Protein, fibre and fluid, sized to you.
Set your weight, age band, activity and the number of meals you eat. The tool answers with protein in grams a day and per meal, a 30 g fibre target with foods that reach it, a fluid range in litres, and one day of portions that adds up.
Three targets, sized to your body.
Your weight scales protein and fluid, your age band and activity set the protein per kilogram, and the meal count splits it. Fibre is 30 g for every adult.
The adult reference intake applies. Activity sets the rest.
Desk, car, sofa, with little planned movement in a normal week.
Even split. 25 to 40 g per meal is a practical portion.
Protein a day
0.8 g per kg of body weight, the reference intake for adults who move little (EFSA sets 0.83 g).
20 g a meal sits under the 25 to 40 g practical portion, which is normal at a baseline intake.
What one day looks like
Ordinary portions that add up to your protein target. Swap foods freely; the grams are what count.
Exactly your target of 60 g.
30 g of fibre, one way there
Six foods that reach the day's target. Four of them also sit in the protein list, so the two targets share a plate.
- Porridge oats, 40 g4 g
- Raspberries, 80 g5 g
- Wholegrain bread, 2 slices6 g
- Cooked lentils, 100 g8 g
- An apple, with skin4 g
- Almonds, 30 g3 g
Average intakes in Europe sit around 18 to 20 g a day, so most adults are about 10 g short.
How it works.
- Slide to your body weight, then pick your age band and how active a normal week is.
- Choose 3, 4 or 5 meals and read protein a day, protein per meal, fibre and fluid in the dark panel.
- Check the one-day list for portions that add up to the target, then save or share the card.
Where the protein figures come from
The European Food Safety Authority sets the population reference intake for adults at 0.83 g of protein per kg of body weight a day, which the tool rounds to 0.8 g: 60 g a day at 75 kg. Two groups need more. From about 65 the body responds less to each meal, and the PROT-AGE study group (2013) and ESPEN recommend 1.0 to 1.2 g per kg to slow muscle loss, so the same 75 kg person lands at 75 to 90 g. People who train get more from their sessions with more protein: a 2018 meta-analysis of 49 trials with 1,863 participants found that gains in lean mass levelled off at about 1.6 g per kg a day, which is why the tool shows 1.4 to 1.6 g for training and never goes above 2.0 g per kg. The 1.2 g figure for an active week sits between the two. Our guide on protein by age walks through each band, and strength training after 40 explains why the muscle side of the equation matters as much as the plate.
Why the split per meal matters
Muscle building responds to a dose. The dose that gets the full response is about 0.3 to 0.4 g per kg per meal, roughly 25 to 30 g for most adults; beyond that the surplus is used as energy, the muscle full effect. So 60 g eaten as 20, 20 and 20 works, while 83 g eaten as 10, 13 and 60 wastes most of the evening. That is why the tool splits evenly and flags anything under 25 g or over 40 g per meal. The day list turns the split into portions: 150 g of cooked lentils gives about 13 g, two eggs about 12 g, 100 g of salmon about 20 g. Fibre travels with many of the same foods. The UK's SACN recommends 30 g a day, EFSA sets 25 g as adequate, and average intakes across Europe sit around 18 to 20 g, so most people are about 10 g short. Lentils, oats, wholegrain bread, berries and nuts close that gap, as 30 grams of fibre a day shows, and spreading them across 30 plants a week adds the variety the gut likes.
What this tool is not
The fluid figure of 30 to 35 ml per kg is total water from drinks and food together. EFSA's adequate intake is 2.0 litres a day for women and 2.5 litres for men, food supplies roughly a fifth of that, and heat, exercise and illness push it up. The tool does not know your medical situation: kidney disease, liver disease, pregnancy, eating disorders and some medicines change protein advice, and a dietitian or doctor should set the figure then. It also does not count what you actually eat. It sets a target, shows one way to reach it, and leaves the plate to you.
Frequently asked.
Is 0.8 g per kg enough?
It is the EFSA reference intake, set to cover the needs of 97.5 per cent of healthy adults who move little. Older adults and anyone who trains benefit from more, which is why the tool raises the figure to 1.0 to 1.6 g per kg for those groups.
Should I use my actual weight or a target weight?
Use your current weight for a first estimate. If you carry a lot of extra weight the figure grows with the kilograms, so some dietitians work from an adjusted or target weight; the difference matters most above 100 kg, and that is a conversation to have with a professional.
Can I eat all my protein in one meal?
You can, but the muscle response per meal levels off at about 0.3 to 0.4 g per kg, roughly 25 to 40 g for most adults. Spreading protein over three or four meals uses the day better, especially from 65 on, when the response to each meal is weaker.
Does plant protein count the same?
Yes for the total. Plant proteins are digested a little less completely and some are low in one amino acid, so people eating mostly plants do well at the upper end of their band and by mixing sources, such as lentils with bread or tofu with rice.
Why does the fibre target not change with my weight?
Because the recommendations are set per day, not per kilogram: 30 g in the UK guidance, 25 g as EFSA's adequate intake. The fibre list shows one way to reach 30 g with six ordinary foods.
Do tea and coffee count towards the fluid figure?
Yes. The 30 to 35 ml per kg figure is total water from all drinks and food, and caffeinated drinks in normal amounts hydrate. About a fifth comes from food, so a 75 kg person needs roughly 1.8 to 2.1 litres from drinks.
Guides behind this tool
Food
30 grams of fibre a day: where the number comes from
Health
Strength training after 40: how much is enoughMore tools
The Protein and Fibre Target scales population reference figures to your weight, age and activity. It is not a diet plan and does not know your medical history; kidney or liver disease, pregnancy and some medicines change protein needs, so ask a doctor or dietitian in those cases. This page is for general information and does not replace medical advice.