Macro Calculator
See exactly how much protein, carbs, and fat to eat each day
This macros calculator splits a daily calorie target into protein, carbs, and fat. Pick a diet preset (Balanced, High Protein, Low Carb, Keto, High Carb) and the tool returns grams per day for each macro, based on the percentage split for that preset. The math: protein and carbs at 4 kcal/g, fat at 9 kcal/g.
What the splits are doing under the hood: High Protein (40/30/30) targets muscle building or recomp. Low Carb (35/25/40) shifts energy to fat for steadier blood sugar. Keto (25/5/70) drops carbs hard enough to reach ketosis. Balanced (30/40/30) is the general-health default that maps closely to the Health Canada AMDR midpoints. High Carb (25/55/20) fuels endurance athletes putting in real volume.
Built and reviewed by Kazi Habib, B.Pharm, MBA, PMP. The deep dive below covers when each split actually fits, what the research says about high-protein dosing for body recomp, and the common mistake people make on keto (under-eating fat and ending up in a low-calorie low-carb diet by accident, which is not the same thing).
Use our calorie calculator if you don't know your target
Diet Type(Protein / Carbs / Fat)
Equal balance of all macros — great for general health
How this calculator works
You enter a calorie target. You pick a diet preset. The tool multiplies the calorie target by each macro percentage, then divides by the kcal-per-gram for that macro (4 for protein and carbs, 9 for fat). The result is grams per day for each. The donut chart visualises the split.
The default presets reflect mainstream evidence-based ranges. The High Protein preset puts protein at 40% of calories, which for a 2,000 kcal day works out to 200g protein, or roughly 2.2 to 2.9 g/kg depending on body weight. That sits within the 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg range recommended by the International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand (Jager et al., 2017) for exercising individuals, and at the upper end of the 1.6 g/kg threshold the Morton 2018 BJSM meta-analysis identified for maximising resistance-training muscle gains.
When to use this calculator
Use this calculator when you have a calorie target from our maintenance calculator and need to translate it into grams, when you are running a body recomp and want protein high enough to protect lean mass during a deficit, when you are starting keto and need to know how high your fat intake actually has to go (most people under-eat fat on keto and feel terrible), or when you are training for endurance and need to confirm your carbs are not bottlenecking your sessions.
When NOT to use this calculator
Skip this tool if you do not have a calorie target yet. Run the maintenance calculator first; macros without a calorie anchor are guesses. If you have a clinical condition (kidney disease, diabetes on insulin, pregnancy) where macro distribution carries medical weight, talk to a registered dietitian. And if you are using the keto preset without understanding ketosis, the 5% carb ceiling on a 2,000 kcal day is 25g of carbs, which is one apple. Most people drift to low carb instead and lose the metabolic benefit.
What the result actually means
The grams are daily totals, not per-meal allocations. How you distribute matters less than total daily intake for most people, but for protein specifically, distributing 25 to 40g across 3 to 5 meals stimulates muscle protein synthesis more consistently than backloading at dinner (Lonnie et al., 2018, Nutrients).
If your fat number looks startling (a 2,000 kcal keto day shows 156g fat), that is correct math and that is the point of keto. If your carb number looks startling on a high-carb split, that is also correct, and endurance athletes routinely hit 6 to 10 g/kg carbs on heavy training days. Both numbers feel uncomfortable to a reader habituated to the cultural default 40% carb plate.
Pharmacist take
Macro splits intersect with several drug classes in ways most diet articles skip. Metformin and SGLT2 inhibitors (Jardiance, Forxiga) lose efficacy when carbs are extreme on either end, and dose adjustments may be needed if you swing from a high-carb to a keto split fast. Statins paired with very low carb diets sometimes cause measurable LDL increases in the lean mass hyper-responder phenotype, which is documented but under-discussed. If you are on any of these, change the split slowly and tell your prescriber the change is coming.
Halal, Canadian, and dietary considerations
Halal high-protein eating in Canada is easier than the protein industry implies. Halal-certified poultry is widely available at Costco Canada, Adonis, and major grocery chains in Toronto, Mississauga, and Calgary. Halal beef is at H&W Halal Meats and most ethnic grocers. For pre-made convenience: most plain whey isolate is structurally halal-friendly, but you still want to verify the flavouring carrier system. Halal certification on the bottle is not yet common in Canada, so verification falls to ingredient-by-ingredient checking.
Methodology and sources
The protein dosing benchmarks come from the ISSN position stand and Morton 2018 meta-analysis. The macro splits reflect the Health Canada AMDR ranges (protein 10 to 35%, carbs 45 to 65%, fat 20 to 35%), with the Keto and High Carb presets sitting outside Health Canada standard ranges intentionally for specific use cases.
How to Use Your Macro Targets
Macronutrients — protein, carbohydrates, and fat — are the three nutrients your body needs in gram quantities daily. Getting your macro split right is what separates people who 'lose weight' from people who lose fat while preserving muscle, maintain energy for training, and stay consistent long-term.
Protein is the most important macro to hit during weight loss. Research (Helms et al., 2014) shows 1.6–2.2g per kg of bodyweight preserves lean muscle during caloric deficits. For a 70kg adult losing weight, that's 112–154g daily — substantially higher than most Western diets provide. Protein also has the highest thermic effect (20-30% of calories burned during digestion) and the strongest satiety signal, making it the single highest-ROI macro for fat loss.
Carbohydrates fuel high-intensity training and brain function. Active adults typically do well with 40-55% of calories from carbs, while sedentary or insulin-resistant individuals may benefit from 20-30%. Timing matters: eating the bulk of your carbs around training (pre/post-workout) optimizes performance and recovery. Carbs aren't the enemy — quality is. Whole-food carbs (oats, rice, potatoes, fruit) behave very differently from processed carbs (cereal, bread, pastries) even at equal gram counts.
Fat is essential for hormone production, vitamin absorption, and satiety. Don't go below 0.3g per kg of bodyweight (about 20g for a 70kg adult) long-term — hormonal disruption begins here. Saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats all have roles. Omega-3s (fish oil, chia, walnuts) deserve extra attention — most adults don't get enough. The remaining calories after hitting protein and fat minimums become your carb budget.
Keep learning
- →How Much Protein Do You Need?Evidence-based protein targets for fat loss and muscle gain.
- →Best Protein Powders 2026If hitting protein feels hard, a protein powder bridges the gap.
- →Compare Protein Powders by MacroHead-to-head comparison of top protein powders.
- →High-Protein Breakfast IdeasFront-load your protein — easiest way to hit daily targets.
Macro Calculator FAQ
Macros (macronutrients) are the three main nutrients your body uses for energy: protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Each serves different functions — protein builds and repairs muscle, carbs fuel activity, and fat supports hormones and cell health. The ratio you eat affects body composition, energy, and performance.
For fat loss, a higher protein ratio (30-40% of calories) helps preserve muscle while in a calorie deficit. A common effective split is 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fat. However, the most important factor is total calorie intake — macros help optimize body composition within that calorie target.
Not necessarily. Tracking macros for 2-4 weeks builds awareness of portion sizes and food composition. After that, many people can estimate intuitively. If you have specific physique or performance goals, continued tracking provides more precision. Consistency over weeks matters more than daily perfection.
Research supports 1.6-2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight for active individuals and those in a calorie deficit. Sedentary people can manage with 0.8-1.0 g/kg. Our calculator automatically adjusts protein based on your selected goal and activity level.