Macro Calculator - Protein, Carb & Fat Targets

Macro Calculator

Calculate your daily protein, carb, and fat targets from your calorie goal. Use Weight Loss and Weight Gain presets, or build a custom macro split.

Enter Target Calories

Select Fitness Goal

View Macro Ratios

View Grams Per Day

The preset splits are this calculator's fixed splits, not published guidelines, and this is not personalized medical advice. Protein, carb, and fat needs vary with health status, activity level, and goals; consult a registered dietitian for a plan specific to you.

Formulas and sources

Each formula this calculator uses, where it comes from, and what it leaves out. "How it works" shows the same formula with your own numbers.

Grams of protein, carbs and fat

Every mode

P = C × P% ÷ 4 Carbs = C × C% ÷ 4 F = C × F% ÷ 9
P
grams of protein a day
Carbs
grams of carbohydrate a day
F
grams of fat a day
C
daily calories (C% is the carbohydrate share)
P%
protein's share of the calories
C%
carbohydrate's share of the calories
F%
fat's share of the calories

The goal sets the three shares; Custom lets you type them, and a blank fat share is 100% minus the other two. Grams are rounded to 0.1 g.

Source: Uses the general factors of 4, 4 and 9 calories per gram in the FDA's food-labeling rule, 21 CFR 101.9 [1].

Goal presets and the adult ranges

Weight Loss, Maintenance, Weight Gain, High Protein, Low Carb and Keto modes

Weight Loss, 40/30/30
protein above, carbohydrate below, fat inside
Maintenance, 30/40/30
protein inside, carbohydrate below, fat inside
Weight Gain, 30/50/20
protein inside, carbohydrate inside, fat inside
High Protein, 45/30/25
protein above, carbohydrate below, fat inside
Low Carb, 35/25/40
protein inside, carbohydrate below, fat above
Keto, 20/5/75
protein inside, carbohydrate below, fat above

Splits read protein/carbohydrate/fat, as percentages of calories. The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges for adults are protein 10% to 35%, carbohydrate 45% to 65% and fat 20% to 35%. Several presets sit outside these ranges by design; Keto keeps carbohydrate far below them.

Source: The ranges were set by the National Academies in 2002 and 2005 [2] and restated in 2024 [3]. The splits are CalcTrail's own starting splits, not a published standard.

Sources

  1. Food and Drug Administration. 21 CFR 101.9: Nutrition labeling of food, paragraph (c)(1)(i)(B), calories per gram. eCFR, current as of October 1, 2026.
  2. Institute of Medicine, National Academies Press. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids, Summary, page 15. 2002/2005.
  3. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Rethinking the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range for the 21st Century: A Letter Report, Table 3-1, adults. 2024.

What this calculator does not cover

  • It works in percentages of calories, not body weight, so it cannot check protein against grams per kilogram of body weight.
  • It does not warn when a split is outside the adult ranges above.
  • It uses the general factors of 4, 4 and 9 calories per gram. The same section also allows food-specific factors, and paragraph (c)(1)(i)(C) sets 2 calories per gram for soluble non-digestible carbohydrate, such as soluble fiber [1].
  • It does not count fiber, vitamins or minerals.

Sources checked on .

Help

Quick Start Guide

  1. Enter Target Calories: Input your daily calorie target (from TDEE calculator or custom).
  2. Select Fitness Goal: Choose a goal: Weight Loss, Maintenance, Weight Gain, High Protein, Low Carb, Keto, or Custom for your own split.
  3. View Macro Ratios: See the goal's percentage split for protein, carbs, and fats.
  4. View Grams Per Day: See the grams per day of each macronutrient for your calories and split.
  5. Customize Ratios: Optionally enter custom macro percentages for specialized diets.
  6. Export Your Macro Targets: Export your macro targets as JSON, CSV or PDF for meal planning.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Keto preset uses 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbohydrate. There is no single standard ketogenic ratio. The International Society of Sports Nutrition's 2024 position stand on ketogenic diets gives under 50 g of carbohydrate a day as a broad guideline for reaching ketosis. 5% of calories stays under 50 g only up to about 4,000 kcal, so check the gram figure, not just the percentage. Keto sets the split, not the calories; use the Calorie Calculator for a loss or gain target.

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