DRI Calculator 2026 — All 29 Vitamin & Mineral Targets, Free
The DRI & RDA calculator anyone can use — no clinician login. All 14 vitamins, 15 minerals & macros by age and sex, in plain English. National Academies data.
What is a DRI (Dietary Reference Intake)?
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) are the daily nutrient recommendations published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine — the standard the USDA Dietary Guidelines are built on. They cover energy, macronutrients, 14 vitamins, and 15 essential minerals, adjusted for your age, sex, and life stage.
"DRI" is an umbrella term for four reference values: the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) — the intake that meets the needs of 97–98% of healthy people; the AI (Adequate Intake), used when the evidence can't set an RDA; the UL (Tolerable Upper Intake Level) — the most you can take without risk of harm; and the AMDR, the healthy percentage-of-calories range for carbohydrate, fat, and protein.
This calculator returns all of them for your profile, free and with no signup, so you see both your target intake and the safe upper limit for every nutrient on one page.
DRI calculator FAQ
What is DRI?
DRI stands for Dietary Reference Intakes — a set of daily nutrient recommendations published by the National Academies of Sciences. The DRI Calculator personalizes those recommendations to your age, sex, height, weight, activity level, and life stage, covering 14 vitamins, 15 essential minerals, and macronutrients.
DRI vs RDA — what's the difference?
RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) is one type of DRI: the daily intake that meets the needs of 97–98% of healthy people. DRI is the umbrella term covering RDA, AI (Adequate Intake, used when an RDA can't be set), UL (Tolerable Upper Intake Level), and AMDR (Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range). Our results show all four where they exist.
How is DRI different from MyPlate?
MyPlate tells you how much of each food group to eat (cups of vegetables, ounces of grains). DRI tells you the specific nutrients those foods need to provide — milligrams of magnesium, micrograms of vitamin B12. Use MyPlate to plan meals; use DRI to check whether your meals meet your nutrient needs.
How accurate is this calculator for me?
The recommendations are population averages tuned to age, sex, and life stage — designed to cover the needs of nearly all healthy people. They're a strong starting point, not a clinical prescription. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant or lactating, or take medications that affect nutrient absorption, talk to a registered dietitian or doctor for personalized targets.
Where does this data come from?
All values are pulled from the Dietary Reference Intakes published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (1997–2019). The Estimated Energy Requirement (calorie target) uses the IOM EER equations; vitamin and mineral targets use the most recent DRI update for each nutrient. See our methodology page for full citations.
Is this an official USDA DRI calculator?
No — MyPlate.food is an independent project, not affiliated with the USDA or the National Academies. But the numbers are the official ones: every target comes from the Dietary Reference Intakes published by the National Academies of Sciences and the IOM Estimated Energy Requirement equations, so the result matches the federal DRI standards.
How do I find my recommended daily intake?
Enter your age, sex, height, weight, activity level, and life stage. The DRI Calculator returns your recommended daily intake (RDA or Adequate Intake) for 14 vitamins and 15 minerals, your macronutrient ranges, and the safe upper limit (UL) for each nutrient — free, on one page.
Is the DRI the same as the % Daily Value on food labels?
No. The % Daily Value (%DV) on a Nutrition Facts label is based on the Daily Value — a single fixed reference the FDA sets for a 2,000-calorie diet, the same for almost everyone. A DRI is personalized to your age, sex, and life stage, so it's a more accurate daily target for you. This calculator gives your personal DRI; the label's %DV is a quick on-pack estimate.