

12g

Toor / moong dal

1 katori cooked · Limited

9g

Tofu

100 g · Good

8g

Curd / dahi

1 cup (200 g) · Excellent

7g

Sprouted moong

100 g · Limited

7g

Roti (atta)

1 medium · Limited

3g

Cooked rice

1 katori (150 g) · Limited

4g

Quality tier via DIAAS — Excellent ≥ 1.0 (whey, egg, milk, fish, chicken), Good 0.75–1.0 (soy, paneer, tofu), Limited < 0.75 (rice, roti, individual dal). Pair Limited foods (rice + dal, roti + chana) within 24 hours for a complete amino-acid pool.

High protein won't damage healthy kidneys.

Antonio et al. and Devries et al. trials at up to 3.3 g/kg/day for 6+ months showed no change in glomerular filtration rate, creatinine, or urea in healthy adults. The kidney caveat applies only to pre-existing chronic kidney disease — if that's you, work with a nephrologist before adjusting intake.

The number

Why 0.8 g/kg is wrong if you exercise

The 0.8 g/kg RDA is what prevents deficiency in sedentary adults — it's the floor below which negative nitrogen balance and muscle loss begin. It is not the optimum for an active person.

The ISSN 2017 position stand sets 1.4–2.0 g/kg for exercising adults, with 2.3–3.1 g/kg of lean body mass during a fat-loss phase to preserve muscle (Helms 2014). The Morton 2018 meta-analysis (49 studies, 1,863 subjects) showed strength and muscle benefits plateau at 1.6 g/kg with the upper confidence bound at 2.2.

Per-meal distribution

The leucine threshold beats total daily protein

Each meal needs roughly 2.5 g of leucine(3 g for over-60s) to fully stimulate muscle protein synthesis (Schoenfeld & Aragon 2018). That's typically 25–35 g of high-quality protein per meal.

Above ~0.4 g/kg of protein per meal, surplus amino acids get oxidised rather than directed to MPS — so dumping 100 g into one meal is meaningfully worse than 25 g across four meals for the same total. Distribution matters as much as the total.

Indian vegetarian context

The protein gap and how to close it

The average Indian vegetarian gets about 0.6 g/kg protein — well below the 1.6 g/kg minimum for active adults. Hitting 100 g+ daily on a lacto-veg diet takes deliberate planning: paneer or whey at breakfast and dinner, two katoris of dal, soya chunks 2–3× per week, and curd at most meals.

The traditional Indian thali already handles amino-acid completeness — rice (lysine-limited) + dal (methionine-limited) gives a complete pool. Sprouting and overnight soaking drop phytate 50–80% (Elliott 2022, Nutrition Bulletin), freeing iron, zinc and protein for absorption — which is why grandmothers always soaked dal.

Plant protein quality

DIAAS and what it means for vegans

DIAAS (Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score) is the modern measure of protein quality. Reference values: whey ≈ 1.09, milk 1.18, egg 1.13, soy/tofu 0.91, pea 0.82, chickpea 0.83, rice 0.59, wheat 0.40.

On a vegan diet, lean on soy (tofu, soya chunks), pea-protein isolate, and combined plant sources. Add a +10–15% buffer over your goal target because lower DIAAS = less of every gram actually absorbed and used. The vegan toggle in this tool applies that buffer automatically.

Older adults

PROT-AGE — fighting sarcopenia

The PROT-AGE Study Group position paper recommends 1.0–1.2 g/kg for healthy older adults, 1.2–1.5 g/kg for those active or chronically ill, and up to 2.0 g/kg for acute illness recovery. Older adults also need a higher per-meal leucine bolus (3 g vs 2.5 g in young) due to anabolic resistance.

Switching the Age toggle to "50+" applies the PROT-AGE uplift to your target and bumps the per-meal leucine threshold accordingly.

Bioavailability

Soak, sprout, ferment

Phytic acid in dal, rajma, and chickpeas binds minerals and modestly blunts protein digestibility. Soaking 12–24 hours drops phytate 50–80%; sprouting cuts it another 35–39% and slightly raises protein content (Elliott 2022).

Fermentation (idli/dosa batter, dhokla) does similar work and adds B12-adjacent metabolites and probiotic effects. Traditional Indian preparation methods are already bioavailability- optimal.

