fotorieMacro calculator: how much protein, carbohydrates, and fats per day
Enter your calories, weight, and goal, and you will see the grams and percentage of each macronutrient. The distribution follows the rules used by Vitasane nutritionists: protein according to goal, fats with a minimum, and carbohydrates for the rest.
Guidance for adults. Not indicated during pregnancy or lactation; if you have an illness or need individual guidance, consult a professional. About the limitations of weight planners (NIDDK).
The calculation is below the limit of this tool. This limit has been applied before distribution; it does not guarantee adequate intake for you.
Protein 1.6-2.2 g/kg depending on goal, fats never below 0.8 g/kg, the rest in carbohydrates; in keto, carbohydrates are limited to 5-10%, and in vegetarian, protein increases slightly to compensate for its lower quality. Indicative: pregnancy, lactation, minors, and pathologies require a professional.
What are macros and why they matter
Calories tell you how much you eat; macros tell you what it’s made of. Proteins and carbohydrates provide 4 kcal per gram, fats 9, and with the same total calories, very different days can be created: one that maintains muscle and curbs hunger, and another that leaves you tired in the afternoon and wanting to snack.
Protein repairs and maintains muscle, and it’s what satiates the most. Carbohydrates are the fuel for training and the brain. Fats support hormones and the absorption of various vitamins, which is why they have a minimum below which it is not advisable to go. Calculating macros means setting an amount of each that matches your calories, which come from the daily calorie calculator or, if you want to lose weight, from the calorie deficit calculator.
How they are distributed according to the goal
The most reliable way to distribute is not a fixed percentage, but grams per kilogram of body weight, which is how Vitasane nutritionists do it in consultation and how the calculator does it:
| Goal | Protein | Fats | Carbohydrates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lose fat | 2 g/kg (up to 2.2 with large deficit) | 0.8-1 g/kg | What’s left of the calories |
| Maintain | 1.6-1.8 g/kg | 1 g/kg | What’s left, usually 40-50% |
| Gain muscle | 1.6-2 g/kg | 1 g/kg | What’s left, usually the highest macro |
| Keto (any goal) | 1.6-2 g/kg | The rest, 65-75% of calories | 5-10% of calories, 20-50 g |
Note the order: first protein, because it’s what protects muscle and determines how hungry you are; then fats, with their minimum; and carbohydrates are adjusted with what’s left over. In a deficit, carbohydrates decrease; in a bulk, they increase. In a vegetarian diet, protein increases by 10% because plant sources are absorbed somewhat less efficiently and often come mixed with carbohydrates.
When the distribution is converted to a percentage, two people with the same figures per kilogram can see very different numbers, because the percentage depends on how many calories they eat. That’s why the calculator gives you both, but the reference to note are the grams.
An example day with 1,700 kcal
A 70 kg woman who wants to lose fat with 1,700 kcal needs about 140 g of protein, 60 g of fat, and 150 g of carbohydrates. This is how it can look on the plate:
| Meal | What | Protein | Carbs | Fat | kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Greek yogurt with oats and blueberries | 22 g | 45 g | 12 g | 390 |
| Mid-morning | A fruit and a handful of walnuts | 3 g | 22 g | 9 g | 180 |
| Lunch | Grilled sea bream with Mediterranean salad and bread | 44 g | 40 g | 16 g | 480 |
| Snack | Whipped fresh cheese with cocoa | 25 g | 10 g | 2 g | 160 |
| Dinner | Hake en papillote with vegetables and potato | 40 g | 35 g | 14 g | 420 |
| Total | 134 g | 152 g | 53 g | 1,630 |
It doesn’t match to the gram and it doesn’t need to: a margin of 5% up or down is normal and doesn’t change anything. What does change the result is that the protein is distributed throughout the day, between 25 and 45 g per meal, instead of concentrated at dinner.
How to count macros without weighing everything
Counting macros has a reputation for being obsessive because for years the only way was to weigh each food and look it up in a database. Today there are more manageable ways:
- Learn four protein portions. A chicken breast or a fish fillet the size of your palm is 30-40 g; a Greek yogurt, 10; two eggs, 13; a small can of tuna, 20. With that, you solve the difficult macro.
- Use your hand for the rest. A fist of cooked rice, pasta, or potato is about 40 g of carbohydrate; a thumb of oil or butter, 10-14 g of fat; half an avocado, 15.
- Weigh for a week, then estimate. A week with a scale calibrates your eye for months. After that, estimating with these references keeps you within a 10% error, the same margin as the formula.
- Let the photo do the counting. An app that identifies the foods on the plate and estimates the grams returns protein, carbohydrates, and fats in seconds. This is what Fotorie does, and we explain it in calorie counter.
If you prefer not to count anything, a weekly menu made with your macros already balanced solves the problem from the other side: you eat what you need and the numbers come out automatically.
Frequently asked questions
What are macros?
Macronutrients are the three groups of nutrients that provide energy: proteins and carbohydrates, with 4 kcal per gram, and fats, with 9 kcal per gram. Calculating macros means deciding how many grams of each you eat per day to meet your target calories.
What is the best macro distribution for fat loss?
High protein, between 1.8 and 2.2 g per kilogram of body weight, moderate fats of at least 0.8 g per kilogram, and the rest in carbohydrates. In percentage, it usually ends up close to 30-35% protein, 30% fat, and 35-40% carbohydrates, but the grams are what matter, not the percentage.
How much protein per day to gain muscle?
Between 1.6 and 2 g per kilogram of body weight, distributed over three or four meals, along with a slight calorie surplus and strength training. More than 2.2 g per kilogram has not shown additional benefits.
How are macros calculated in a keto diet?
Carbohydrates are limited to 5-10% of calories, between 20 and 50 g per day; protein is maintained at 1.6-2 g per kilogram, and the rest is covered with fat, which usually ends up being 65-75% of energy. This is a diet that should be done under supervision if you are taking medication or have any pathology.
Do you have to weigh food to count macros?
Initially, weighing for a week helps calibrate your eye. After that, a reasonable estimation of portions or an app that calculates the protein, carbohydrates, and fats of the dish from a photo is sufficient. The error of a careful estimation is in the same range as that of the formula.
Make it automatic: photo and done
Fotorie calculates your macros when you register and then counts the protein, carbohydrates, and fats of each dish with a photo. With a weekly menu that already balances the numbers. Free to start.
