By Fayeque Mir: July 9, 2025

If you want to build muscle, or even be healthy, exercise is important, but so is eating correctly.

And when it comes to eating healthy, knowing how much of each macronutrient to eat is really important.

Macronutrients, commonly called “Macros“ are the main nutrients that give your body energy: protein, carbs, and fats.

Each one has a specific role in muscle growth and overall health.

Protein helps repair and build muscle, carbs give you the mental and physical energy you need for workouts and everything else, and fats support hormone production and keep your body working well, among other things.

Getting the right mix of these nutrients can help you build muscle efficiently while keeping your energy up, helping you recover, and lead a healthy life.

Not eating the proper amounts of the various macros can result in wasted time exercising, fatigue, and a host of other health problems.

This guide will show you how to figure out the best macronutrient amounts depending on your fitness goals and activity levels.

How Much ProteIn Should I Eat?

Protein is probably the most crucial macro when it comes to building muscle, despite fats and carbs also being extremely important.

That’s because protein is responsible for repairing muscle tissue after it has become teared during exercise, and once muscle is repaired, it gets bigger. In short, protein is required for muscle gain.

For average adults who don’t exercise much or at all, 0.8 grams of protein for each kilogram of bodyweight a day is enough to stay healthy. Less than that could lead to protein deficiency and health problems.

For adults who do some exercise (like 30 minutes of light exercise most days a week) 1.3 grams of protein for each kilogram of bodyweight a day is a good amount.

For adults who are doing strength training and want to build muscle or adults who do regular intense workouts, 1.7 grams of protein for each kilogram of bodyweight a day is optimal.

Remember that consuming too much protein is a problem. For most people, consuming more than 2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight a day is most likely unhealthy.

That’s your Protein Breakdown! Remember to eat a good amount of this crucial Macro, especially if you want to build more muscle.

How Much Carbs SHould I eat?

Carbohydrates are a key macro and the primary source of energy for your body, especially during physical activity.

Though, as mentioned before, protein is responsible for building muscle, carbs are responsible for the energy to exercise in the first place. Carbs are essential for fueling both your brain and body.

If you’re mostly inactive, 3 to 5 grams of carbs per kilogram of bodyweight per day is enough to meet basic energy needs and maintain overall health. Generally, less than this amount can lead to fatigue and other health problems, so it’s best to eat this amount or more depending on your activity level.

If you do some exercise, such as 30 minutes of activity most days, 5 to 7 grams per kilogram is a good amount for you.

If you practice strength training and want to build muscle, or do regular intense exercise, 7 to 10 grams of carbs per kilogram of bodyweight daily is a healthy amount and will help you optimize performance. Eating 12 or more grams of carbs per kilogram of bodyweight daily is generally unhealthy.

That’s your Carbohydrate Breakdown! Make sure to include a proper amount of this vital macro to keep your energy up and support your fitness goals.

How Much Fat should I eat?

Fats are an essential macro that support vital functions such as hormone production and nutrient absorption, while also protecting organs and maintaining cell structure.

The key thing to note about fats is that there are 3 types, unsaturated fat, which is the healthiest type of fat and is found in foods like nuts and olive oil, saturated fat, which is found in foods like red meat and butter, and trans fat, the unhealthiest fat, which is found in foods like fried chicken and donuts.

The amount of fat you should eat per day depends on how much calories you should eat a day, which depends on factors like your age, sex, and activity level.

If you want to be healthy, trans fat shouldn’t be eaten at all, and saturated fat shouldn’t exceed 10% of your daily intake of calories while still being present in your diet.

For all adults, regardless of activity level, all the fat eaten in a day should be between 20-35% of total calorie intake, meaning unsaturated fat should be between 10-25% of total calorie intake per day.

That’s the fat breakdown! Consuming the right amount of this macro is really important, as eating both too much of the wrong type of fat and too little of the right type of fat can hurt your health can cause disease.

Conclusion

Well, that was how much of each macro you should be getting regardless of whether you’re a gym pro, or just an average person looking to make healthy eating choices.

In order to make sure that you get and keep getting the best amount of each macronutrient, try to make sure that you can incorporate the correct amounts into a diet you find at least somewhat delicious.

Happy eating!