What are macronutrients (macro)?
The macro diet is a way of eating that focuses on counting macros, or the number of grams of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats you eat each day. Athletes and people trying to lose weight often use this type of diet because it helps them keep track of how much food they eat. By keeping track of your macros, you can make sure you’re getting the right mix of nutrients for your body and your goals. The macro diet isn’t about limiting what you eat. Instead, it’s about making healthy choices that fit your needs. There are no “bad” or “good” foods; you just have to figure out what works best for you.
Most of the time, when it comes to health and fitness, macronutrients are the chemical compounds that people eat in large amounts and that provide most of their energy. In particular, they are talking about carbs, proteins, and fats. Along with the more common macronutrients, some definitions also include water, air, calcium, sodium, chloride ions, and a few other things because the body needs them in large amounts.
This calculator only works out your daily needs for carbs, protein, and fat. Micronutrients, which include vitamins and minerals like Vitamin A, copper, iron, and iodine, are another important part of a healthy diet. The amount of macronutrients we need every day is on the order of grams, but most micronutrients we need are less than 100 milligrams.
Many diet plans focus on changing how much carbs, fat, or protein you eat. because changing how much of them you eat can have a big effect on your body.
Macronutrients are things like carbs, fat, and protein. They are the most important nutrients for your body. Lindsey Wohlford, an MD Anderson Wellness Dietitian, says that macronutrients are the healthy parts of food that the body needs for energy and to keep its structure and systems in good shape. No macronutrient should be left out of a healthy diet or severely limited. Here are the best sources and how much of each you should eat for a healthy diet.
Carbohydrates Carbohydrates, or “carbs,” are the main fuel for the body. They give your muscles and central nervous system energy when you move and work out. Wohlford says that 45–65% of your daily calories should come from carbs. The amount depends on the person’s health goals and conditions. Protein is important for many things the body does. It helps give the tissue shape. Cell membranes, organs, muscles, hair, skin, nails, bones, tendons, ligaments, and blood plasma are all examples of this.
Proteins are used by our bodies’ metabolic, hormonal, and enzyme systems, and they also help keep the balance of acid and base in our bodies. The recommended daily amount of protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. That’s about 54 grams of protein per day for a person who weighs 150 pounds. People have different needs based on their age, level of activity, health conditions, and health goals.
Fat is important for the body because it stores energy, insulates and protects your organs, and helps your body absorb and move vitamins that dissolve in fat. Fat should make up between 20 and 35% of your daily calories, and less than 10% of your daily calories should come from saturated fat. How to make a meal plan It can be hard to picture the amounts of macronutrients you should eat every day as meals. A plant-based diet is one way to do this and make sure you get a wide range of foods. Put whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds on two-thirds of your plate. Make the last third of the meal with lean proteins like chicken, fish, beans, quinoa, or tofu.
Daily calorie needs
The number of calories a person needs to eat every day mostly depends on their height, weight, age, level of activity, and whether they want to stay the same weight, lose weight, or gain weight. The calculator’s results are based on two equations that can be used to estimate a person’s basal metabolic rate (BMR) or resting daily energy expenditure (RDEE).
Once the BMR or RDEE is figured out, it is multiplied by an activity factor to figure out how many calories a person needs each day. The Mifflin-St. Jeor equation is a widely used equation for figuring out BMR. It does this mostly by using body weight and height as inputs. The Katch-McArdle formula is used to figure out RDEE, which takes into account lean body mass.
People who are leaner and know their body fat percentage may be better able to use the Katch-McArdle formula. Based on the above, the average person may need to eat between 1600 and 3000 calories every day. Most of the time, men need more calories (2000–3000) than women (1600–2400), and a person who is more active needs more calories than a person who doesn’t do much. Since carbs, proteins, and fats provide almost all of the energy the body needs, the daily caloric need can be used to figure out how much of each they need each day.
The calculator gives you an estimate based on standards and guidelines from places like the American Dietetic Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and more.
How to build macro-friendly meals
Putting together meals that are good for your macros can seem hard at first, but it’s really not that hard. You just need to know a little bit about macros and follow a few simple tips. Here are a few things you should know about making meals that are good for your macros:
Nutrition Facts Label
A good place to start is to learn how to read a label that says “Nutrition Facts.” On each food label, it says how many servings are in the container and how much each serving weighs and how much space it takes up. It will also say how many calories, carbs, fiber, protein, and fat there are in one serving. It’s important to know the difference between the size of a portion and the size of a serving.
Serving size
A serving size is a certain amount of food, usually measured by its weight (in grams) or size (in volume). This amount is based on what the label says about the food’s nutrition. Serving sizes tell you how much of a certain food you should eat. (6) A kitchen scale is the most accurate way to tell if you are eating one serving or more of food. More on this soon.
Portion size
When keeping track of macros, portion size is another thing to think about. “The serving size reflects the amount that people usually eat or drink,” says the new nutrition facts label. We often eat or drink more or less than the recommended amount.
Weighing food
The most accurate way to track your macros is to use a food scale and weigh your food. This is because it takes into account the difference between the size of the serving and the size of the actual portion. Also, the weight and number of calories may differ between brands or types of food based on the ingredients. Also, when measuring the volume of a serving size, the FDA allows for a 20% error margin.
