Macro Friendly Recipes: The Best Meal Prep Recipes for Counting Macros - Smile Sandwich (2024)

FAQs

What are the best foods to eat when counting macros? ›

While all foods are allowed, it's easier to meet your macro goals with a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, high-quality proteins, nuts, seeds and whole grains.

The theory behind the Zone diet is all in the numbers: 40-30-30. Zone dieters balance their meals and snacks so that their calories come from a mix of 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein and 30 percent “friendly” fats.

A basic strategy would be to divide your total daily targets including calories, carbs, fat and protein by four. This would give you even macro targets for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Then, divide that 1/4 number by two to get the target macros for your two snacks.

Calculate Your Macros

Since each gram of carbohydrate and protein contains 4 calories, and each gram of fat contains 9 calories, you can calculate your macro needs as follows: Carbohydrates: Daily calories * 0.40 / 4 = grams of carbs per day. Proteins: Daily calories * 0.30 / 4 = grams of proteins per day.

To track your macros accurately you should measure and weigh everything you eat. To do this, you can use measuring spoons, measuring cups, and measuring jugs. However, the most accurate way of measuring your food portions is using a food scale. If you want results, being precise with your nutrition is critical.

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If you want to lose weight, aim for a daily protein intake between 1.6 and 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (. 73 and 1 grams per pound). Athletes and heavy exercisers should consume 2.2-3.4 grams of protein per kilogram (1-1.5 grams per pound) if aiming for weight loss.

What is the best macro split? ›

If you're trying to lose weight, shoot for 68-82 grams of protein per day. Matt says to split your daily protein intake between your three daily meals. “Your body does a way better job at metabolizing protein when it's consumed 15-30 grams at a time.

Carbs from veggies: All leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, vegetables like artichokes, swiss chard, sweet potato, green banana are all healthy carbs that pack plenty of fiber, vitamins and complex starch that keeps your meal prep nutritious.

As long as you hit your macronutrient target, you can, in theory, eat whatever you want. The idea is that 30 grams of carbs — whether from vegetables, cereal, or pizza — is 30 grams.

The term macro in this diet, short for macronutrients, focuses on the percentage of carbohydrates, fat and protein consumed in a day. How much you are allowed per day (or per meal) depends on your body composition, age and health goals.

Allows for flexibility in your diet

The number one IIFYM rule is that all foods can fit into your macro plan, with no foods off-limits. In other words, it doesn't matter where those grams of carbohydrates, fat, or protein are coming from, as long as they add up to your recommended total grams by the end of the day.

To track your macros accurately you should measure and weigh everything you eat. To do this, you can use measuring spoons, measuring cups, and measuring jugs. However, the most accurate way of measuring your food portions is using a food scale. If you want results, being precise with your nutrition is critical.

If I hit my macros and calories, does it matter what foods I eat if I want to lose fat and maintain muscle? Overall macros and calories matter most for fat loss and muscle maintenance, diet coach Nick Shaw said. However, prioritizing nutritious foods keeps you fuller and can make it easier to hit your targets.

Oats–raw oats, old-fashioned rolled oats, steel-cut oats, quick-cooking oats–are all a form of complex carbohydrates that you're going to need when counting macros to help you hit your numbers for the day.