How much protein, carbs and fat should you eat?

How the split is worked out

Calories come from the same Mifflin-St Jeor estimate as our calorie calculator, plus about 250 kcal if your goal is to build muscle. Then:

Protein is set at 1.6 g per kilogram of body weight. A 2018 meta-analysis of 49 studies of people doing resistance training (Morton et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine) found the benefit for muscle levelled off at about this intake, with 2.2 g/kg as a sensible upper end.

Fat is set at 25% of calories, a middle-of-the-road share that leaves room for both. Carbohydrate fills the rest and fuels harder training.

Protein per meal

Spreading protein over three to five meals, with a decent portion each time, is a simple way to reach the daily total. The total across the day matters more than exact timing.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to hit my macros exactly?

No. Getting protein close and calories roughly right covers most of the benefit.

Is high protein safe?

For healthy adults, intakes in this range are widely used. If you have kidney disease or another condition, ask your doctor first.

Should I use the build-muscle setting?

Only if you're strength training regularly. Without training, extra calories don't become muscle.