2,500 calorie meal plan
Below is a full 2,500 calorie day of eating, built to hit your protein first. Every food has an exact weight, and each meal shows its calories and macros. Press Swap on any meal for a different option, or New plan for a whole new day.
2,500 calories is around maintenance for many active men and a lean bulk for smaller lifters. Not sure 2,500 is right for you? Fill in your profile and open the TDEE tab, then clear the calories box to use your own number.
How these calculators work
FFMI
Fat-free mass = weight × (1 − body fat %). FFMI = fat-free mass (kg) ÷ height (m)². Because taller people naturally score lower, the normalized FFMI adds 6.1 × (1.8 − height in m), the adjustment from Kouri et al. (1995). Around 25 normalized is the commonly cited ceiling for drug-free men; women typically sit 3–4 points lower.
TDEE
We estimate resting burn (BMR) with Mifflin-St Jeor: 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age + 5 (men) or − 161 (women). If you enter body fat, we also show Katch-McArdle (370 + 21.6 × lean kg), which is usually more accurate for lean, muscular people. TDEE = BMR × activity factor (1.2 to 1.9).
Protein
Targets follow the ISSN position stand and Morton et al. (2018): 1.6–2.2 g/kg for building muscle, 2.0–2.4 g/kg while dieting to hold on to muscle. If your BMI is over 30, we base protein on lean mass (or a healthy goal weight) so the number stays realistic.
Macros
The evidence-based style sets protein first, fat at 25% of calories, and fills the rest with carbs (protein and carbs = 4 kcal/g, fat = 9 kcal/g). Percentage presets are included if you prefer a fixed split.
FAQ
What is a good FFMI?
For men, 18–20 is average, 20–22 is above average for people who train, 22–25 is very muscular, and about 25 is the natural ceiling most people cite. Above 26 is rare without performance-enhancing drugs.
Why does my FFMI look low even though I'm strong?
Body fat estimates are the biggest source of error. A 3% error in body fat moves FFMI by about 0.7. Use the same method each time and track the trend.
Is TDEE exact?
No formula is. Treat the number as a starting point, track your weight for 2–3 weeks, and adjust calories by 100–200 per day.
Do you store my data?
No. Everything runs in your browser. Your profile is saved only in your own browser so it is there next time.
Formula check
Reference cases with hand-calculated answers. Every row should say Match.
| Case | Expected | Got |
|---|