Nutritional Value Calculator - Daily Calorie & Macro Balance

Four meals, five numbers, one daily verdict

A food diary tells you what you ate. This calculator tells you whether it was enough - or too much. Enter your breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack calories, add your body stats and activity level, and the tool computes your BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor), multiplies it by a PAL factor to get TDEE, then compares your intake against that number. The result is a single verdict: surplus, deficit or balanced - plus a macro breakdown with color-coded progress bars.

2,100

Average female TDEE (sedentary)

2,600

Average male TDEE (sedentary)

25-38 g

Daily fiber target (F / M)

0.8-1.6

Protein g/kg (sedentary to athlete)

How to use this calculator - step by step

Sex - select male or female. Males have a higher BMR at the same weight and height.
Age - your age in years. BMR drops roughly 1-2% per decade after 20.
Body weight - current weight in kilograms. Central to the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
Height - your height in centimeters.
Activity level - pick the PAL multiplier that matches your typical week. Most desk workers are sedentary or light.
Meal calories - enter approximate kcal for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Check food packaging or a tracking app.
Macros (optional) - if you know your protein, fat, carb and fiber totals, enter them. Otherwise the calculator estimates from a 25/30/45 energy split.
Read the results - a summary card shows intake vs TDEE, a meal breakdown table, macro progress bars and a BMR/TDEE footer.

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation

The calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor formula - considered the most accurate BMR predictor for healthy adults by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Sex	Formula
Male	BMR = 10 x weight(kg) + 6.25 x height(cm) - 5 x age - + 5
Female	BMR = 10 x weight(kg) + 6.25 x height(cm) - 5 x age - - 161

Activity multipliers (PAL)

Level	Multiplier	Typical profile
Sedentary	1.2	Desk job, drives to work, no exercise
Light	1.375	Walks 30 min daily, light gym 1-3x/week
Moderate	1.55	Structured training 3-5x/week, active commute
High	1.725	Intense training 6-7x/week, competitive sport
Very high	1.9	Manual labor + daily training, elite athletes

Practical examples

Office worker, female, 30 y, 65 kg, 168 cm, sedentary: BMR 1,364 kcal, TDEE 1,637 kcal. Meals: breakfast 400, lunch 600, dinner 450, snacks 150 = 1,600 kcal. Verdict: balanced (-37 kcal).

Active male, 25 y, 80 kg, 180 cm, moderate: BMR 1,780 kcal, TDEE 2,759 kcal. Meals: 500 + 900 + 700 + 300 = 2,400 kcal. Verdict: deficit (-359 kcal, 87% of needs).

Senior female, 70 y, 60 kg, 162 cm, light: BMR 1,118 kcal, TDEE 1,537 kcal. Meals: 350 + 550 + 400 + 100 = 1,400 kcal. Deficit of 137 kcal - plus a protein warning (needs 1.2-1.5 g/kg for sarcopenia prevention).

Teenager, male, 16 y, 68 kg, 175 cm, high: BMR 1,669 kcal, TDEE 2,879 kcal. Meals: 600 + 900 + 700 + 400 = 2,600 kcal. Shows a deficit, but note: for under-18s actual needs may be 5-10% higher.

Weight loss goal, female, 35 y, 75 kg, 170 cm, light: BMR 1,441 kcal, TDEE 1,981 kcal. Target: 500 kcal deficit = 1,481 kcal. Meals: 350 + 500 + 400 + 200 = 1,450 kcal. On track for ~0.5 kg/week loss.

Did you know?

A 500 kcal daily deficit leads to roughly 0.45 kg of fat loss per week. That is 7,700 kcal per kilogram of body fat - a number that has held up across dozens of metabolic studies.

Protein has the highest thermic effect of food (TEF): your body burns 20-30% of protein calories just digesting it. For fat, the TEF is only 0-3%.

The average American gets only 15 g of fiber per day - less than half the recommended 25-38 g. The gap is even worse in low-carb dieters.

BMR accounts for 60-75% of total daily energy expenditure. Exercise typically adds only 15-30%. That is why TDEE is dominated by your body, not your workout.

FAQ

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is how many calories your body burns at complete rest - just to keep your heart beating, lungs breathing and organs working. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is BMR multiplied by an activity factor. TDEE is the number you compare your food intake against.

How accurate is the Mifflin-St Jeor formula?

Within +/- 10% for most healthy adults aged 18-65. It is more accurate than the older Harris-Benedict equation (1919). For very muscular or obese individuals, results may deviate more because the formula does not account for body composition.

What does the 25/30/45 macro split mean?

When you do not enter macros manually, the calculator estimates: 25% of calories from protein, 30% from fat, 45% from carbohydrates. This is a moderate, balanced split recommended by most dietary guidelines. Athletes or people on specific diets may need different ratios.

How much protein do I need per kilogram?

It depends on activity: sedentary 0.8 g/kg, light activity 1.0 g/kg, moderate 1.2 g/kg, high 1.4 g/kg, very high 1.6 g/kg. Seniors (65+) should aim for 1.2-1.5 g/kg regardless of activity to prevent muscle loss.

Is a caloric deficit always safe?

A moderate deficit of 300-500 kcal per day is generally safe for most adults. Going below 1,200 kcal (women) or 1,500 kcal (men) without medical supervision risks nutrient deficiencies, muscle loss and metabolic slowdown. This calculator flags large deficits but is not a substitute for professional advice.

Why does the calculator flag fiber separately?

Fiber is critical for gut health, blood sugar regulation and satiety, yet most people undershoot the target by 50% or more. The recommended intake is 25 g for women and 38 g for men. The calculator shows a separate progress bar so you can spot fiber gaps at a glance.

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