Meal Calorie Calculator

3–5 protein-containing meals per day appears to be optimal for maximising muscle protein synthesis. Each meal triggering MPS requires approximately 2–3 g of leucine (found in 30–40 g of complete protein). More meals spaced out through the day means more MPS "pulses" throughout the day, which research suggests accumulates to more daily MPS than fewer, larger protein doses.

No — the "6 small meals speed up metabolism" claim is largely a myth. Thermic effect of food (TEF) is proportional to total food intake, not meal frequency. 6 small meals produce the same total TEF as 3 large meals of equivalent total calories. Meal frequency does not meaningfully affect metabolic rate. Choose meal frequency based on what fits your lifestyle and helps you hit daily calorie and protein targets consistently.

For muscle gain, a pre-sleep protein intake of 30–40 g of slow-digesting casein protein has been shown in multiple studies to enhance overnight muscle protein synthesis without disrupting sleep. For fat loss, late-night eating is fine as long as you stay within total daily calories — there is no metabolic penalty for eating calories at night versus earlier in the day, contrary to popular belief.

Intermittent fasting (IF) restricts eating to a shorter window — 16:8 means fasting 16 hours and eating within an 8-hour window. Studies show IF produces similar fat loss to continuous caloric restriction when total calories are matched. The main benefit is that some people find it easier to control calorie intake within a compressed eating window. Downsides: harder to hit protein targets in fewer meals; may impair training performance if training during the fast.

Divide your daily protein target by the number of meals. For 160 g protein across 4 meals: 40 g per meal. Build each meal around a protein anchor: 130g chicken breast, 150g salmon, 5 eggs, 200g Greek yogurt, or 2 scoops of protein powder each provides approximately 30–40 g of protein. Add carbs and fats to reach the meal's calorie target. Post-workout meals slightly higher in protein (40–50 g) and carbs are beneficial.