Calculator
Macro calculator
A macro calculation has two parts: a calorie target, and a ratio that divides those calories between carbohydrate, protein and fat. The tool below does the second part. If you do not know your calorie target yet, start at the calorie calculator and come back.
Result
Ratio used: —(—)
Carbohydrate
— g
— kcal
Protein
— g
— kcal
Fat
— g
— kcal
Where the grams come from
Macronutrients carry calories, and they do not carry the same amount. No macro calculation is possible without these three numbers:
- 1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 kcal
- 1 gram of protein = 4 kcal
- 1 gram of fat = 9 kcal
The arithmetic: take the share of your calorie target assigned to a macronutrient, divide by its calories per gram. Worked example at 2,400 kcal on a 40/30/30 ratio - carbohydrate 2,400 × 0.40 = 960 kcal ÷ 4 = 240 g; protein 2,400 × 0.30 = 720 kcal ÷ 4 = 180 g; fat 2,400 × 0.30 = 720 kcal ÷ 9 = 80 g. Fat lands on a smaller number of grams because it carries more than twice the calories per gram.
Which ratio
The ratios here are starting points, not prescriptions. The literature does not identify one correct macro split; at the same calorie intake, different ratios can produce similar outcomes. The place the ratio genuinely matters is the protein side, when you are in a deficit and want to hold on to muscle.
| Ratio | C / P / F | When |
|---|---|---|
| Balanced (Cookrange default) | 40 / 30 / 30 | The ratio the app itself uses. |
| High protein | 35 / 35 / 30 | A common choice when the goal is muscle retention or satiety. |
| Low carbohydrate | 25 / 35 / 40 | Cuts carbohydrate and raises fat. This is not ketogenic. |
| Endurance-leaning | 50 / 25 / 25 | Carbohydrate share rises when sustained cardio volume is high. |
How Cookrange uses this ratio
The app takes the balanced ratio (40/30/30) as its default and generates the weekly plan around that distribution. When you regenerate the plan the target updates; meals you already logged stay exactly as logged. So a macro target is not a fixed sign on a wall, it is a number that moves with the plan. Detail: nutrition and planning.
The concepts: macro tracking,calorie deficit and surplus,body recomposition.
The other calculators
- Calorie and macro calculator — daily calorie requirement (TDEE)
- BMR calculator — basal metabolic rate and the activity multipliers
- Protein calculator — protein need per kilogram
- BMI calculator — body mass index
Sources
- Atwater general factors — carbohydrate and protein 4 kcal/g, fat 9 kcal/g.