How much protein do I need per day?

The RDA of 0.8 g/kg is a minimum to prevent deficiency, not optimal. Active adults need 1.2–1.6 g/kg. People building muscle should target 1.6–2.2 g/kg (0.7–1.0 g/lb). Cutting calories? Aim higher — 2.2–2.6 g/kg — to preserve lean mass while losing fat. Older adults benefit from 1.2–1.5 g/kg minimum to fight sarcopenia.

Is too much protein bad for kidneys?

For people with healthy kidneys, no. A 2018 systematic review found high-protein diets up to 2.8 g/kg do not harm kidney function in healthy adults. Anyone with chronic kidney disease should follow their nephrologist's protein limit (typically 0.6–0.8 g/kg).

How should I split protein across meals?

Distribute roughly evenly across 3–5 meals, each containing 0.4 g/kg (about 25–40 g for most adults). Muscle protein synthesis is maximised by ~3 hourly doses around the leucine threshold (~2.5 g leucine). Eating all your protein in one meal works but is suboptimal for muscle building.

What are the best protein sources?

Highest quality (complete amino acid profile, high digestibility): chicken breast, eggs, Greek yogurt, lean beef, fish, whey protein, cottage cheese. Plant sources: soy, tofu, tempeh, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa. Vegans should slightly increase total protein (1.2× factor) to compensate for lower digestibility scores.

Do I need a protein shake?

No — but they're convenient. If you can hit your daily target through whole food, you don't need supplements. Whey or pea protein helps when you're travelling, post-workout, or struggling to reach 30 g per meal. Aim to get most protein from food first.

🍗 Protein Intake Lommeregner

Daglige proteinbehov i gram baseret på din kropsvægt og mål. Inkluderer anbefalet per-måltidsopdeling for muskelproteinsyntese.

Enheder

Bodyweight (kg)

Goal

Meals per day

⚠️ Generel vejledning. People with chronic kidney disease, on dialysis, or with specific medical conditions should follow their physician's protein limit. Graviditet, breastfeeding and elite training have specific needs — consult a registered dietitian.

Why Protein Matters

Protein is the only macronutrient your body cannot store in any meaningful way. Every cell — muscle, skin, hair, enzymes, hormones, immune antibodies — needs a constant supply of amino acids. Hitting an adequate daily protein intake is the single most impactful nutrition variable for body composition, recovery from training, satiety on a diet, and (in older adults) muscle preservation.

Hvor meget har du egentlig brug for?

The 0.8 g/kg RDA is the minimum to prevent deficiency, not the optimum. Modern sports-nutrition consensus (ISSN, 2017):

Sedentary adults: 0.8–1.0 g/kg
Active adults / general fitness: 1,2–1,6 g/kg
Building muscle: 1,6–2,2 g/kg (0,7–1,0 g/lb)
Cutting (fat loss): 2,2–2,6 g/kg — højere for at spare muskelmasse under underskud
Endurance athletes: 1,4–2,0 g/kg
Adults 50+: 1,2–1,5 g/kg minimum for at modvirke aldersrelateret muskeltab

Fordel over måltider

Muskelproteinsyntese synes maksimeret ved at fordele protein over 3–5 meals, der hver indeholder ca. 0.4 g/kg. For en 80 kg person er det ca. 32 g per måltid — svarende til et kyllingebryst, en stor dåse tun eller 200 g græsk yogurt. At spise al din protein i en stor middag opfylder teknisk den daglige total, men du vil bygge mindre muskel.

Quality Matters Too

Protein quality is measured by DIAAS (Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score). Whey, milk, eggs and beef all score above 100. Most plant proteins score lower (lentils ~60, peanuts ~43) because they're missing one or more essential amino acids. Vegans should aim slightly higher total intake (~1.2× factor) and combine sources (rice + beans, oats + soy) for a complete amino acid profile.

Almindelige myter

"High protein damages kidneys" — kun sandt, hvis du allerede har CKD. Sunde nyrer håndterer op til 2,8 g/kg uden problemer.
"You can only absorb 30 g per meal" — falsk. Du absorberer alt spist protein; spørgsmålet er blot, hvor effektivt det bruges til muskelsyntetase (som plateauer ved ca. 0,4 g/kg per måltid).
"You need a shake immediately after training" — the post-workout 'anabolic window' is closer to 4–6 hours, not 30 minutes. Daglig total matters far more than timing.

Par med TDEE og makro

Protein is one leg of the macro stool. Combine this calculator with our TDEE Calculator for total calories and the Macro Calculator for the carb/fat split.

⚠️

Vigtig bemærkning: Disse er generelle retningslinjer for raske voksne. Alle med kronisk nyresygdom, leversygdom eller i dialyse bør følge deres nefrologs specifikke proteingrænse. Graviditet, amning og unge atleter har yderligere behov – konsultér en registreret diætist.

Relaterede lommeregnere

Daily Calorie Calculator — TDEE based on age, weight, height and activity level.
Macro Calculator — Daglig protein, carbs and fat split with cut/maintain/bulk presets and four split styles.
TDEE Calculator — Totalt dagligt energiforbrug med BMR + skære/vedligeholde/bulk mål.