Calorie Counter
Log what you eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks and see your calories and macros add up against your daily goal. Pick foods from a built-in list of 550+ items based on USDA data, or add your own from a nutrition label. Your diary stays private in this browser.
Last updated:
Daily goals:
Defaults are the FDA Daily Values for a 2,000-calorie diet. Use a TDEE calculator to find your own calorie needs.
Copy the values per serving from the food's Nutrition Facts label.
Last 14 days
Your diary is saved only in this browser on this device. Nothing is uploaded.
How to use the Calorie Counter
- Set your daily goal. Open Daily goals and enter your calorie target and protein, carbs and fat in grams (defaults are the FDA Daily Values for 2,000 kcal).
- Search for a food. Start typing (for example rice, egg or apple) and pick from the list.
- Enter the amount and unit, choose the meal and check the live preview, then press Add to diary.
- Use Custom food for packaged or homemade foods: copy calories and macros per serving from the label.
- Track your progress in the ring and macro bars, switch days with the arrows or the 14-day chart, and download a CSV whenever you like.
How the calorie counter calculates your food
Every food in the list is stored per 100 grams. When you choose an amount, it is first converted to grams and then scaled:
- Grams = amount × grams per unit (1 oz = 28.35 g; a cup and a piece use the weight shown next to the unit).
- Calories = kcal per 100 g × grams ÷ 100. Protein, carbs, fat and fiber are scaled the same way.
- Macro share of calories uses 4 kcal per gram of protein and carbohydrate and 9 kcal per gram of fat.
Example: 1 cup of cooked white rice weighs about 158 g. At 130 kcal per 100 g that is 130 × 158 ÷ 100 ≈ 205 kcal, with about 4.3 g protein and 44.6 g carbs.
Calories in common portions
| Food | Portion | Weight | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banana | 1 medium | 118 g | 105 kcal | 1.3 g |
| Apple | 1 medium | 182 g | 95 kcal | 0.5 g |
| Egg, hard-boiled | 1 large | 50 g | 78 kcal | 6.3 g |
| White rice, cooked | 1 cup | 158 g | 205 kcal | 4.3 g |
| Chicken breast, cooked | 4 oz | 113 g | 187 kcal | 35 g |
| Oatmeal, cooked with water | 1 cup | 234 g | 166 kcal | 5.9 g |
| Whole milk | 1 cup | 244 g | 149 kcal | 7.8 g |
| Peanut butter | 2 tbsp | 32 g | 190 kcal | 8 g |
Values are typical USDA figures; your diary uses the same numbers, so the totals here match what the tool shows.
Tips for an accurate food diary
- Log as you go. Adding food right after eating is far more accurate than trying to remember at night.
- Weigh calorie-dense foods. Oils, nuts, nut butters, cheese and cereals are easy to underestimate by eye; a kitchen scale in grams helps most here.
- Use the cooked or raw entry that matches what you weighed. 100 g of uncooked rice is about 365 kcal, but 100 g of cooked rice is about 130 kcal because it has absorbed water.
- Don't forget drinks and extras such as juice, soda, milk in coffee, sauces and cooking oil.
- Look at weekly averages. Daily intake naturally swings up and down; the 14-day average is a better guide than a single day.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the food data come from?
The built-in list holds typical values per 100 grams based on the USDA FoodData Central database, with standard cup weights and common piece sizes (for example a medium banana of 118 g). Brands and recipes vary, so for packaged foods the Nutrition Facts label is more accurate; enter those as a custom food.
How many calories should I eat per day?
It depends on your age, sex, size and activity. The FDA uses 2,000 calories a day as a general reference for nutrition labels, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans estimate roughly 1,600 to 2,400 for adult women and 2,000 to 3,000 for adult men. Use a TDEE calculator for a personal estimate and set it as your goal.
How are calories from protein, carbs and fat calculated?
Protein and carbohydrates provide about 4 kcal per gram and fat about 9 kcal per gram (alcohol about 7). The macro bars show your grams against your goal and each macro's share of the calories they supply.
Is my food diary private?
Yes. Everything is saved in your browser's local storage on this device only. Nothing is uploaded and there is no account. Clearing your browser data deletes the diary, so download a CSV if you want a backup.
Can I use it on my phone and computer at the same time?
Not automatically. Because nothing is sent to a server, each browser keeps its own diary. Use one device for logging, or download the CSV from one device to keep a combined record.
What are the default macro goals?
They are the FDA Daily Values used on US nutrition labels for a 2,000-calorie diet: 50 g protein, 275 g total carbohydrate, 78 g fat and 28 g fiber. The Calculate macros from calories button instead splits your calorie goal into 20% protein, 50% carbs and 30% fat, which sits within the recommended ranges for adults.
How accurate is counting calories?
It is an estimate. Label values may legally differ from the true content, portion sizes are often guessed and cooking changes weight. Weighing food in grams and logging consistently gives the most useful picture of your intake over time.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.