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About this tool
Age and activity based protein target for 9 to 18 year olds, using the IOM reference intakes and the published athlete range.
The Teen Protein Intake Calculator sets a daily protein target for a 9 to 18 year old from the Institute of Medicine Dietary Reference Intakes — 0.95 g per kg of body weight for ages 9-13 and 0.85 g/kg for ages 14-18, both above the 0.8 g/kg adult RDA because tissue is still being built. Where a teenager plays sport, it raises the target inside the 1.2-2.0 g/kg athlete range from the 2016 joint position stand of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada and the American College of Sports Medicine. It also estimates daily energy with the IOM equations for children and checks the protein target against the 10-30% of energy AMDR, which is where a lot of teen diets quietly fall short.
Open Teen Protein Intake Calculator on AltFTool — it loads instantly in your browser.
Enter Age (years) between 9 and 18, Weight (kg), Height (cm) and Sex (for the energy equations).
Choose an Everyday activity level from Sedentary to Very active, pick a Sport and training level such as Competitive team or endurance sport, and set Meals and snacks with protein between 3 and 6.
Read Protein a day in grams with its Daily range and Age-band RDA, then check the bar showing protein as a share of energy against the 10-30% acceptable range, and press Copy result.
Uses the 9-13 and 14-18 DRI bands rather than applying the adult 0.8 g/kg figure to a growing body.
Athlete targets stay within the published 1.2-2.0 g/kg range and never drop below the age RDA.
Compares the gram target with the 10-30% of calories AMDR, catching targets that look fine in isolation.
The RDA is 0.95 g per kg of body weight for ages 9-13 and 0.85 g/kg for ages 14-18 — about 48 g for a 50 kg twelve-year-old and 51 g for a 60 kg fifteen-year-old. Teenagers in regular sport need more, typically 1.2-1.6 g/kg, and those specifically training for muscle up to about 1.7 g/kg.
Usually not. A 60 kg teenage athlete needing 84 g a day can reach it with milk, eggs, dal, chicken and curd across four meals — around 21 g a meal. Powder is a convenience, not a requirement, and the 2016 sports nutrition position stand emphasises total daily intake and timing over supplement form. Talk to a paediatrician or sports dietitian before adding supplements for a young athlete.
The main risk is displacement rather than toxicity: protein above about 30% of total calories crowds out the carbohydrate that fuels growth and training, which is why the IOM sets an acceptable range of 10-30% of energy for ages 4-18. Very high intakes also tend to come with high supplement use, which is poorly regulated.
Because they are still depositing new tissue. Adult requirements only cover maintenance and turnover, while a growing teenager is adding muscle, bone and organ mass, so the DRI adds a growth allowance on top — which is also why the IOM energy equations for ages 9-18 include an extra 25 kcal a day for energy deposition.
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