The maths, with your numbers
No guesswork and no brand chart. This is the same calculation a vet does on paper, so you can check it.
What this means for the bowl
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Large Breed Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe is on the lighter side: at 355 kcal per cup it has less energy than 77% of the 140 dry dog foods in our list, so the bowl will look fuller for the same calories.
To show how much the food matters: a 40 lb spayed or neutered dog needs about 985 kcal a day. That is 2 ¾ cups of this food, but 1 ⅞ cups of Purina Pro Plan All Ages Sport Performance 30/20 Salmon & Rice and 3 ⅝ cups of Kirkland Signature Healthy Weight Chicken and Vegetable. Same dog, same day, very different scoops.
A level 8 oz measuring cup holds about 100 g of this kibble. If you have kitchen scales, weighing is more accurate than scooping, because a heaped cup holds noticeably more than a level one.
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Large Breed Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe feeding chart
Daily amounts for healthy adult dogs with no treats, from the label calories and the AAHA 2021 energy factors. Split the amount into meals.
| Weight | Couch dog | Spayed or neutered | Very active |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 lb 2.3 kg | ⅜ cup44 g | ⅝ cup59 g | ¾ cup73 g |
| 10 lb 4.5 kg | ¾ cup74 g | 1 cup98 g | 1 ¼ cups123 g |
| 15 lb 6.8 kg | 1 cup100 g | 1 ⅜ cups133 g | 1 ⅝ cups167 g |
| 20 lb 9.1 kg | 1 ¼ cups124 g | 1 ⅝ cups165 g | 2 cups207 g |
| 30 lb 13.6 kg | 1 ⅝ cups168 g | 2 ¼ cups224 g | 2 ¾ cups280 g |
| 40 lb 18.1 kg | 2 ⅛ cups209 g | 2 ¾ cups278 g | 3 ½ cups348 g |
| 50 lb 22.7 kg | 2 ½ cups247 g | 3 ¼ cups329 g | 4 ⅛ cups411 g |
| 60 lb 27.2 kg | 2 ⅞ cups283 g | 3 ¾ cups377 g | 4 ¾ cups472 g |
| 70 lb 31.8 kg | 3 ⅛ cups318 g | 4 ¼ cups423 g | 5 ¼ cups529 g |
| 80 lb 36.3 kg | 3 ½ cups351 g | 4 ⅝ cups468 g | 5 ⅞ cups585 g |
| 90 lb 40.8 kg | 3 ⅞ cups383 g | 5 ⅛ cups511 g | 6 ⅜ cups639 g |
| 100 lb 45.4 kg | 4 ⅛ cups415 g | 5 ½ cups553 g | 6 ⅞ cups692 g |
Label values: 355 kcal per cup, 3,538 kcal per kg. Source: petsmart.com, checked 18 Oct 2026.
Questions
How much Blue Buffalo Life Protection Large Breed Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe should I feed a 50 lb dog?
About 3 ¼ cups or 329 g a day for a spayed or neutered dog, before treats. That is 1,164 kcal a day divided by the food’s label value. Use the calculator above to adjust for your pet.
How many calories are in Blue Buffalo Life Protection Large Breed Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe?
The label states 355 kcal per cup, 3,538 kcal per kg (checked 18 Oct 2026). Recipes change, so check your bag.
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- Life Protection Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
- Wilderness High Protein Chicken Recipe Adult Grain-Free
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- Life Protection Small Breed Chicken & Brown Rice Adult
- Life Protection Healthy Weight Chicken & Brown Rice Adult
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