Macro Calculator + Guide to Macronutrients

Use this handy tool to find your macronutrient ratios for a few of the most popular goals.

If you need more info on calorie counting, check out our calorie calculator tool instead.

Understanding macro counting

Macronutrients or macros for short, the reason for counting them is so important is because it really does matter where you get your calories from. Each macronutrient offers a certain number of calories per gram.

A brief look at each macro

Protein: Considered the most essential macro in pursuit of fitness goals. Putting protein first will help you in building muscles and prevent muscle loss. It is the most satiating, so you feel fuller, longer.

Carbs: Main source of energy. It comes in two forms: simple and complex. Simple carbs (such as sugars and fruit) digest easily and provide you with quick energy. Complex carbs provide more sustained energy. They have a higher fiber count, are more nutritious, and take longer to digest, keeping you fuller.

Fats: These essential nutrients help keep hormone levels balanced, store and provide energy, provide essential fatty acids that our bodies need but can’t produce, proper functioning of nerves and brain, etc.

Recommended macro figures

This allows you to count your macros and keep track of where your calories are coming from because when it comes to successfully achieving your weight and fitness goals, tracking really should matter.

Here are the daily macronutrient goals based on dietary reference intakes and recommendations from the “Institute of Medicine: Dietary Reference Intakes.” (40)

How to count macros?

First, you must determine how many daily calories you need to take per day for your fitness/wellness goal.

Our calculator is designed to help you do just that. Once you have that figure, you combine it with the calories per macronutrient and recommended macro figures above to determine how much of each macro you need per day.

For example, let’s use three super-simplified, completely hypothetical scenarios to illustrate.

Higher-carb for bodybuilding ratio of 55% Carbs / 30% Protein / 15% Fat

If you’re a 24yr old male on a 4,000 calories per day diet, that equates to:

• Carbohydrates (4 kcal per gram)
  • Calories: (.55) * 4,000 = 2,200
  • Grams: 2,200 Calories / 4 = 550(g) of Carbs
• Protein (4 kcal per gram)
  • Calories: (.30) * 4,000 = 1,200
  • Grams: 1,200 Calories / 4 = 300(g) of Protein
• Fat (9 kcal per gram)
  • Calories: (.15) * 4,000 = 600
  • Grams: 600 Calories / 9 = 67(g) of Fat

Moderate-carb for maintenance ratio of 40% Carbs / 35% Protein / 25% Fat

If you’re a 31yr old male on a 2,600 calories per day diet, that equates to:

• Carbohydrates (4 kcal per gram)
  • Calories: (.40) * 2,600 = 1,040
  • Grams: 1,040 Calories / 4 = 260(g) of Carbs
• Protein (4 kcal per gram)
  • Calories: (.30) * 2,600 = 780
  • Grams: 780 Calories / 4 = 195(g) of Protein
• Fat (9 kcal per gram)
  • Calories: (.30) * 2,600 = 780
  • Grams: 780 Calories / 9 = 87(g) of Fat

Lower-carb for fat loss ratio of 20% Carbs / 45% Protein / 35% Fat

If you’re a 28yr old female on a 1,500 calories per day diet, that equates to:

• Carbohydrates (4 kcal per gram)
  • Calories: (.30) * 1,500 = 450
  • Grams: 450 Calories / 4 = 113(g) of Carbs
• Protein (4 kcal per gram)
  • Calories: (.40) * 1,500 = 600
  • Grams: 600 Calories / 4 = 150(g) of Protein
• Fat (9 kcal per gram)
  • Calories: (.30) * 1,500 = 450
  • Grams: 450 Calories / 9 = 50(g) of Fat

By determining your daily calories number for your fitness goal, you can then proceed to setting a macronutrient ratio to aim for daily when putting together your meals. A great place to start is the recommended macro figures above, followed by the where should your calories come from section.

Keep in mind that results vary, and it will take patience and dedication to achieve your goals.

Amount of calories in common foods

Keep in mind that all food and beverage choices matter – focus on variety, amount, and nutrition.

This guide is not meant to be an exhaustive list, please read labels to find out just how many calories are in the specific products you decide to buy.

• Unless otherwise stated, the items are uncooked.
• Unless otherwise stated “cup” implies chopped item.
• Unless otherwise stated:
  • 1 can = 12 fl oz.
  • 1 cup = 8.11 fl oz (US) or 8.44 fl oz (imperial) or 240 millilitre
  • 1 tablespoon = 14.2 gram
• Data pulled from: myfooddata.com

Milk & Eggs

Yogurt

Cheese

Meat

Seafood

Fruit

Vegetables

Nuts & Legumes

Grains & Pasta

Drinks & Beverages

Candy & Sweets

Final say

We hope this helped you better understand macronutrients and the importance of counting them when it comes to achieving certain fitness goals.

Stock Photos from Supergal / Shutterstock