The only way to know for sure is to weigh your food on a food scale. Always use the same scale when you weigh your food. This will help you measure things the same way every time. Also, know that the listed nutrition facts are based on the weight of the product before it is cooked. You can now choose whether to weigh your food before or after cooking it, taking into account how much water it gained or lost while cooking.
Most of the food you eat won’t be able to be weighed. If you went to a restaurant with a food scale, it might look really strange. Measuring with cups or using a comparison like a deck of cards being equal to 3 oz of meat can also be helpful, but it might not be as accurate because the weight and volume of different foods can vary.
Measuring food
Even though weighing your food is the best way to get accurate macros, it is not always possible. So, if you can’t measure your food by weight, you can measure it by volume (cups, tablespoons, etc.). If you can’t weigh your food, you can measure it by how much it takes up. This is especially useful for measuring things like fruits and vegetables. As a general rule, a serving of fruits and vegetables is about 1 cup.
How to track your macros
We can track our macros if we know how to read the nutrition facts label, the difference between a serving size and a portion size, and how to accurately weigh or measure. Step 1: Weigh all of the things you want to eat. Step 2: Write down what you eat by adding each item to the correct mealtime. Step 3: Write down what you eat every day and try to stick to your daily macro budget. This will help you keep your goals in mind. Step 4: Make changes as needed. If you find that you always go over or under your daily macro budget, you will need to make changes. This could mean eating a little less or a little more some days or choosing different sources of macronutrients.
Macronutrients in Common Foods
| Food | Serving Size | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| Fruit | ||||
| Apple | 1 (4 oz.) | 0.27g | 14.36g | 0.18g |
| Banana | 1 (6 oz.) | 1.85g | 38.85g | 0.56g |
| Grapes | 1 cup | 1.15g | 28.96g | 0.26g |
| Orange | 1 (4 oz.) | 0.79g | 11.79g | 0.23g |
| Pear | 1 (5 oz.) | 0.54g | 21.91g | 0.17g |
| Peach | 1 (6 oz.) | 1.2g | 12.59g | 0.33g |
| Pineapple | 1 cup | 0.84g | 19.58g | 0.19g |
| Strawberry | 1 cup | 1.11g | 12.75g | 0.5g |
| Watermelon | 1 cup | 0.93g | 11.48g | 0.23g |
| Vegetables | ||||
| Asparagus | 1 cup | 2.95g | 5.2g | 0.16g |
| Broccoli | 1 cup | 2.57g | 6.04g | 0.34g |
| Carrots | 1 cup | 1.19g | 12.26g | 0.31g |
| Cucumber | 4 oz. | 0.67g | 2.45g | 0.18g |
| Eggplant | 1 cup | 0.98g | 5.88g | 0.18g |
| Lettuce | 1 cup | 0.5g | 1.63g | 0.08g |
| Tomato | 1 cup | 1.58g | 7.06g | 0.36g |
| Proteins | ||||
| Beef, regular, cooked | 2 oz. | 14.2g | 0g | 10.4g |
| Chicken, cooked | 2 oz. | 16g | 0g | 1.84g |
| Tofu | 4 oz. | 7.82g | 2.72g | 3.06g |
| Egg | 1 large | 6.29g | 0.38g | 4.97g |
| Fish, catfish, cooked | 2 oz. | 9.96g | 4.84g | 8.24g |
| Pork, cooked | 2 oz. | 15.82g | 0g | 8.26g |
| Shrimp, cooked | 2 oz. | 15.45g | 0.69g | 1.32g |
| Common Meals/Snacks | ||||
| Bread, white | 1 slice (1 oz.) | 1.91g | 12.65g | 0.82g |
| Butter | 1 tablespoon | 0.12g | 0.01g | 11.52g |
| Caesar salad | 3 cups | 16.3g | 21.12g | 45.91g |
| Cheeseburger | 1 sandwich | 14.77g | 31.75g | 15.15g |
| Hamburger | 1 sandwich | 14.61g | 26.81g | 10.97g |
| Dark Chocolate | 1 oz. | 1.57g | 16.84g | 9.19g |
| Corn | 1 cup | 4.3g | 30.49g | 1.64g |
| Pizza | 1 slice (14″) | 13.32g | 33.98g | 12.13g |
| Potato | 6 oz. | 4.47g | 36.47g | 0.22g |
| Rice | 1 cup cooked | 4.2g | 44.08g | 0.44g |
| Sandwich | 1 (6″ Subway Turkey Sandwich) | 18g | 46g | 3.5g |
| Beverages/Dairy | ||||
| Beer | 1 can | 1.64g | 12.64g | 0g |
| Coca-Cola Classic | 1 can | 0g | 39g | 0g |
| Diet Coke | 1 can | 0g | 0g | 0g |
| Milk (1%) | 1 cup | 8.22g | 12.18g | 2.37g |
| Milk (2%) | 1 cup | 8.05g | 11.42g | 4.81g |
| Milk (Whole) | 1 cup | 7.86g | 11.03g | 7.93g |
| Orange Juice | 1 cup | 1.74g | 25.79g | 0.5g |
| Apple cider | 1 cup | 0.15g | 28.97g | 0.27g |
| Yogurt (low-fat) | 1 cup | 12.86g | 17.25g | 3.8g |
| Yogurt (non-fat) | 1 cup | 13.01g | 17.43g | 0.41g |