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

FAQs

How do you count macros for meal prep? ›

Green Vegetables are the most macro friendly. They give you the most bang for your buck. These include: Broccoli, Kale, Spinach, Peppers, Green Beans, Asparagus, Cucumber, Zucchini, Lettuce, Mustard Greens, Celery, Brussel Sprouts, and many more.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025 suggests the following daily macronutrient ratios: Protein: 10–30% for people ages 4 to 18 years; 10–35% for people older than age 18 years. Fats: 20–35% for people ages 4 years and older. Carbohydrates: 45–65% for everyone.

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.

Eat your vegetables first, wherever possible. Then, eat the protein and/or fats. Finally, eat the carbs. As a bonus tip: don't eat carbs on their own (e.g. a big bowl of chips or a thick slice of sourdough).

While each macronutrient requires dedicated digestive processes, fats are arguably most taxing on our system to break down fully.

Studies show that protein is the most filling macronutrient. It changes the levels of several satiety hormones, including ghrelin and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) ( 4 , 5 ).

As a general rule, Albert advises a macronutrient breakdown of 20%-30% fat, 30% protein and 40%-50% carbohydrates. "Focus on getting healthy fats from things like nuts, seeds, olive oil, salmon, and avocados," Albert says. "Keep portion control in mind, because fats are higher in calories.

The optimal ratios of macros for weight loss are generally accepted as: Carbohydrates: 40-50% of your daily calories. Protein: 25-35% of your daily calories. Fat: 20-30% of your daily calories.

What is the best macro for food? ›

When I was working with a crop sensor camera, I used a 60mm macro. This acted like a 90mm on my crop sensor, allowing me to get a shallow depth of field in my photos, as well as a tight crop. Now on a full frame, I shoot with a 90mm macro lens, but anything from 90-105mm is great for food photography.

The most important steps in counting macros are setting a calorie goal and macronutrient range for carbs, protein, and fat that works best for you. Then, log your food intake and aim to stay within your macros by eating a diet rich in fresh produce, healthy fats, complex carbs, and protein sources.

Balance your meals.

If you do this three times a day, you'll eat well without counting macros. Eat some protein-rich foods, some vegetables and some high-fiber grains, starchy vegetables or legumes. For details and a meal planning template, check out the simple plate method way to balance your meals.

The basic portion sizes that we want to aim for are this: 4 oz of protein, 1/2 cup of grains and 2 cups of veggies per meal. I use containers that hold 3 cups of food. My containers always contain around 2 cups of veggies, 1/2 cup of protein and 1/2 cup of grains — and that's enough for ME, a 5'3” woman.

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Weighing is the most accurate way to determine calorie and macronutrient content of a food. However, we are commonly asked whether food should be weighed raw or cooked. The best answer is raw.