SmarTasty
Count calories with a photo
You work out your calorie needs in two steps: first your basal metabolic rate with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then times your activity factor. The result is your total energy expenditure, an estimate for one day.
Example: Woman, 35 years, 168 cm, 68 kg, lightly active
1,917 kcal a day. Total energy expenditure: what you burn on a normal day.
Split as in the app: 95 g protein, 240 g carbs, 64 g fat.
Basal metabolic rate: 10 × 68 + 6.25 × 168 − 5 × 35 − 161 = 1,394 kcal
The SmarTasty app works out your daily goal with the same formulas and shows you in your diary what is left for the day. Free for iPhone and in the browser.
The calculator asks for:
How active are you?
The calculation runs in your browser. Your details are not saved and not sent anywhere.
The PAL value says how much more energy you burn in a day than at rest. The German Nutrition Society (DGE) groups it like this:
| PAL | Your day | For example |
|---|---|---|
| 1.2–1.3 | Almost only sitting or lying down | People who can hardly get around |
| 1.4–1.5 | Desk work, hardly anything strenuous in your free time | Office work, precision engineering |
| 1.6–1.7 | Mostly sitting, some walking and standing | Lab work, studying, assembly line |
| 1.8–1.9 | Mainly walking and standing | Retail, hospitality, trades |
| 2.0–2.4 | Physically demanding work or a very active free time | Construction, farming, competitive sport |
Sport or strenuous free time 4 to 5 times a week for 30 to 60 minutes each: add 0.3. The calculator uses four more cautious levels from 1.2 to 1.725, the same as the app.
Source: German Nutrition Society (DGE), 2025
Averages for adults of normal weight. The calculator above works out your own number from height, weight and age.
| Age in years | PAL 1.4 | PAL 1.6 | PAL 1.8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 to under 25 | 1,900 | 2,200 | 2,500 |
| 25 to under 51 | 1,800 | 2,100 | 2,400 |
| 51 to under 65 | 1,700 | 2,000 | 2,200 |
| 65 and over | 1,700 | 1,900 | 2,100 |
| Age in years | PAL 1.4 | PAL 1.6 | PAL 1.8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 to under 25 | 2,400 | 2,800 | 3,100 |
| 25 to under 51 | 2,300 | 2,700 | 3,000 |
| 51 to under 65 | 2,200 | 2,500 | 2,800 |
| 65 and over | 2,100 | 2,500 | 2,800 |
PAL 1.4: desk work, little movement in your free time. PAL 1.8: lots of walking and standing.
Source: German Nutrition Society (DGE), 2015
Example: Woman, 35 years, 168 cm, 68 kg, lightly active:
Your basal metabolic rate is the energy you use at complete rest, for things like breathing, heartbeat and body temperature. Total energy expenditure adds everyday life, movement and exercise. It is your calorie need for one day.
In a comparison of the common equations, it was most often within 10 % of the measured value in healthy adults (Frankenfield 2005). Muscle mass and genetics shift the real value. Treat the result as a starting point.
PAL stands for “physical activity level” and describes how active you are. The German Nutrition Society (DGE), for example, gives 1.4 to 1.5 for office work with little movement in your free time and 1.8 to 1.9 for work spent walking and standing. The calculator uses four simple levels from 1.2 to 1.725, the same as the app. “Hardly active” is the more cautious choice.
Count exercise and everyday life together. If you sit a lot and train once to three times a week, “lightly active” fits. Many people rate themselves as more active than their day really is. If in doubt, take the lower level.
On average you eat a little less than you burn. The calorie deficit calculator shows you 300 to 500 kcal below your total energy expenditure, never under 1,200 kcal (women) or 1,500 kcal (men).
No. The calculator works in your browser and sends nothing. Only if you use the goal does it go into your Food Diary: on your device or in your account.