Macro Calculator
Turn your daily calories into grams of protein, carbs and fat. Let the calculator work out your calories, or type your own. Protein is set by your body weight, and you get a fibre goal and a meal-by-meal plan.
Your macros
Enter your details above to see your macros.
Your daily split
Spread across your meals
These are estimates for general information only and not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before changing your diet, especially if you have a medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are under 18.
What are macros, in plain words?
“Macros” is short for macronutrients. They are the three big building blocks of food that give your body energy: protein, carbohydrates and fat. Everything else in food, like vitamins, minerals and water, matters for your health too, but it does not supply calories.
Each one carries a different amount of energy. A gram of protein or a gram of carbohydrate gives about 4 calories. A gram of fat gives about 9. That is why a small spoon of oil adds up so quickly, and why you can eat a big bowl of vegetables without a big calorie bill.
Counting macros simply means you do not stop at “how many calories?” You also ask what those calories are made of. Two people can both eat 2,000 calories a day and feel completely different, because one is getting plenty of protein and fibre and the other is not.
How to use this calculator
- Choose where your calories come from. If you are not sure, pick “Work out my calories”. Enter your sex, age, height, weight and how active you are, then choose a goal. If you already have a calorie target from a dietitian, an app or our calorie calculator, pick “I know my calories” and type it in.
- Enter your body weight. It is used to set your protein, so a heavier person gets a higher protein target than a lighter one.
- Pick an eating style. Balanced is a good starting point for most people. Higher protein suits people lifting weights or cutting calories. Lower carb, lower fat and endurance shift the balance. Or choose custom and type your own percentages.
- Read your results. You get your calories, grams of protein, carbs and fat, a fibre goal, and a simple plan for splitting it all across your meals.
How the numbers are worked out
BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor) = 10 × weight kg + 6.25 × height cm − 5 × age + 5 (men) or − 161 (women)
Maintenance calories = BMR × activity multiplier
Daily calories = maintenance × (1 + goal percentage)
Protein grams = g per kg × body weight
Fat grams = calories × fat share ÷ 9
Carb grams = (calories − protein calories − fat calories) ÷ 4
The order matters. Protein comes first, because it is the one most worth getting right. Fat comes next, as a share of your calories. Carbohydrates then fill whatever calories are left. That is why changing your protein changes your carbs, but not the other way round.
If you choose custom percentages, the three numbers must add up to 100. The calculator then simply turns each share of your calories into grams, using 4, 4 and 9 calories per gram.
Two worked examples
Someone who wants calculated calories
A 30-year-old man, 80 kg and 180 cm, exercises about four days a week and wants to lose weight steadily. His BMR is 10 × 80 + 6.25 × 180 − 5 × 30 + 5 = 1,780 calories. Times 1.55 for his activity gives maintenance of 2,759 calories. Losing steadily is 20% below that, so his target is about 2,207 calories a day.
With the Balanced style, protein is 1.6 × 80 = 128 g, which is 512 calories. Fat is 30% of his calories, about 74 g. The rest goes to carbs, about 258 g. In round numbers: 128 g protein, 258 g carbs and 74 g fat.
Someone who already knows their calories
A woman weighs 70 kg and has been told to eat 2,000 calories. On the Balanced style her protein is 1.6 × 70 = 112 g. Fat at 30% of 2,000 calories is 600 calories, or about 67 g. Carbs get what is left, about 238 g. Across three meals that works out to roughly 37 g of protein per meal.
How much protein do you really need?
The official minimum to avoid running short is about 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight each day. That is the amount that stops deficiency, not necessarily the best amount for how you want to look, feel and perform.
Many people who train, want to keep or build muscle, or are eating fewer calories than usual aim higher. A range of roughly 1.4 to 2.0 grams per kilogram is commonly suggested in sports nutrition. When calories are lower, more protein helps you hold on to muscle while you lose fat, and it also tends to keep you feeling full.
| Body weight | 1.2 g/kg | 1.6 g/kg | 2.0 g/kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 60 g | 80 g | 100 g |
| 60 kg | 72 g | 96 g | 120 g |
| 70 kg | 84 g | 112 g | 140 g |
| 80 kg | 96 g | 128 g | 160 g |
| 90 kg | 108 g | 144 g | 180 g |
| 100 kg | 120 g | 160 g | 200 g |
More is not always better. Above about 2.2 grams per kilogram there is little extra benefit for most people, and it can crowd out carbs and fibre. If you have kidney problems, ask your doctor before raising your protein.
What about fat?
Fat has a bad reputation that it does not deserve. You need it to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K, to build cell membranes and to make hormones. Commonly quoted healthy ranges for adults put fat at roughly 20 to 35 percent of calories.
That is why this calculator never sets fat below 20 percent in its ready-made styles. Going very low can leave you short on essential fats, and the food often becomes bland and hard to stick with. At the other end, fat is calorie-dense, so a high-fat plan leaves less room for carbs and protein.
Carbs, and why they get the leftovers
Carbohydrates are your body’s easiest fuel, and they matter most if you do a lot of hard training, long runs or fast, repeated efforts. If you mostly sit or walk, you can do well on fewer. Because carbs fill whatever calories remain, a lower-carb style is really just a higher-fat style, and an endurance style is a higher-carb one.
