Nutrition Basics Daily Diet Composition Charts for Carbs, Protein, and Fat By Wendy Bumgardner Wendy Bumgardner Facebook Twitter Wendy Bumgardner is a freelance writer covering walking and other health and fitness topics and has competed in more than 1,000 walking events. Learn about our editorial process Updated on June 30, 2021 Medically reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and nutrition and exercise healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Barbie Cervoni MS, RD, CDCES, CDN Medically reviewed by Barbie Cervoni MS, RD, CDCES, CDN Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Barbie Cervoni MS, RD, CDCES, CDN, is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Science Photo Library / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Choosing a Diet U.S.-Style Diet Chart Vegetarian Diet Chart Mediterranean-Style Diet Chart 40-30-30 Diet Chart A Word From Verywell How much protein, carbohydrates, and fats do you need for a healthy meal plan? These charts can show you what your goal should be in calories and in grams for each macronutrient. You can read nutrition labels or use a diet-tracking app to add them up each day. First, determine what your daily calorie goal should be. You can use a daily caloric needs calculator to find how many calories your body burns each day. If you want to lose weight, you should aim for a number that is 500 fewer calories per day than your daily caloric needs. Carbohydrate and protein each contribute 4 calories per gram, while fat contributes 9 calories per gram. Choosing a Weight-Loss Diet People have weight loss success with different kinds of meal plans. Some do very well with a high protein diet, while others prefer to follow a Mediterranean-style, vegetarian, or a typical low-calorie diet. These charts are based on three healthy diets modeled by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a high-protein 40-30-30 diet. If you are training for an endurance event such as a half-marathon, marathon, or century cycling ride, athletic trainers usually recommend using one of the three diets with higher carbohydrates rather than the high protein but low carb diet. You need carbohydrates to burn for energy during endurance exercise. Though these charts start out at 1,000 calories per day, it's important to note that the minimum calorie count recommended for adults is 1,800 calories per day for sedentary women and 2,400 calories per day for sedentary men. Only children and youth can eat lower calorie counts and still satisfy their nutritional needs. The number of calories that you need each day day will depend on your age, weight, height, activity level, and health goals. U.S.-Style Diet Chart USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans provide percent ranges for each macronutrient. For adults, the organization recommends consuming 10%–35% of calories from protein, 45%–65% from carbohydrates, and 20%–35% of calories from fat. They also suggest consuming less than 10% of total calories from saturated fat. The table below provides specific numbers for a diet that provides 51% of calories from carbohydrates, 18% from protein, and 33% from fat. It is appropriate for athletes, especially for people who enjoy endurance exercise, such as walking, hiking, running, and cycling. Depending on your needs, the macronutrient ranges may be different. CalorieTarget Carbs(calories) Carbs(grams) Protein(calories) Protein(grams) Fat(calories) Fat(grams) 1,000 510 128 180 45 330 37 1,100 561 140 198 50 363 40 1,200 612 153 216 54 396 44 1,300 663 166 234 59 429 48 1,400 714 179 252 63 462 51 1,500 765 191 270 68 495 55 1,600 816 204 288 72 528 59 1,700 867 217 306 77 561 62 1,800 918 230 324 81 594 66 1,900 969 242 342 86 627 70 2,000 1,020 255 360 90 660 73 2,100 1,071 268 378 95 693 77 2,200 1,122 281 396 99 726 81 2,300 1,173 293 414 104 759 84 2,400 1,224 306 432 108 792 88 2,500 1,275 319 450 113 825 92 Vegetarian Diet Chart According to the USDA, those following a healthy vegetarian eating plan should meet the same nutrient and Dietary Guidelines standards as the Healthy U.S.