Learn what macros are, their importance and how to make a macro meal plan to ensure you’re getting the best nutrition ratios for you. Written by an RDN.
When people think of the word “nutrition,” they often think of dieting or weight loss, but nutrition isn’t just about weight loss. Nutrition provides the nutrients that are necessary for health and growth.
A well-balanced diet is important for preventing disease and promoting health and wellness. Eating a balanced diet also gives you more energy and makes you feel better. Keep reading to learn what macros are, what makes a meal balanced, and how to make a macro meal plan.
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What are macros?
Macronutrients (“macros”) is the word for the group of three major nutrients that your body requires to function properly. These nutrients are needed in significant amounts, unlike other nutrients (like vitamins and minerals), which is why they are called “macro” nutrients.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans provides recommended amounts of each macronutrient for the general population. However, your specific needs will vary based on your lifestyle, activity level, and goals.
The three macronutrients include protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Your body needs all three of these nutrients, and they play a role in many functions in the body. It’s never a good idea to eliminate carbs, fat, or protein from your diet, no matter what you may have seen or read on social media.
Protein
Protein is found in meat, poultry, dairy, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds, nut butters, soy products, and some vegetables. The protein you consume is made up of amino acids. Your body needs 20 different amino acids to function properly. These 20 amino acids combine in different ways to make proteins in your body.
Your body can make hundreds of amino acids, but it cannot make nine of them on its own. These nine essential amino acids (EAAs) must be consumed from the diet. Animal sources of protein contain all nine EEAs, but plant-based proteins do not, with the exception of soybeans.
If you follow a vegetarian diet but eat eggs and dairy, you will get all of the EAAs. If you follow a vegan diet, you can still consume the EAAs your body needs by combining complementary plant-based proteins.
Functions of protein
Protein is a form of long-lasting energy. Proteins take longer to break down and digest than carbohydrates, so they make you feel full for longer periods. The amino acids in protein serve many functions in your body.
Amino acids grow and repair body tissues, including muscle. If one of your fitness goals is to increase muscle mass, it’s important to include enough protein in your diet. We’ll talk about how many grams of protein you need daily in the meal planning section.
Amino acids also make hormones and brain chemicals, support healthy hair, skin, and nails, boost your immune system, and promote a strong digestive system.
Dietary fat
Dietary fats are found in butter, oils, meat, dairy, soy products, avocado, nuts, seed, and nut butters. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are better for you than saturated fats and trans fats. You should include sources of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids in your diet more often. We’ll cover the macro breakdown for fat in the meal prep portion of this article.
Sources of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids include vegetable oils (such as olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, and corn oil), nuts, seeds, and fish.
Trans fats should be avoided because they have been shown to negatively impact your health, even when eaten in small quantities. Trans fats are found mostly in processed foods made with trans fat from partially hydrogenated oil.
Fortunately, you don’t have to worry too much about trans fats because most of them have been eliminated from many of these foods. The FDA banned artificial trans fats from the food market in 2015, requiring all manufacturers to comply with the new law by 2018.
Saturated fats are not as harmful as trans fats, however you should limit foods that are high in saturated fats. Sources of saturated fat include red meat, butter, cheese, and ice cream. Some plant-based fats like coconut oil and palm oil also contain a significant amount of saturated fat.
Functions of fat
Not knowing that it’s unnecessary, maybe you have always looked for low-fat and non-fat options at the grocery store, especially when you’re on a diet and trying to lose weight. Cutting fat out of the foods you eat causes you to miss out on an important nutrient. It’s never recommended to entirely eliminate a macronutrient from the diet.
Often people associate eating dietary fat with body fat, but eating fat doesn’t make you gain weight or increase body fat. Dietary fat has many roles in the body and supports your health.
Dietary fat is necessary for absorbing fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Like protein, fat increases satiety, which is that feeling of being full and satisfied. Including fat in meals and snacks decreases the chance of overeating, and helps you feel full for longer.
Dietary fat also reduces the glycemic impact of a meal or snack so your blood sugar doesn’t spike and lead to a crash when it falls, unlike eating just carbohydrates alone. This helps to stabilize energy levels.
Fat intake and “healthy fats” are essential for hormone production and maintenance of proper hormone function. Healthy fats like Omega-3 help with the rebuilding of cells and regulation of hormones.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are found in a wide array of both nutrient-dense and less nutritious foods. Carbohydrates can be consumed from grains (bread, pasta, rice, and cereal), legumes, dairy, starchy vegetables (potatoes, peas, and corn), fruits, baked goods, and sugar-sweetened beverages. This macronutrient encompasses sugar, fiber, and starches, all of which are carbohydrates.
The most nutritious sources of carbohydrates are minimally processed whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, and lentils. These foods promote good health by providing vitamins, minerals, fiber, and many important phytonutrients.