Where the carbs come from is just as important as how many there are. Vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils, oats and whole grains bring fibre and nutrients. Sugary drinks and sweets bring calories and little else.
The fibre goal
Along with your macros, the calculator shows a fibre goal of about 14 grams for every 1,000 calories. At 2,000 calories that is about 28 grams. Fibre helps digestion, keeps you fuller for longer and is linked with better heart health. Many people eat much less than that. If you are well below it, add fibre a little at a time and drink plenty of water, so your gut can adjust.
Splitting it across your day
The meal table divides your daily numbers evenly. It is a simple starting point, not a rule. Some people like a bigger dinner and a lighter lunch, and that works fine, as long as the day adds up. Spreading protein across your meals, rather than eating most of it at one sitting, is a habit many people find easy and satisfying.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Chasing exact grams. Being within about 5 to 10 percent on most days is plenty. Nobody hits the numbers perfectly.
- Forgetting drinks and oils. Cooking oil, sauces, sugary drinks and alcohol add calories fast. Alcohol is about 7 calories per gram and is not counted in the three macros.
- Mixing raw and cooked weights. Rice, pasta and meat change weight when cooked. Pick one way and stay consistent.
- Never adjusting. Calorie equations are estimates. Follow your numbers for two to three weeks, check how your weight and energy are trending, and change your calories by a small step if you need to.
- Going too low on calories. Very low targets are hard to keep up and can leave you short of nutrients. The calculator will not set a weight-loss target below 1,200 calories for women or 1,500 for men.
Who should be careful
This tool is built for healthy adults. If you are under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding, have diabetes, kidney disease or any other medical condition, or have ever had an eating disorder, please talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before changing how you eat. The numbers here are estimates for general information and are not medical advice.
Quick reference: calories per gram
| Nutrient | Calories per gram |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4 |
| Carbohydrate | 4 |
| Fat | 9 |
| Alcohol (not a macro) | 7 |
Frequently asked questions
What are macros?
Macros, short for macronutrients, are the three nutrients that give your body energy: protein, carbohydrates and fat. Protein and carbs each give about 4 calories per gram, and fat gives about 9. Your daily calories are simply the total of the three. This calculator turns a calorie number into grams of each, which is easier to follow when you are cooking or reading a food label.
How many grams of protein do I need a day?
The official minimum to avoid deficiency is about 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. Many people who exercise, are trying to build muscle or are eating fewer calories aim higher, often somewhere between 1.4 and 2.0 grams per kilogram. For a 70 kg person, that is roughly 98 to 140 grams a day. The calculator uses 1.6 g/kg by default and lets you pick a higher or lower style.
Should I use my current weight or my goal weight for protein?
For most people the current weight is fine. If you are carrying a lot of extra body fat, protein based on your full weight can come out very high, and many people use a weight closer to their goal instead. If that applies to you, enter your goal weight in the weight box. A dietitian can help you pick a sensible number.
How do you work out the grams?
First the calculator finds your daily calories, either from your own number or from the Mifflin-St Jeor equation multiplied by your activity level and adjusted for your goal. Protein is set by body weight and turned into calories at 4 per gram. Fat is set as a share of your calories and turned into grams at 9 per gram. Carbohydrates take up whatever calories are left, at 4 per gram.
Is a high-protein diet safe?
For healthy adults, protein in the ranges this calculator uses is considered safe and common. People with kidney disease, and some other conditions, may need to limit protein, so check with your doctor first if that could be you. Pregnant or breastfeeding women have different needs too. Nothing here is medical advice.
Why is my fat set as a percentage and not grams per kilogram?
Fat is a big part of your calorie budget, so a share of calories is the most natural way to think about it. A level of 20 to 35 percent of calories is a commonly quoted healthy range for adults. Going much lower can make it harder to get enough essential fats, and going much higher leaves less room for carbs and protein.
What is the fibre goal based on?
A common guideline is about 14 grams of fibre for every 1,000 calories you eat. At 2,000 calories that is around 28 grams. It is a target to aim for, not a strict limit, and building up gradually and drinking enough water helps your gut adjust.
Do the grams include alcohol?
No. Alcohol gives about 7 calories per gram but is not one of the three macros, so it is not counted here. If you drink, those calories come out of your budget, and you may want to lower your carbs or fat to make room.
Should I weigh raw or cooked food?
Whichever you choose, stay consistent. Food labels for raw meat, rice and pasta describe the raw weight, and cooked weights are different because of water. Most tracking apps list both, so pick the matching entry for how you weigh.
How accurate are the results?
They are good starting points, not exact answers. Calorie equations can be off by a few hundred calories for any one person. Eat to your numbers for two or three weeks, watch how your weight and energy change, and adjust. Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing you type is sent or stored.
Related calculators
To find your calories first, use the calorie calculator (TDEE) or the BMR calculator. To see a healthy weight range, try the ideal weight calculator, and to estimate your body composition, the body fat calculator. Remember to drink enough water too, with the water intake calculator.