Macro ranges in grams by calorie level
The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges for adults are shares of calories: 10 to 35% from protein, 45 to 65% from carbohydrate and 20 to 35% from fat. This table turns each range into grams a day, from 1,600 to 4,000 kcal.
| Calories | Protein 10-35% | Carbs 45-65% | Fat 20-35% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,600 | 40-140 | 180-260 | 36-62 |
| 1,800 | 45-158 | 203-293 | 40-70 |
| 2,000 | 50-175 | 225-325 | 44-78 |
| 2,200 | 55-193 | 248-358 | 49-86 |
| 2,400 | 60-210 | 270-390 | 53-93 |
| 2,600 | 65-228 | 293-423 | 58-101 |
| 2,800 | 70-245 | 315-455 | 62-109 |
| 3,000 | 75-263 | 338-488 | 67-117 |
| 3,200 | 80-280 | 360-520 | 71-124 |
| 3,400 | 85-298 | 383-553 | 76-132 |
| 3,600 | 90-315 | 405-585 | 80-140 |
| 3,800 | 95-333 | 428-618 | 84-148 |
| 4,000 | 100-350 | 450-650 | 89-156 |
All figures are grams a day, from the low end of each range to the high end. Protein and carbohydrate at 4 kcal per gram, fat at 9, rounded to the nearest gram.
The preset splits
Four splits that sit inside all three ranges. The grams are for 2,500 kcal a day. They are examples of what the ranges allow, not recommendations: the calculator works the same way with any split you type.
| Split | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moderate protein | 20%125 g | 50%313 g | 30%83 g |
| Higher protein | 30%188 g | 45%281 g | 25%69 g |
| Higher carbohydrate | 15%94 g | 60%375 g | 25%69 g |
| Higher fat | 20%125 g | 45%281 g | 35%97 g |
How it works
Macros is short for macronutrients: protein, carbohydrate and fat, the three nutrients that supply energy in food. A macro split says what share of your calories comes from each one.
The arithmetic has two steps. Multiply your daily calories by each share to get the calories for that macronutrient. Then divide by the energy in one gram: 4 kcal for protein, 4 kcal for carbohydrate and 9 kcal for fat. Those are the Atwater factors, the values used for nutrition labels in the United States.
The calorie total is yours to supply. Type a number, or switch to a TDEE estimate, which uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation and a physical activity level in the same way as the TDEE calculator. This page does not suggest a calorie total above or below that estimate.
For the split, the US Dietary Reference Intakes give a range for each macronutrient for adults, called the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR). The four presets sit inside all three ranges. If you type a split of your own, the result says whether each share is inside, below or above its range.
The formula
calories from a macro
= daily calories × share ÷ 100
grams a day
= calories ÷ kcal per gram
protein 4 kcal per gram
carbohydrate 4 kcal per gram
fat 9 kcal per gram
AMDR for adults, % of calories
protein 10 to 35
carbohydrate 45 to 65
fat 20 to 35Worked example
2,500 kcal a day, split 20% protein, 50% carbohydrate, 30% fat.
- Protein: 2,500 × 20 ÷ 100 = 500 kcal, and 500 ÷ 4 = 125 g.
- Carbohydrate: 2,500 × 50 ÷ 100 = 1,250 kcal, and 1,250 ÷ 4 = 312.5, so 313 g.
- Fat: 2,500 × 30 ÷ 100 = 750 kcal, and 750 ÷ 9 = 83.3, so 83 g.
- All three shares are inside their ranges: 20% is between 10 and 35, 50% is between 45 and 65, 30% is between 20 and 35.
What the ranges are
The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges come from the Institute of Medicine’s Dietary Reference Intakes for energy and macronutrients, published in 2005. The report says the ranges were set from intervention trials, with support from epidemiological evidence about chronic disease, and so that intakes of essential nutrients are sufficient.
The figures on this page are the adult ones. The same report gives different fat and protein ranges for children, which this calculator does not use.
The ranges describe shares of calories, not amounts. They say nothing about how many calories a person needs.
What this calculator does not do
- It does not set your calories. The split is applied to whatever total you give it, between 500 and 10,000 kcal.
- It does not pick a split for you. The presets show four points inside the ranges, and nothing here ranks them.
- The 4, 4 and 9 kcal per gram figures are rounded general values. The same table in the Dietary Reference Intakes report lists the heat of combustion of starch as 4.18 kcal per gram, of fat as 9.44 and of protein through metabolism as 4.70, so grams worked out from calories are approximate.
- When the calorie total is a TDEE estimate, it carries the uncertainty of that estimate. The TDEE calculator explains how large it is.
Questions
How do I calculate my macros?
Multiply your daily calories by the share for each macronutrient, then divide by the energy in a gram: 4 kcal for protein and carbohydrate, 9 kcal for fat. At 2,500 kcal and 20% protein, 50% carbohydrate, 30% fat, that is 125 g of protein, 313 g of carbohydrate and 83 g of fat.
What macro split should I use?
This page does not choose one for you. The US Dietary Reference Intakes give ranges for adults, not a single target: 10 to 35% of calories from protein, 45 to 65% from carbohydrate and 20 to 35% from fat. Any split inside all three, such as the presets here, is within them. What suits a medical condition is a question for a doctor or registered dietitian.
How many grams of protein, carbs and fat are in a 2,000 calorie diet?
It depends on the split. At 20% protein, 50% carbohydrate, 30% fat, 2,000 kcal is 100 g of protein, 250 g of carbohydrate and 67 g of fat. Across the full ranges for adults, 2,000 kcal covers 50 to 175 g of protein, 225 to 325 g of carbohydrate and 44 to 78 g of fat. The table of ranges has other calorie levels.
What is the AMDR?
The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range: the share of total calories from a macronutrient that the US Dietary Reference Intakes set for each one. For adults it is 10 to 35% for protein, 45 to 65% for carbohydrate and 20 to 35% for fat.
Why does fat have 9 calories per gram and protein and carbohydrate 4?
Fat holds more than twice the energy of the other two for the same weight. The figures of 4, 9 and 4 kcal per gram for carbohydrate, fat and protein were proposed by Atwater, and the Dietary Reference Intakes report says they are now uniformly used in nutrient labeling and diet formulation. They are rounded: the same table in the report lists the heat of combustion of starch as 4.18 kcal per gram and of fat as 9.44.
Should I set protein in grams per pound or as a percentage?
Both are used, and they answer different questions. The protein RDA and the figures from sports nutrition research are given per kg of body weight, which the protein calculator turns into grams. The AMDR is a share of calories. If you estimate your TDEE on this page, the result also shows what your protein share comes to per kg and per lb of body weight.
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Sources
- Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. National Academies Press; 2005. Chapter 11, Macronutrients and Healthful Diets: Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (page 769).
- Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. 2005. Chapter 5, Energy: Table 5-1, heat of combustion and Atwater factors (page 109).
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, Scott BJ, Daugherty SA, Koh YO. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1990;51(2):241-247.
- FAO/WHO/UNU. Human energy requirements: report of a joint FAO/WHO/UNU expert consultation, Rome, 17-24 October 2001. FAO Food and Nutrition Technical Report Series 1. Rome; 2004. Chapter 5, energy requirements of adults: Tables 5.1 and 5.3 and section 5.3.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology. Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI), Special Publication 811, Appendix B.9: 1 inch = 2.54 cm and 1 lb = 0.4535924 kg.