Less nutritious foods that contain carbohydrates include white bread, pastries, sodas, and other highly processed or refined foods. These foods contain quickly digested carbohydrates, which may make you feel hungry more often, leading to the overconsumption of calories. This may cause weight gain, inhibit weight loss, and increase the risk for diabetes and heart disease.
Function of carbohydrates
Foods that contain carbohydrates are an important part of a healthy diet. Carbohydrates provide the body with glucose, the body’s preferred source of fuel. This glucose is converted to energy used to support bodily functions, daily activities of living, and physical activity. Your brain also runs on carbohydrates and works best when doing so.
If you’ve ever tried keto or another low-carb diet, you may have experienced difficulty concentrating or difficulty remembering things, often referred to as “brain fog.” There is no need to eliminate carbohydrates from your diet plan, regardless of whether your goal is to lose weight, maintain, or increase muscle mass. In fact, it is not generally recommended to do so. Your body needs a variety of foods from all food groups, and carbohydrates are no exception.
How to calculate your macro ratio
Now that you know what the macronutrients are, what they do for the body, and which foods to get them from, it’s time to put it all to use. Before you can figure out how much of each macronutrient your body needs, you have to figure out how much energy (calories) your body needs.
Calorie needs
When making a macro meal plan, you should start with your daily calorie intake. You can use an estimated energy requirements calculator and factor in your activity level to determine your approximate energy needs. Another way to estimate your energy needs is to multiply your weight in kilograms by 30 kcal. If you workout a lot or have a very active job, you should use the calculator, as the other calculation will not account for your activity level. This is the estimated number of calories your body needs to maintain your current body weight.
If your goal is weight loss, you need to be in a caloric deficit, so you should decrease your estimated calorie needs by 300-500 kcals per day.
If you are trying to gain weight or increase muscle mass, your body needs a caloric surplus, so you should increase your estimated calorie needs by 300-500 kcals per day. Calorie counting can be helpful to ensure you stay within your calorie deficit or caloric surplus.
Let’s use a 30-year-old female who is 5’5”, 150 lbs. She works as a graphic designer, so her job is pretty sedentary, but she walks for 30 minutes daily on her lunch break. Her activity factor is “low active.” She would like to maintain her weight, have more energy, and promote good health.
Using the estimated energy requirements calculator, she needs roughly 2200 calories per day.
Macronutrient needs
To create a macro-based meal plan, you need to calculate how many grams of carbs, fats, and protein you need daily. Although there are general recommendations for how much your body requires, everyone’s macro needs are different based on their goals and activity level. You can use a macro calculator to determine what your macro ratio should be. However, depending on your goals, you may want to calculate your own macros.
Protein
The recommended daily protein intake for the general population is 10-35% of your daily calories. These recommendations represent what your body needs to function properly. It does provide the amount needed for optimal health, and does not account for specific goals (weight loss, muscle gain) or activity level.
People who workout, want to build muscle, or lose weight should have at least 1 g protein per pound of body weight, if not more. A high-protein diet helps to build muscle, and it can decrease loss of muscle mass and strength in those who are trying to lose weight.
Here is a breakdown of protein needs according to goal:
- General fitness – 10 to 15 percent total protein (0.8 to 1.0 g/kg per day)
- Medium to High-intensity Training (1 to 2 hours per day, 4 to 6 days/week) – 20 to 30 percent total protein (1.5 to 2 g/kg per day)
- Weight Loss or Decrease Body Fat – 25 to 30 percent total protein (1.5 to 2 g/kg per day)
Let’s use the woman from the previous example in calculating calories. She would calculate her protein needs as:
150 lbs ÷ 2.2 kg = 68.2 kg
68.2 kg x 0.8 g protein = 54 g protein
68.2 kg x 1.0 g protein = 68 g protein
Protein goal: 54 – 68 g protein per day
Fat
The recommended daily fat intake for the general population is 25-35% of your daily calories. These recommendations represent what the minimum amount of fat your body needs daily.
Here is a breakdown of fat needs according to goal:
- General Fitness – 25 to 35 percent total fat (0.5 to 1.0 g/kg per day)
- Medium to High-intensity Training – 30 percent total fat (0.5 to 1 g/kg per day)
- Weight Loss or Decrease Body Fat – 20 to 25 percent total fat (0.3 to 0.5 g/kg per day)
Using the same example used in the protein calculation, here is how to calculate fat:
150 lbs ÷ 2.2 kg = 68.2 kg
68.2 kg x 0.8 g fat = 34.1 g fat
68.2 kg x 1.0 g fat = 68 g fat
Fat goal: 34 – 68 g fat per day
Carbohydrates
The recommended carb intake for the general population is 45 to 65% of your daily calorie intake. Again, this suggested amount is the minimum the average person needs and may not meet your specific needs.
