Calories per Meal
Divide the daily target by how many meals you eat. The protein figure assumes a fifth of the calories come from protein and converts back at 4 kcal per gram.
Your numbers
Food calories
667kcal
Protein a meal
33.3g
Formula
Food calories = Calories ÷ Meals a day
Leave snacks out of the meal count and you will eat more than the plan says. Count every time you actually eat.
What to enter
| Input | Default | Accepted range |
|---|---|---|
| Calories (kcal)Energy, in kilocalories. | 2,000 | 0 and up |
| Meals a day (×)How many eating occasions a day; count snacks too. | 3 | 0 and up |
Step by step
Quick reference table
Results when only Calories (kcal) changes and everything else stays put.
| Calories (kcal) | Food calories (kcal) | Protein a meal (g) |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | 333 | 16.7 |
| 1,500 | 500 | 25 |
| 2,000 | 667 | 33.3 |
| 3,000 | 1,000 | 50 |
| 4,000 | 1,333 | 66.7 |
What each result means
| Result | At default values |
|---|---|
| Food calories (kcal)The calories in what you ate; take it from a label or an app. | 667 |
| Protein a meal (g)Protein per meal; 20–40 g drives muscle synthesis best. | 33.3 |
Common mistakes
Leave snacks out of the meal count and you will eat more than the plan says. Count every time you actually eat.
Glossary
- Calories
- Energy, in kilocalories.
- Meals a day
- How many eating occasions a day; count snacks too.
- Food calories
- The calories in what you ate; take it from a label or an app.
- Protein a meal
- Protein per meal; 20–40 g drives muscle synthesis best.
Frequently asked questions
Q. How is Calories per Meal calculated?
Food calories = Calories ÷ Meals a day — Divide the daily target by how many meals you eat. The protein figure assumes a fifth of the calories come from protein and converts back at 4 kcal per gram.
Q. Can you walk through an example?
With Calories 2,000kcal, Meals a day 3×, the answer is Food calories 667kcal.
Q. What do I need to enter?
Enter Calories, Meals a day. The result recalculates as you type, and an empty box counts as zero.
Q. How much does the answer move if I change a number?
Changing only Calories (kcal) moves the answer to Calories (kcal) 1,000 → Food calories (kcal) 333 and Calories (kcal) 4,000 → Food calories (kcal) 1,333. The table below lays out five steps.
Q. How are the numbers rounded?
Money is shown to the nearest whole unit, percentages to one decimal place and everything else to two. What you see is rounded; the calculation itself carries the unrounded value forward.
Q. Anything to watch out for?
Leave snacks out of the meal count and you will eat more than the plan says. Count every time you actually eat.
Related calculators
These calculators help you understand health figures; they do not replace diagnosis or prescription. See a clinician if you have symptoms.