Many eating plans focus on changing the amount of carbohydrate, fat or protein in your diet.

That’s because manipulating how much of them you eat can have a big impact on your body.

Carbohydrates, fat and protein are called macronutrients. They are the nutrients you use in the largest amounts.

Macronutrients are the nutritive components of food that the body needs for energy and to maintain the body’s structure and systems.

Not all macronutrients are created equally.

For every gram of protein and carbohydrate, your body is provided with 4 calories of energy, while fat provides 9 calories per gram.

To work out how many grams of each you need, you multiply your total daily calories by 0.4 for protein and 0.3 for carbohydrates and fat. The protein and carbohydrate figures are then divided by 4 and the fat figure by 9. The final figures will be how many grams of each to eat.

For example, here’s an 1800-calorie diet with a 40% protein, 30% carbohydrates, 30% fat ratio.

💙Protein = 1800 x 0.4 = 720/4 = 180g

💙Carbohydrates = 1800 x 0.3 = 540/4 = 135g

💙Fat = 1800 x 0.3 = 540/9= 60g

How to calculate Macronutrient Ration

Based on your health goals, you can adjust the ratio of these macronutrients. A common starting point is:

💙Carbohydrates: 45-65% of total daily calories

💙Protein: 10-35% of total daily calories

💙Fats: 20-35% of total daily calories

How to Calculate Grams of Each Macronutrient:

💙Carbohydrates and Proteins: 1 gram = 4 calories

💙Fats: 1 gram = 9 calories