Introduction
This DRI calculator shows how much of each nutrient you need each day. DRI stands for Dietary Reference Intakes. These are the daily nutrition targets set by the National Academies for healthy people in the United States and Canada.
Enter your sex, age, height, weight, and activity level. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you can add that too. The calculator then finds your DRI life stage group and shows your daily targets.
Your results include:
- Calories: your Estimated Energy Requirement (EER), adjusted for your goal to lose, gain, or keep your weight
- Macronutrients: protein, fat, carbs, fiber, and water
- AMDR: the percent of calories that should come from fat, carbs, and protein
- Vitamins and minerals: the amount you need and the safe upper limit for each one
You also get a step-by-step solution, so you can see the math behind every number. Use pounds and feet, or switch to kilograms and centimeters at any time.
These numbers are a guide for healthy people. They are not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before making big changes to your diet.
How to use our DRI Calculator
Enter a few basic details about your body, your stage of life, and how active you are. The DRI calculator then shows your daily calorie target, protein, fat, carb, fiber and water needs, plus recommended and maximum amounts for 29 vitamins and minerals.
Unit System: Pick Imperial (pounds, feet and inches) or Metric (kilograms and centimeters). Your numbers convert on their own when you switch.
Biological Sex: Choose Male or Female. Nutrient needs differ, so this picks the right DRI table.
Age: Type your age as a whole number. Use Years for ages 2 and up. Switch to Months for babies and toddlers under 2 (0 to 23 months).
Height: Enter feet and inches, or centimeters if you chose Metric. Inches must be 0 to 11.
Current Weight: Enter how much you weigh right now in pounds or kilograms. If you are pregnant, still use your current weight here.
Health Goal: Choose Maintain Weight, Lose Weight (−500 calories) or Gain Weight (+350 calories). This changes your calorie target only. Vitamin and mineral targets stay the same.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Status: Female users pick one option: not pregnant or breastfeeding, pregnant, breastfeeding 0 to 6 months, or breastfeeding 7 to 12 months. Pregnancy and nursing raise many nutrient needs.
Weeks Pregnant: If you chose Pregnant, enter 1 to 40 weeks. This sets your trimester and adds the right extra calories.
Pre-Pregnancy Weight: If you chose Pregnant, enter what you weighed before pregnancy. The DRI energy equation uses this number, not your current weight.
Physical Activity Level (PAL): Pick Inactive, Low Active, Active or Very Active based on how much you move each day. This is skipped for children under 3 years.
Click Calculate to see your results, step-by-step math and a calorie chart. Click Reset to start over.
What Are Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)?
Dietary Reference Intakes, or DRIs, are daily nutrient targets set by the National Academies for the United States and Canada. They tell you how much of each vitamin, mineral, and macronutrient most healthy people need each day, and how much is too much. Doctors, dietitians, and food labels all use these numbers as a guide.
The Four Main Types of DRI Values
- RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance): The daily amount that meets the needs of almost all healthy people (about 97% to 98%) in your age and sex group. This is the number to aim for.
- AI (Adequate Intake): Used when there isn't enough research to set an RDA. It is a best estimate based on what healthy people normally eat.
- UL (Tolerable Upper Intake Level): The most you can take in each day without a likely risk of harm. Going over the UL often (usually from supplements, not food) can cause problems.
- EAR (Estimated Average Requirement): The amount that meets the needs of half the people in a group. Scientists use it to build the RDA.
Energy Needs and the EER
The Estimated Energy Requirement (EER) is the number of calories you need each day to keep your weight steady. It is figured out using your age, sex, height, weight, and how active you are. Taller, heavier, younger, and more active people burn more calories. Pregnancy and breastfeeding add extra calories on top, because your body is building a baby or making milk.
Macronutrient Ranges (AMDR)
The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range shows what share of your daily calories should come from each macronutrient. For most adults, that means 45% to 65% from carbohydrates, 20% to 35% from fat, and 10% to 35% from protein. Staying in these ranges lowers the risk of long-term disease while still giving you enough of each nutrient. Children and teens have slightly different ranges, and fat needs are higher for young kids because their brains are growing fast.
Why Life Stage Matters
DRIs are grouped by life stage: infants, children, teens, adults, older adults, and people who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Needs change a lot over a lifetime. Teens need more calcium for growing bones. Women who can get pregnant need more iron. Adults over 70 need more vitamin D. Pregnancy raises the need for folate, iron, and iodine to support the baby's growth.
Reading the Numbers the Right Way
Nutrients use different units: milligrams (mg), micrograms (mcg), and grams (g). A number like 900 mcg is much smaller than 900 mg, so always check the unit before comparing. DRIs are also built for healthy people. If you have a health condition, take medicine, or follow a special diet, your needs may be different. Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before making big changes or starting supplements.
Food First
Most people can hit their DRI targets by eating a mix of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts, lean protein, and dairy or fortified alternatives. Whole foods bring fiber and other helpful compounds that pills don't have. Supplements are useful to fill real gaps, but they're also the easiest way to accidentally go over the UL.