Quick answer
What is a macro meal planner?
A macro meal planner builds your day of eating around daily targets for protein, carbs and fat, not calories alone. It splits those targets across your meals so each plate has a clear goal: on 2,000 calories, for example, about 45 g protein, 53 g carbs and 24 g fat at a 30% breakfast. This one can also plan the meals for you with AI.
On this page
How to use the macro meal planner
- Choose how to start. Pick “Calculate for me” to work out your calories and macros from your body, activity and goal, or “I know my macros” to type in grams you already have.
- Fill in your details. Pick a goal, a macro split and how many meals you eat.
- Tell the AI what you eat (optional). Choose vegetarian, vegan or pescatarian, and anything to leave out, such as gluten, dairy or nuts.
- Press Generate my meal plan. You get your daily targets, a target for every meal, and one day of AI-planned meals with ingredients in grams and short steps.
- Shop for it. Send the ingredients to the grocery list generator to get one list sorted by aisle, or press Try another for a different day.
What a macro meal planner does
Counting calories tells you how much to eat. Macros tell you what that food is made of, and that is what decides whether a diet keeps your muscle, fuels your training and keeps you full. The hard part is turning three daily numbers into real meals.
A macro meal planner closes that gap. It takes your daily protein, carbs and fat, divides them across the day and gives every meal its own budget, so you are building a plate to a target instead of guessing and checking at night.
1. Set your targets
Calculate calories from your body and goal with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, pick a split, or type in the grams you already use.
2. Split them by meal
Choose three meals, snacks or an even four or five. Every column adds up to your daily total exactly.
3. Match a plan
See the free 7-day meal plans closest to your numbers, with an honest label for how close they really are.
How to split macros across your meals
Most people eat three meals and a snack, and a simple way to divide the day is by share of calories: more at the meals you are hungriest, less at snacks. Here is 2,000 calories on the balanced split (150 g protein, 175 g carbs, 78 g fat) spread over three meals and a snack:
| Meal | Share | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 25% | 500 | 38 g | 44 g | 20 g |
| Lunch | 30% | 600 | 45 g | 53 g | 23 g |
| Dinner | 30% | 600 | 45 g | 52 g | 23 g |
| Snack | 15% | 300 | 22 g | 26 g | 12 g |
| Day | 100% | 2,000 | 150 g | 175 g | 78 g |
Some habits make the targets easier to hit:
- Start each meal with a protein. Chicken, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, tofu or beans. Carbs and fat are easier to add afterwards than to fit around a plate that is mostly starch.
- Plan tomorrow tonight. Filling in the day’s meals the evening before turns macros from a puzzle into a checklist.
- Reuse meals that fit. Once a breakfast and a lunch land on target, repeat them. Most people rotate through only a handful of meals.
- Move grams, not goals. If dinner is bigger than planned, trim a snack. The day is what counts.
Macro targets by goal
The planner uses the same numbers as the macro calculator. Here is how the goals differ:
| Goal | Calories | Protein | Typical split (P / C / F) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lose fat | About 20% below maintenance | About 1.6–2.2 g per kg of body weight | High protein 40 / 30 / 30, or balanced 30 / 35 / 35 |
| Maintain | Maintenance | 10–35% of calories | Balanced 30 / 35 / 35 |
| Build muscle | About 10% above maintenance | About 1.6–2.2 g per kg of body weight | Muscle gain 30 / 45 / 25 |
| Low carb or keto | Any goal | 25–40% of calories | Low carb 40 / 20 / 40, keto 25 / 5 / 70 |
Protein comes first because it protects muscle in a deficit and is the most filling macro. In people lifting weights, protein above roughly 1.6 g per kg a day added no further muscle on average in a large review of trials, which is why the macro calculator on this site aims for about 1.6 to 2.2 g per kg when you train or diet. Not sure of your number? The protein calculator goes deeper.