Below is the breakdown of carbohydrate needs according to goal:
- General Fitness – 45 to 55 percent total carbohydrates (3 to 5 g/kg per day)
- Medium to High-intensity Training – 55 to 65 percent total carbohydrates (5 to 8 g/kg per day)
- Weight Loss or Decrease Body Fat – 45 to 50 percent total carbohydrates (3 to 4 g/kg per day)
Using the same example, here’s how to calculate carbs:
150 lbs ÷ 2.2 kg = 68.2 kg
68.2 kg x 0.8 g carbs = 205 g carbs
68.2 kg x 1.0 g carbs = 341 g carbs
Carb goal: 205 – 341 g carbs per day
Putting it all together
Because the woman in our example needs about 2200 calories daily, she needs the higher end of the macro range. Here’s what she would use to build her macro-based meal plan:
Daily calories: 2200 kcal
68 g protein
68 g fat
341 g carbohydrate
Once you have your macro goals, you can build a personalized meal plan. If you like to eat three meals but you get hungry between meals, allow yourself some calories and macros for snacks. Then divide your calorie and macro needs by the remainder, and that gives you the calories, protein, and fat to aim for at each meal.
Example:
Breakfast – 530 kcal, 93 carbs, 16 g protein, 30 g fat
Snack – 300 kcal, 30 g carbs, 10 g protein, 4 g fat
Lunch – 530 kcal, 93 carbs, 16 g protein, 30 g fat
Dinner – 5530 kcal, 93 carbs, 16 g protein, 30 g fat
Snack – 300 kcal, 30 g carbs, 10 g protein, 4 g fat
All meals do not have to have the same macro goals. If you like a bigger breakfast and a smaller dinner, you can shift some from dinner to breakfast. The most important thing with macro counting is meeting your total daily calorie and macro goals.
How to make a macro meal plan
The good thing about knowing your macro ratio is that you can plug in any foods you like, as long as you eat enough calories and have proper balance of macronutrients.
It doesn’t matter which diet type you prefer (plant-based, vegetarian, vegan, or omnivore), how often you like to eat, or how much – at the end of the day you can use your favorite foods to make delicious meals to satisfy your macronutrient requirements. This allows for flexible dieting, and you can eat what you want and how often you want.
The easiest way to make a meal plan is to write it (or type it) out on a calendar. Make a column for each day of the week and rows for your meals and snacks.
If your mornings are usually busy, stick to easy ideas that are simple to make, like these blender blueberry muffins, or an almond pulp granola over Greek yogurt. You could also drink a protein shake with toast and peanut butter.
As easy way to create balanced meals for lunch and dinner is to start with your protein. Choose lean proteins that are low in saturated fat, like chicken breasts, fish, ground turkey, or lean ground beef (96/4). Once you’ve chosen your protein, decide what carbohydrates, veggies, and fat you’ll have with it.
Burrito bowls are an easy thing to meal prep. Choose your protein, add beans or rice (or both!), tomatoes, avocado, and bell peppers.
After you’ve planned out all your meals and snacks for the week, make a grocery list to make shopping easier. Pro tip: Use grocery delivery or grocery pickup to save time. You can save your shopping list to your account and click reorder each week!
Determining portions
You can use a macro tracker or food tracking app to determine appropriate portions for the meals and snacks you choose.
Example:
Breakfast – 530 kcal, 93 carbs, 16 g protein, 30 g fat
Snack – 300 kcal, 30 g carbs, 10 g protein, 4 g fat
Lunch – 530 kcal, 93 carbs, 16 g protein, 30 g fat
Dinner – 5530 kcal, 93 carbs, 16 g protein, 30 g fat
Snack – 300 kcal, 30 g carbs, 10 g protein, 4 g fat
Enter your meal into the macro tracker before eating it. This will help you determine the appropriate portion to hit your macros.
Conclusion
Building a macro-based meal plan may seem complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it it’s actually quite easy. If you’re not a fan of math, you can always use a calorie calculator and macro calculator to determine your estimated needs. Remember, the goal is to have a balanced diet, not to eliminate any specific foods, food groups, or macronutrients.
Take action
Take the first step to building your macro-based meal plan by determining your estimated daily energy needs.
Once you have your target macros, plan your meals. Wellness Trickle is posting new recipes all the time. Our recipes are always gluten free and refined sugar free and many are paleo. All our recipes list nutrition information to help you plan your macros.
Grocery delivery makes shopping easier and with services like ButcherBox, Thrive Market, Farm Fresh to You and SmoothieBox (to name a few), you can automate your deliveries so you don’t have to think about them.
Thrive Market is a great resource for dried goods like nuts, seeds and flours. You can also search products by diet if you need to follow certain food restrictions (i.e. keto, paleo, gluten free).
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