Medical disclaimer

For healthy adults. If you have kidney disease, are on dialysis, have liver impairment, or are pregnant / lactating, work with a doctor or registered dietitian before changing protein intake significantly.

How it works

The basis: protein scales with body weight (or lean mass, if body fat is known). Targets follow the ISSN 2017 position stand on protein and exercise, the Morton 2018 meta-analysis, Helms 2014 cutting recommendations, and the PROT-AGE position paper for older adults.

By goal: Sedentary 0.8–1.2 g/kg · Active 1.2–1.6 · Muscle gain 1.6–2.2 · Fat loss 1.8–2.4 (the highest band protects muscle in a deficit) · Endurance 1.2–1.7 · 50+ active 1.5–1.8 (PROT-AGE).

Diet buffers: non-veg ×1.0, Indian-veg ×1.05, vegan ×1.15 — added automatically to account for lower plant-protein DIAAS scores (whey 1.09 vs wheat 0.40).

Per meal: each feeding should hit ~2.5 g leucine (3 g if over 60) to fully trigger MPS — typically 25–35 g of high- quality protein. The tool surfaces an amber chip when this is missed.

More isn't magic: above ~0.4 g/kg per meal, surplus amino acids get oxidised rather than directed to muscle. Spread the total across 3–5 meals, don't dump it into one.

Frequently asked questions

  • Why is the protein target highest during fat loss?

    In a calorie deficit your body looks for amino acids to burn for fuel; if intake is low, it takes them from muscle. Helms 2014 showed 2.3–3.1 g/kg of lean body mass preserves muscle through aggressive cuts. The fat-loss band (1.8–2.4 g/kg total) reflects that protective effect — and it has the added benefit of being the most satiating macro.

  • Should I spread protein across the day or eat it in one meal?

    Spread it. Each feeding should hit ~2.5 g of leucine (the amino acid that flips on muscle protein synthesis) — typically 25–35 g of high-quality protein per meal. Above ~0.4 g/kg per meal, additional protein gets oxidised rather than directed to MPS. So 30 g × 4 meals beats 120 g × 1 meal for total daily MPS, even at identical total intake.

  • Is a high-protein diet bad for your kidneys?

    Not in healthy adults. Antonio and Devries trials at up to 3.3 g/kg/day for 6+ months showed no change in GFR, creatinine or urea. The kidney caveat applies only to pre-existing chronic kidney disease — if that's you, work with a nephrologist before adjusting intake.

  • How do I hit 100+ g protein on an Indian vegetarian diet?

    Plan around dense sources: paneer or whey at breakfast and dinner (18 g + 25 g), two katoris of dal each day (18 g combined), soya chunks 2–3 times a week (26 g per 50 g dry), curd at most meals (7 g per cup). That stack reliably clears 100 g without supplements beyond a single whey scoop. The food bank in this tool shows the per-serving grams.

  • Do I really need more protein after 50?

    Yes. The PROT-AGE Study Group position paper recommends 1.0–1.2 g/kg for healthy older adults, 1.2–1.5 for active or chronically ill, up to 2.0 for acute illness recovery. Anabolic resistance also raises the per-meal leucine bar from 2.5 g (young) to ~3 g (over 60) — so older adults need bigger protein meals, not just a higher daily total.

  • Why does vegan mode add a buffer?

    Plant proteins are typically lysine-limited (grains) or methionine-limited (legumes), which reduces DIAAS scores below dairy/egg/meat references. ISSN suggests a +10–15% buffer over the goal target when relying on plant sources to compensate. The buffer is applied automatically when you pick Vegan — and the food bank highlights soy, tofu, pea isolate (DIAAS ≥ 0.75) as the strongest plant choices.

  • What's the lean-mass anchor for?

    Total weight overstates protein needs for obese users (a 120 kg / 35% body fat person would otherwise target ~200 g protein, which is unnecessary). Anchoring to lean body mass — LBM = weight × (1 − body fat %) — keeps the target appropriate to the muscle/organ tissue that actually uses the amino acids. Enter your body fat % in the advanced section to switch to LBM mode.

  • Should I soak my dal?

    Yes. Phytic acid in dal, rajma and chickpeas binds minerals and modestly blunts protein digestibility. Soaking 12–24 hours drops phytate 50–80% (Elliott 2022, Nutrition Bulletin); sprouting cuts it another 35–39% and slightly raises protein content. Traditional Indian overnight soaking is bioavailability-optimal — your grandmother was right.