Enter your age, height, weight and how active you are. The calculator estimates the calories you burn in a day, adjusts for your goal and splits the total into grams of protein, carbohydrate and fat.
This is an estimate, not medical advice. Check with a doctor or registered dietitian before changing how you eat, especially if you are pregnant, under 18 or managing a health condition.
Save and track this in Mealfolder. Plan the week from recipes you like, with portions that fit these numbers, and shop from one list. The free plan holds 10 recipes and this week's plan.
Use Mealfolder freeStep 1: resting burn. It uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, published in 1990 and widely used by dietitians to estimate basal metabolic rate (BMR), the calories your body uses at rest:
US entries are converted first (1 lb = 0.4536 kg, 1 inch = 2.54 cm). Example: a 30-year-old man who weighs 80 kg (176 lb) and is 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) tall has a BMR of 800 + 1,125 − 150 + 5 = 1,780 calories.
Step 2: daily burn. BMR is multiplied by an activity factor to estimate total daily energy expenditure (TDEE): 1.2 for mostly sitting, 1.375 for light exercise, 1.55 for moderate, 1.725 for hard exercise most days and 1.9 for a physical job plus training. The man above at a moderate level: 1,780 × 1.55 = 2,759 calories.
Step 3: goal. To lose about a pound a week the calculator takes 500 calories a day off; half a pound, 250. To gain slowly it adds 250. These are the usual rules of thumb, and real results vary from person to person.
Step 4: macros. The calorie target is split by percentage. Protein and carbohydrate have about 4 calories per gram and fat about 9, so 25% protein of 2,759 calories is 2,759 × 0.25 ÷ 4 = 172 g.
The per-meal line divides the day evenly, which is a simple way to plan. A practical approach is to build dinners first, since they are the biggest meal for most people, and fill breakfast and lunch with a few repeat options that hit the protein number. The weekly meal plan generator gives you a week of dinners and the grocery list to go with them.
It is an estimate. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is one of the more accurate formulas for resting burn in healthy adults, but individuals still vary, and the activity factor is a broad guess. Use the number for two or three weeks, watch your weight, and adjust by 100 to 200 calories if needed.
Balanced (25% protein, 50% carbs, 25% fat) is a reasonable default. Higher protein suits people who lift weights or want to stay full on fewer calories. Lower carb suits people who prefer it. No split is right for everyone; choose the one you can keep eating week after week.
BMR is what your body burns at complete rest. TDEE adds everything you do in a day, from walking to the car to working out. You eat to your TDEE to stay the same weight, and below it to lose.
Common guidance is that women should not eat under about 1,200 calories a day, and men under about 1,500, without medical supervision, because it is hard to get enough nutrients below that. The calculator shows the warning instead of hiding the number.
No. This is an estimate, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before changing your diet, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, under 18, or managing a condition like diabetes or kidney disease.
Your list and your prices at 2 to 4 stores: the cheapest store for each item and what splitting the trip saves.
A week of dinners plus the combined grocery list, scaled to your household.
Paste ingredients, change the servings, get tidy kitchen fractions back.
What a recipe costs per serving, from your own receipt prices.
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