Free tool
Protein calculator
Protein is the macro worth getting right. It protects muscle while you are in a deficit and it is by some distance the most filling of the three. Enter your weight and goal for a daily target in grams.
Where the numbers come from
The research consensus for people who train sits around 1.6–2.2 g per kilogram of bodyweight per day. Higher within that range while cutting, because a deficit is when muscle is most at risk.
Going above roughly 2.2 g/kg has not been shown to add much for most people. It is not harmful for healthy kidneys, it is just unnecessary — and it crowds out carbs and fat you would probably rather eat.
If you are not training at all, 1.2–1.6 g/kg is plenty.
Hitting it
What that looks like on a plate.
Targets are easy to set and harder to reach, especially on a vegetarian diet. These are rough protein figures for common foods — enough to plan a day without weighing anything.
| Food | Serving | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast | 100 g | ~31 g |
| Egg | 1 large | ~6 g |
| Paneer | 100 g | ~18 g |
| Greek yoghurt | 150 g | ~15 g |
| Curd (dahi) | 1 katori | ~4 g |
| Dal, cooked | 1 katori | ~6 g |
| Rajma / chole, cooked | 1 katori | ~8 g |
| Soya chunks, dry | 50 g | ~26 g |
| Whey protein | 1 scoop | ~24 g |
| Tofu | 100 g | ~12 g |
| Roti | 1 | ~3 g |
| Rice, cooked | 1 cup | ~4 g |
Frequently asked questions
Should I use bodyweight or goal weight?
For most people current bodyweight is fine. If you are carrying a lot of fat, calculating from your goal weight or lean mass avoids an unnecessarily large number.
Does protein timing matter?
Far less than the daily total. Spreading it across three or four meals is mildly better than one large hit, but hitting your total is the part that matters.
Is high protein bad for your kidneys?
There is no good evidence of harm in people with healthy kidneys. If you have existing kidney disease, speak to your doctor before raising protein intake.
How do I hit this on a vegetarian diet?
Paneer, curd, dal, rajma, chole, soya chunks and whey do most of the work. Soya chunks in particular are unusually protein-dense and cheap. BetterCal follows your diet setting, so its suggestions stay relevant — see Indian food tracking.
Next step
Track protein without the arithmetic.
Describe the meal; BetterCal fills in protein, carbs and fat. Free to start on iPhone and Android.
