Free Macro Calculator (+ Guide)

What is a macro calculator?

A macro calculator turns a daily calorie target into grams of protein, fat and carbs. Protein and carbs have 4 calories a gram, and fat has 9.

The National Academies set healthy ranges for each as a share of calories: protein 10% to 35%, fat 20% to 35% and carbs 45% to 65%. The calculator flags any macro outside them.

How to use the macro calculator

You only need to fill in yourself once, and every health calculator here reads it.

Your numbers stay in this browser.

The four styles

Each style sets protein by your weight and fat by a share of calories. Here they are at 2,400 calories for someone at 78 kg.

Lower carb puts fat over the 35% range and carbs under 45%, so the calculator flags both. That's a choice some people make on purpose, and the flag makes sure it's a choice.

A worked example

Here's the example the calculator loads when you press Try an example.

A 35-year-old man at 178 cm and 78 kg is moderately active and wants to lose 0.5 kg a week. His target is about 2,120 calories a day.

On high protein, that's 156 g of protein, 59 g of fat and 241 g of carbs. Over three meals, he'd aim for about 52 g of protein at each.

How to hit your macros

You don't need to count every gram to get close.

Build each meal around protein

Start with a palm or two of meat, fish, eggs, tofu or Greek yogurt. The protein calculator shows what that adds up to.

Add vegetables, then carbs and fat to fit

Fill half the plate with vegetables, then add rice, potatoes or bread, and some oil, nuts or avocado.

Check a few days, then repeat

Track three normal days, then repeat the meals that work.

Mistakes to avoid

These are the common ways macros go wrong.

• Setting protein as a share of calories instead of by your weight
• Cutting fat under 20% of calories for long
• Chasing exact grams every day instead of a weekly average
• Forgetting that drinks have calories too

Get close most days, and let the weekly average do the work.

Strength needs protein

Protein matters most when you train, because it's what muscle is built from.

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Who is the macro calculator for?

It's for anyone eating for a goal, and these tools set the numbers around it.

• Calorie calculator – for the daily target your macros split
• Protein calculator – for more on how much protein you need
• TDEE calculator – for what you burn in a day
• One rep max calculator – for the training your protein supports
• Longevity diet plan – for what to eat for the long run

Set your macros here, then build three meals you like around them.

More health calculators

Every health calculator reads the same "You", so you only enter yourself once.

Pair your macros with enough water, and the water intake calculator sets that too.