---
title: "Daily protein target"
method: GET
path: "/calculate/protein"
tags: ["Energy & macros"]
---

# Daily protein target

`GET /calculate/protein`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://myplate.food/api/v1`
- URL: `https://myplate.food/api/v1/calculate/protein`
- Auth: none declared

Daily protein target from body weight and activity: the IOM RDA for the life stage (0.8 g/kg for adults; 0.85 at 14 to 18, 1.1 in the second half of pregnancy, 1.3 while breastfeeding) and a g/kg range scaled to activity level (up to the 1.2 to 2.0 g/kg athlete range, and never under the RDA), in grams per day. Under 18 the answer is the RDA alone: range is null, byActivity is empty and activity_range_withheld is "under_18", because the activity ranges are adult sports-nutrition guidance.

Cites its source in every response: `source` (the formula + published reference) and `canonical_url` (https://myplate.food/protein-calculator), plus a `disclaimer`.

## Query parameters

- `age` integer, required
- `sex` 'male' | 'female', required
- `activity` 'sedentary' | 'moderately-active' | 'active' | 'very-active'
- `height_cm` number
- `height_ft` number
- `height_in` number
- `weight_kg` number
- `weight_lb` number
- `pregnancy` 'not-pregnant' | '1st-trimester' | '2nd-trimester' | '3rd-trimester'
- `lactation` 'not-lactating' | '0-6-months' | '7-12-months'

## Response `200`

Calculation result with citation envelope.

- CitedResult: Calculation result. Shape varies by endpoint, but every result carries the citation envelope fields below alongside the calculator's own numbers.
  - `calculator` string, required: The endpoint name.
  - `inputs` object: The parsed, normalized inputs the result was computed from.
  - `source` string, required: The formula and published reference behind the number.
  - `canonical_url` string, uri, required: The matching myplate.food page.
  - `disclaimer` string: Present on health calculators.

## Other responses

- `400`: Invalid or missing parameters.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/myplate/apis/myplate-food-nutrition-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/myplate/apis/myplate-food-nutrition-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/myplate/apis/myplate-food-nutrition-api/revisions/cb7ba731c59b?raw)