What a portion of protein, carbs and fat looks like
Knowing the foods behind the grams makes a target easier to use. These are typical portions with approximate values:
| Food (portion) | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, cooked (100 g) | 165 | 31 g | 0 g | 4 g |
| Salmon, cooked (100 g) | 206 | 22 g | 0 g | 12 g |
| Egg, large (1) | 72 | 6 g | 0 g | 5 g |
| Greek yogurt, plain nonfat (170 g) | 100 | 17 g | 6 g | 1 g |
| Lentils, cooked (1 cup) | 230 | 18 g | 40 g | 1 g |
| White rice, cooked (1 cup) | 205 | 4 g | 45 g | 0 g |
| Rolled oats, dry (40 g) | 152 | 5 g | 27 g | 3 g |
| Sweet potato, baked (1 medium) | 103 | 2 g | 24 g | 0 g |
| Banana (1 medium) | 105 | 1 g | 27 g | 0 g |
| Avocado (half, 100 g) | 160 | 2 g | 9 g | 15 g |
| Olive oil (1 tbsp) | 119 | 0 g | 0 g | 14 g |
| Almonds (28 g) | 164 | 6 g | 6 g | 14 g |
Values are rounded from USDA FoodData Central and vary with brand and cooking method, so calories will not always equal 4 × protein + 4 × carbs + 9 × fat. Weigh calorie-dense foods such as oil, nuts and grains if you want your numbers tight.
Free macro-friendly meal plans
These ready-made 7-day plans each list their daily macros and a full grocery list. Open one to see how a week of meals adds up to a target like yours.
Macro meal planner or AI meal planner?
This planner gives you the targets for each meal and plans one day of meals with AI. If you want a whole week chosen for you, the AI meal planner builds a 7-day plan with recipes, macros for every meal and a grocery list, based on your goal, diet and the foods you like. Once you have your meals, the grocery list generator turns their ingredients into one shopping list sorted by aisle.
Frequently asked questions
How do I plan meals around my macros?
Start with your daily calories and your protein, carbs and fat in grams. Split them across your meals (the planner above does this), then build each meal around a protein source and add carbs and fat until you reach that meal’s targets. If you do not have your numbers yet, use the macro calculator or switch the planner to “Calculate for me”.
How many macros should I eat per meal?
There is no single right split. A sensible starting point is to share your protein, carbs and fat across the day in proportion to how much you eat at each meal. In this planner, main meals get 20 to 35% of your day and snacks 10 to 15%. What matters is the daily total, so move grams between meals whenever your day calls for it.
Do I have to hit my macros exactly?
No. Landing within 5 to 10 g of each target counts as a good day, and consistency over weeks matters far more than any single meal. If you only track one number closely, make it protein.
What is the difference between a macro meal plan and a calorie meal plan?
A calorie plan only controls how much you eat. A macro plan also sets how much of that comes from protein, carbs and fat, which matters for keeping muscle in a calorie deficit, fuelling training and staying full between meals.
Can I use it if I am vegetarian or vegan?
Yes. The targets are just numbers, and protein from beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, dairy and eggs counts the same as protein from meat. Higher protein targets take more planning on a plant-based diet; our vegetarian and vegan meal plans show what a full week looks like.
Does the planner choose the actual foods?
Yes. Press Generate my meal plan and it plans one day of meals for your targets, diet and the foods you want to leave out. The AI picks the foods; our server then adjusts each portion so the meal lands as close as it can to its calories, protein, carbs and fat. Nutrition values are estimates based on USDA averages. For a full week with a grocery list, use the AI meal planner.
Is it really free?
Yes, with no sign-up. Your targets are worked out in your browser. To keep the AI free for everyone, each visitor can generate up to 6 day plans an hour and 15 a day.
Is the AI meal plan safe for allergies?
It is told what to leave out and every ingredient is checked against your choices before you see it, but AI can make mistakes. If you have a food allergy, read every label and treat the plan as ideas, not as safe-to-eat advice.
How often should I recalculate my macros?
Every 3 to 5 kg (5 to 10 lb) of weight change, whenever your activity changes a lot, or if progress stalls for three weeks or more. As your weight changes, so do your maintenance calories.
Are these targets right for everyone?
They are estimates for healthy adults aged 18 and over. They are not suitable as they stand if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or have a history of disordered eating. In those cases, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian first.
Sources
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, et al. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr, 1990.
- National Academies. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges), 2005.
- Morton RW, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med, 2018.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central (nutrient values for the foods in the portion table; rounded, and brands and cooking methods vary).
These targets are estimates for healthy adults aged 18 and over, for information only. They are not medical advice or a substitute for a doctor or registered dietitian. Talk to one first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or have a history of disordered eating.