-style Pattern, so macronutrient ranges are the same. The difference between the two eating styles is the foods chosen within each food group. For example, servings of protein foods such as meat and seafood are not included in the vegetarian plan. Rather, someone following a 2000-calorie-per-day vegetarian diet should try to consume 3.5-ounce equivalents of protein foods, including legumes, soy products, eggs, nuts, and seeds. The table below provides specific numbers for someone following a vegetarian diet that is 55% carbohydrate, 14% protein, and 34% fat. Depending on your needs, the macronutrient ranges may be different. CalorieTarget Carbs(calories) Carbs(grams) Protein(calories) Protein(grams) Fat(calories) Fat(grams) 1,000 520 130 180 45 320 36 1,100 572 143 198 50 352 39 1,200 624 156 216 54 384 43 1,300 676 169 234 59 416 46 1,400 728 182 252 63 448 50 1,500 780 195 270 68 480 53 1,600 832 208 288 72 512 57 1,700 884 221 306 77 544 60 1,800 936 234 324 81 576 64 1,900 988 247 342 86 608 68 2,000 1,040 260 360 90 640 71 2,100 1,092 273 378 95 672 75 2,200 1,144 286 396 99 704 78 2,300 1,196 299 414 104 736 82 2,400 1,248 312 432 108 768 85 2,500 1,300 325 450 113 800 89 Vegetarian Diet vs. Other Diets: Which Is Best? Mediterranean-Style Diet Chart According to the USDA, those following a Mediterranean-Style eating plan should meet the same nutrient standards as the Healthy U.S.-style Pattern. Again, the macronutrient ranges are the same. The difference between the two eating patterns is that the Mediterranean-style diet contains more fruits and seafood and less dairy than the Healthy U.S.-style Pattern. For example, the USDA recommends 15 ounce-equivalents per week of seafood for those following a 2000-calorie-per-day Mediterranean diet, but only 8 ounce-equivalents per week of seafood for those following the Healthy U.S.-Style Pattern. The table below provides specific numbers for someone following a Mediterranean diet that is 52% carbohydrate, 18% protein, and 32% fat. Depending on your needs, the macronutrient ranges may be different. CalorieTarget Carbs(calories) Carbs(grams) Protein(calories) Protein(grams) Fat(calories) Fat(grams) 1,000 550 138 140 35 340 38 1,100 605 151 154 39 374 42 1,200 660 165 168 42 408 45 1,300 715 179 182 46 442 49 1,400 770 193 196 49 476 53 1,500 825 206 210 53 510 57 1,600 880 220 224 56 544 60 1,700 935 234 238 60 578 64 1,800 990 248 252 63 612 68 1,900 1,045 261 266 67 646 72 2,000 1,100 275 280 70 680 76 2,100 1,155 289 294 74 714 79 2,200 1,210 303 308 77 748 83 2,300 1,265 316 322 81 782 87 2,400 1,320 330 336 84 816 91 2,500 1,375 344 350 88 850 94 Getting Started With the Mediterranean Diet 40-30-30 Diet High Protein Chart A 40-30-30 diet is one in which you consume 40% of your calories from carbohydrates, 30% from protein, and 30% from fat. This chart is geared towards a high-protein diet, which may be helpful for those who want to gain muscle mass, but may not be appropriate for those with liver or kidney problems or when training for endurance exercise. CalorieTarget Carbs(calories) Carbs(grams) Protein(calories) Protein(grams) Fat(calories) Fat(grams) 1,000 400 100 300 75 300 33 1,100 440 110 330 83 330 37 1,200 480 120 360 90 360 40 1,300 520 130 390 98 390 43 1,400 560 140 420 105 420 47 1,500 600 150 450 113 450 50 1,600 640 160 480 120 480 53 1,700 680 170 510 128 510 57 1,800 720 180 540 135 540 60 1,900 760 190 570 143 570 63 2,000 800 200 600 150 600 67 2,100 840 210 630 158 630 70 2,200 880 220 660 165 660 73 2,300 920 230 690 173 690 77 2,400 960 240 720 180 720 80 2,500 1,000 250 750 188 750 83 How Much Protein Should I Eat for Weight Loss? A Word From Verywell There is no single diet that works for everyone. If you want to change your eating plan to reach certain health or weight goals, consider different eating plans and and think about your personal needs and food preferences. It is important to choose a plan that is sustainable. Reach out to a registered dietitian if you need help. These nutrition professionals are trained to develop personalized plans to meet your needs. 2 Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus. 10 ways to cut 500 calories a day. Reviewed May 26, 2020. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Ninth Edition. December 2020. Additional Reading Rodriguez NR, Di Marco NM, Langley S. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):709-31. USDA. Food Pattern Modeling Report: Developing Vegetarian and Mediterranean-style Food Patterns, Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, Appendix E-3.7. February 2015. By Wendy Bumgardner Wendy Bumgardner is a freelance writer covering walking and other health and fitness topics and has competed in more than 1,000 walking events. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies