You set macros on a vegan diet the same way as on any other: energy first, protein from body weight, fat with a floor, carbohydrate as the remainder. The calculator has no vegan mode because the targets do not change — the adult protein RDA is 0.8 g/kg for everyone,1 and MacroDiet's tiers of 1.2 to 2.4 g/kg apply regardless of where the protein comes from.
What changes is the food that reaches the numbers, and that has a real effect on the other two macros. This article covers the protein targets, the nutrients the reference literature says to keep an eye on, and why the fat/carb split tends to drift when protein is plant-based. It describes reference values and food sources only.
Protein targets on plants
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' position paper states that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including vegan diets, are nutritionally adequate.2 The protein number is therefore the usual one — the question is which foods carry it.
Plant proteins differ from animal proteins in two ways that matter for a tracker. They are usually less concentrated: a serving of lentils or tofu carries less protein per calorie than a serving of chicken breast or egg white. And several are incomplete on their own — short of one or more essential amino acids — which is why plant-based eating usually combines sources across the day (grains with legumes is the classic pairing) rather than relying on one. Soy foods (tofu, tempeh, edamame), mycoprotein, quinoa and buckwheat are complete on their own.
| Food group | Protein-rich examples | Also carries |
|---|---|---|
| Legumes | lentils, chickpeas, black beans, peas | carbohydrate and fibre |
| Soy | tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy milk | fat (moderate), some carbohydrate |
| Seitan (wheat gluten) | — | very little of either — the most concentrated plant protein |
| Nuts and seeds | peanuts, almonds, pumpkin and hemp seeds | fat, a lot of it |
| Whole grains | oats, quinoa, buckwheat, wholemeal bread | carbohydrate |
In plain terms: the target is the same; the plate that reaches it is bigger and brings more of the other macros with it.
The watchlist nutrients
A macro tracker counts protein, fat and carbohydrate; the nutrients worth attention on a plant-based diet are mostly micronutrients it does not display. The position paper singles out vitamin B-12: vegans need a reliable source, such as fortified foods.2 The research lead behind this article lists four more to keep in view through food choice — iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc.
| Nutrient | Plant food sources commonly cited |
|---|---|
| Vitamin B-12 | fortified plant milks, fortified cereals, fortified nutritional yeast2 |
| Iron | legumes, tofu, pumpkin seeds, fortified cereals, dark leafy greens |
| Calcium | calcium-set tofu, fortified plant milks, kale, tahini |
| Magnesium | nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes |
| Zinc | legumes, seeds, nuts, whole grains |
This table lists foods, not amounts — reference intakes for each nutrient are published by the Institute of Medicine and are outside the scope of a macro article. Anything beyond food choice is a question for a qualified professional.
How the fat/carb split shifts
Here is the arithmetic that makes vegan macros feel different even though the targets are identical. Take a 70 kg person, 2,000 kcal, moderate tier, balanced style: protein 112 g, fat 60 g, carbohydrate 253 g.
An omnivore can reach 112 g of protein from foods that carry little else — the protein arrives and most of the fat and carbohydrate budget is still free. On plants the same 112 g typically arrives with a substantial share of carbohydrate (from legumes and grains) or fat (from nuts, seeds and soy) already attached. The remaining room in the other two macros is smaller before any deliberate carbohydrate or fat food has been logged.
Two practical consequences:
- The balanced and low-fat styles fit plant protein more comfortably. They allocate more of the remainder to carbohydrate, which is where legume- and grain-based protein lands anyway.
- Low-carb and keto are hard to keep on target on plants without leaning heavily on soy, seitan, nuts and seeds. On keto the
30 gcarbohydrate ceiling is nearly impossible to hold with legume protein, because the legumes alone exceed it.
The protein tier also interacts with this. On the extra-high tier (2.4 g/kg — 168 g for this person) the carbohydrate or fat carried by plant sources can use most of the remainder on its own; the moderate or high tier leaves more room, and the choice between them is a food-preference decision, not a rule.
In plain terms: same numbers, but on plants the protein foods spend some of the other two budgets for you — so pick the style that points the remainder the same way your protein sources do.
The short version
Vegan macros are set by the same formula and the same tiers; the adult RDA is 0.8 g/kg1 and the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is that well-planned vegan diets are nutritionally adequate, with vitamin B-12 needing a reliable source such as fortified foods.2 Because plant proteins carry carbohydrate or fat with them, the balanced and low-fat styles fit more easily than low-carb or keto. Run the protein calculator for the grams; the foods are the part that changes.
Educational overview only — not medical advice. Zyra is a training and nutrition tracking tool; the numbers here are the algorithm's rules and published reference values, not an individual prescription.