How much protein do you actually need?
Your daily target in grams, based on your weight and what you're training for — then translated into paneer, dal, curd and eggs, because a number in grams is not something you can put on a plate.
Why the range is so wide
Every protein recommendation you will read is correct for somebody. The 0.8 g per kilogram figure printed on nutrition labels is the RDA, and it answers a specific question: how little protein can a sedentary adult eat without becoming deficient? That is a floor set by public health, and it has been misread as a target for forty years.
Once you train, the question changes. The evidence here is unusually good — a 2018 meta-analysis of 49 studies found that gains from additional protein flatten out around 1.6 g per kilogram, with the confidence interval reaching about 2.2. Dieting pushes the number up rather than down, because protein is what stops a calorie deficit eating your muscle along with your fat.
The Indian plate problem
A standard day of rice, dal, sabzi and two rotis lands most people somewhere near 40 to 50 g of protein. For a 70 kg adult training for fat loss, the target is closer to 120 g. That gap is the single most common reason people train hard for months and see very little change in how they look.
Closing it is not complicated, but it is deliberate. Paneer, curd, soya chunks, eggs and a whey shake are the levers, and adding two of them to an existing diet usually does the job without eating any more calories overall — protein replaces carbohydrate rather than sitting on top of it.
Questions people ask
How much protein do I need a day?
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It depends on what you are training for. 0.8 g per kilogram is the RDA — the amount that prevents deficiency in a sedentary adult, not the amount that is optimal. If you train, 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg supports recovery. If you are dieting or building muscle, 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg is the evidence-backed range. For a 70 kg adult that is a spread from 56 g to 154 g depending entirely on which situation you are in.
Is the RDA of 0.8 g/kg enough?
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It is enough to stop you becoming deficient, which is what it was designed for. It is not enough to maximise muscle retention while dieting or muscle growth while training. Treating the RDA as a target is one of the most common misreadings in nutrition.
How do I get enough protein on an Indian vegetarian diet?
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It takes planning, and the honest answer is that dal and roti will not get you there on their own — a katori of dal is around 9 g. Paneer at 18 g per 100 g, soya chunks at 26 g per 50 g dry, curd, milk, tofu and a whey shake are what close the gap. Switch the food list on this page to vegetarian and it shows you only those options.
Can too much protein damage my kidneys?
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In people with healthy kidneys, high protein intakes have not been shown to cause damage — that concern comes from advice given to people who already have kidney disease, where protein restriction is genuinely part of treatment. If you have any existing kidney condition, this is a question for your doctor rather than a calculator.
Does it matter when I eat protein?
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Less than the daily total, but it is not nothing. Muscle responds to a dose per sitting, so four servings of 30 g does more than one serving of 120 g. There is no anabolic window that slams shut thirty minutes after training — spread it sensibly across the day and stop worrying about the clock.
Related calculators
A number is a starting point, not a plan.
This calculator can tell you where you are. It cannot watch your form, adjust when your knee flares up, or keep you consistent in week six. If you want that part, we run a private studio in Kharadi and the first session is free.
This tool provides general fitness and nutrition information for healthy adults aged 18 and over. It is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Speak to a doctor before starting any new exercise or nutrition programme, particularly if you have a health condition, are pregnant or post-partum, or have a history of disordered eating.