Enter the body weight used for guideline calculations (often ideal or adjusted body weight as directed by your clinician/renal dietitian), then select the appropriate adult CKD status and a target within the guideline range to estimate protein needs.

CKD Protein Calculator

Enter weight and select clinical factors to estimate guideline-based protein targets.

Medical note: This calculator provides an educational estimate for metabolically stable adults and is not medical advice. Protein targets must be individualized (especially in pregnancy, underweight/malnutrition, acute illness/hospitalization, or other catabolic conditions), and adequate calorie/energy intake is important when lowering protein; dialysis modality (including PD) and losses may warrant different targets—confirm your plan with your clinician/renal dietitian.

Related Calculators

CKD Protein Formula

PRtarget (g/kg/day) = guideline target based on CKD status (and diabetes, if applicable).
Protein/day (g/day) = Weight used (kg) × PRtarget (g/kg/day).

Uses adult recommendations for metabolically stable patients; KDOQI expresses targets per kg ideal body weight (or adjusted body weight when clinically indicated). Guideline ranges shown here align with commonly cited adult CKD nutrition guidance (e.g., KDOQI 2020 Nutrition in CKD).

What is a CKD Protein Requirement?

In chronic kidney disease (CKD), “protein requirement” refers to the recommended amount of dietary protein to eat per day. Recommended protein intake typically depends on CKD stage and whether a person is on dialysis: non-dialysis CKD stages 3–5 often uses a lower-protein target (to reduce kidney workload), while dialysis generally requires higher protein intake because amino acids and protein are lost during treatment. Individual needs vary based on nutrition status, comorbidities, and clinician guidance.

How to Calculate CKD Protein?

The following steps outline how to calculate the CKD protein requirement using the guideline-based method:

  1. Determine the body weight to use (often ideal body weight) in kilograms (W).
  2. Select the appropriate adult CKD category (e.g., CKD stages 3–5 not on dialysis; CKD stages 3–5 with diabetes not on dialysis; maintenance hemodialysis; peritoneal dialysis).
  3. Choose a guideline protein target PRtarget in g/kg/day for that category (e.g., 0.55–0.60 for CKD 3–5 not on dialysis without diabetes; 0.60–0.80 for CKD 3–5 not on dialysis with diabetes; 1.00–1.20 for maintenance hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis).
  4. If you want a single estimate, choose a point within the range (low end, midpoint, or high end).
  5. Calculate daily protein: Protein/day (g/day) = W (kg) × PRtarget (g/kg/day).
  6. After inserting the variables and calculating the result, check your answer with the calculator above.

Example Problem:

Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge:

Weight used (W) = 70 kg

CKD status = CKD stages 3–5 (not on dialysis, no diabetes)

Protein target (PRtarget) = midpoint of 0.55–0.60 g/kg/day = 0.575 g/kg/day

Total protein/day = 70 kg × 0.575 g/kg/day = 40.3 g/day (range ≈ 38.5–42.0 g/day using 0.55–0.60)