How to use
- Enter your daily calorie target. If you don’t have one, get it from the calorie calculator first.
- Pick a preset (balanced, low carb, high protein or keto) or choose Custom and set your own percentages — they must add up to 100%.
- Choose how many meals you eat to see grams per day and per meal, alongside the recommended ranges.
This calculator provides general nutrition information only. It is not medical or dietary advice.
How it works
Grams of each macro = calorie target × percentage ÷ calories per gram
| Macronutrient | Calories per gram (Atwater factors) |
|---|---|
| Carbohydrate | 4 kcal |
| Protein | 4 kcal |
| Fat | 9 kcal |
Presets
| Preset | Carbs | Protein | Fat | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced | 55% | 20% | 25% | Inside both US and Korean recommended ranges |
| Low carb | 25% | 35% | 40% | Low-carb diets are commonly defined as under 26% of energy from carbs |
| High protein | 40% | 30% | 30% | The well-known “40/30/30” split |
| Keto | 5% | 20% | 75% | Keeps carbs around 20–50 g a day |
The low-carb and ketogenic definitions follow the classification by Feinman et al. (Nutrition, 2015). Presets are starting points, not prescriptions — adjust them to your goals.
AMDR — the US Institute of Medicine’s Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges for adults (2005) are 45–65% carbohydrate, 10–35% protein and 20–35% fat. Korea’s 2020 Dietary Reference Intakes set 55–65%, 7–20% and 15–30%.
Examples
- 2,000 kcal, balanced (55/20/25): carbs 2,000 × 55% ÷ 4 = 275 g, protein 100 g, fat 2,000 × 25% ÷ 9 ≈ 56 g — about 92 g / 33 g / 19 g per meal over three meals.
- 2,000 kcal, keto (5/20/75): carbs 25 g, protein 100 g, fat about 167 g.
- 1,800 kcal, low carb (25/35/40): carbs about 113 g, protein about 158 g, fat 80 g.
Things to keep in mind
- In the US, the carbohydrate figure on Nutrition Facts labels includes fiber, and alcohol supplies about 7 kcal per gram on top of your macros. Treat the grams as approximate targets.
- Very low-carb diets such as keto can be risky for people taking diabetes medication (especially insulin or SGLT2 inhibitors), people with kidney or liver disease, and during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Talk to a doctor first.
- If you have kidney disease, check with your doctor before raising protein substantially.
FAQ
Which split is best for weight loss?
Weight loss comes from eating fewer calories than you burn. Choose a split that keeps you full and supports your training — the best one is the one you can stick with.
How much protein do I need?
The US Recommended Dietary Allowance for adults is 0.8 g per kg of body weight (about 0.36 g per lb). People who strength-train or are losing weight often eat more; check with a professional if you have a medical condition.
Where does my calorie target come from?
Use the calorie calculator for maintenance, loss or gain targets, or the BMR calculator to see your resting energy needs.