Macros Made Simple: What Should I Eat at Each Meal?

Calories: 1,600.

Protein: 100 grams.

Carbohydrates: 175 grams.

Fat: 56 grams.

You've got your targets.

Now what?

This is often where nutrition gets unnecessarily complicated. At Fitness Together McLean, we'd rather turn those big daily numbers into four small decisions.

First: What's a Macro?

Your three macronutrients are simply:

Protein — 4 calories/gram
Carbohydrate — 4 calories/gram
Fat — 9 calories/gram

Rather than worrying about an entire day, let's turn those numbers into breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack and dinner.

Example: ~1,600 Calories and 100g Protein

This could be an example target for a woman pursuing fat loss after her individual needs have been assessed.

Daily:

100g protein | 175g carbs | 56g fat | 25g+ fiber

Now divide it:

Breakfast: ~25g protein
Lunch: ~25g protein
Snack: ~20g protein
Dinner: ~30g protein

That's already much easier.

Breakfast

Greek yogurt + berries + oats/high-fiber cereal + nuts

You're building the meal around protein first, then adding a fiber-rich carbohydrate and some fat.

Lunch

Chicken + rice + vegetables + avocado

Again:

Protein + carbohydrate + produce + fat.

Afternoon Snack

Protein shake or Greek yogurt + fruit + nuts

This snack has a job: help you reach your protein goal and prevent you from arriving at dinner starving.

Dinner

Lean turkey or beef + rice/potatoes + vegetables + avocado or olive oil

Nothing exotic.

Just appropriate portions of normal food.

Now Let's Build a ~2,200-Calorie Day

For our second example, imagine a man pursuing fat loss whose individualized target is approximately:

150g protein | 235g carbs | 73g fat | 30g+ fiber

Break the protein down:

Breakfast: ~35g
Lunch: ~40g
Snack: ~30g
Dinner: ~45g

His meals could be nearly identical:

Breakfast: Eggs/egg whites + toast + vegetables + fruit

Lunch: Chicken + rice + vegetables + avocado

Snack: Protein shake or Greek yogurt + fruit + nuts

Dinner: Ground turkey/beef + rice + vegetables + avocado

The biggest difference?

Portion size.

He'll generally have larger portions of protein, carbohydrates and/or fats to reach his higher daily target.

Stop Thinking “Diet Food”

This is one of the biggest lessons.

The person eating 1,600 calories and the person eating 2,200 calories can eat dinner together.

They don't need:

His dinner + her diet dinner.

They need:

One balanced dinner + individualized portions.

That makes nutrition considerably easier to sustain.

Build Every Meal in This Order

When you're standing in the kitchen, try this:

#1 Protein: What's my protein?

#2 Produce: Where's my fruit or vegetable?

#3 Carbohydrate: Rice, potatoes, oats, fruit, bread, pasta, etc.

#4 Fat: Avocado, nuts, olive oil, nut butter, cheese, etc.

Protein anchors the meal. Produce helps provide fiber and micronutrients. Carbohydrates provide fuel. Dietary fat rounds out the meal.

And suddenly “tracking macros” starts looking a lot like eating balanced meals.

Your Numbers Won't Be These Numbers

That's important.

A 50-year-old woman doesn't automatically need 1,600 calories.

A 50-year-old man doesn't automatically need 2,200.

Body size, activity, muscle mass, training, goals and many other factors affect individual needs.

These examples simply show you what to do after you've established your targets.

Need Help Turning Your Numbers Into Food?

That's where nutrition coaching becomes especially valuable.

At Fitness Together McLean, we can help you understand your calorie and macronutrient needs and, more importantly, turn those numbers into meals you can actually eat consistently.

Interested in nutrition coaching in McLean, VA? Talk with our team to learn more.