Free tool
Calories, turned into grams.
A calorie target tells you how much. Macros tell you what kind. This turns a daily number into grams of protein, carbohydrate and fat, which is the form the information is actually useful in once you are standing in a kitchen.
Everything here runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded, nothing is stored, and there is no sign-up. These are estimates from published equations, not medical advice.
What are macros, and why track them in grams?
Macronutrients are the three things food is built from: protein, carbohydrate and fat. Protein and carbs carry 4 calories per gram, fat carries 9. Percentages are how splits get discussed, but grams are what you can actually count on a label or a food scale.
That 4, 4 and 9 is the entire conversion. A 2,000 calorie day at 30 percent protein is 600 calories of protein, which is 150 grams. Every macro calculator on the internet is doing that one piece of arithmetic, including this one.
Which macro split should you pick?
For most people, the balanced split at 30 percent protein, 40 percent carbohydrate and 30 percent fat is a reasonable default. Higher protein suits a deficit, because protein is the most filling of the three and protects lean mass. Lower carb suits people who simply prefer eating that way.
The official ranges are wider than any of these. The acceptable macronutrient distribution ranges put protein at 10 to 35 percent of calories, carbohydrate at 45 to 65 percent and fat at 20 to 35 percent. Anything inside those bands is defensible, so pick the one you will actually follow.
Does hitting your macros matter more than hitting your calories?
No. Calories decide whether weight moves, and macros decide what that weight is made of and how the days feel. If you can only be accurate about one number, be accurate about calories. Protein is the macro worth getting right second, particularly while eating less.
In practice most people do better aiming for a protein floor and letting carbohydrate and fat fall where they like within the calorie total. The protein calculator works out that floor from body weight rather than from a percentage.
How do you actually hit these numbers each day?
By logging what you eat and adjusting as you go, rather than planning a perfect day in advance. Packaged food carries its macros on the label, so a barcode is exact. Whole foods come from a nutrition database. Photographed meals get estimated, and you correct what looks wrong.
In CalorieCounter, protein, carbohydrate and fat sit on the Today screen next to calories, and every logged item contributes to all four at once. Macro tracking is on the free plan, along with barcode scanning and search.
What do these grams look like in actual food?
Smaller portions than most people expect for protein, and larger ones for carbohydrate. Around 30 grams of protein is a chicken breast, a tin of tuna, or 5 eggs. Around 50 grams of carbohydrate is a large bowl of rice. Around 15 grams of fat is a tablespoon and a half of oil.
| Food | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, 150 g cooked | 46 g | 0 g | 5 g |
| Greek yogurt, 170 g pot | 17 g | 6 g | 0 g |
| 2 large eggs | 12 g | 1 g | 10 g |
| White rice, 200 g cooked | 4 g | 56 g | 0 g |
| Olive oil, 1 tablespoon | 0 g | 0 g | 14 g |
| Almonds, 30 g | 6 g | 6 g | 15 g |
Figures are rounded and vary by brand and preparation. Values in the app come from USDA FoodData Central and Open Food Facts, and a barcode is always more exact than a table.
FAQ
How many grams of protein is 30 percent of 2,000 calories?
One hundred and fifty grams. Thirty percent of 2,000 is 600 calories, and protein carries 4 calories per gram, so 600 divided by 4 is 150 grams.
Do I need to hit my macros exactly?
No. Landing within about 10 grams of protein and inside your calorie total is plenty for almost any goal. Chasing exact numbers every day tends to cost more in stress than it returns in results.
What about fibre, sugar and alcohol?
Fibre and sugar are types of carbohydrate and are already inside the carbohydrate total. Alcohol is a fourth energy source at 7 calories per gram and belongs in your calorie total even though it is not a macro.
Sources
- Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Protein and Amino Acids, National Academies
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
- USDA FoodData Central
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