What Exactly Are Macronutrients?
Many of us are familiar with the term macros, and understand that it’s what makes up our food content. But what exactly makes them different from one another?
In this article, we are going to take an in-depth dive on what macronutrients are, how they affect our body, our digestive system, and how to keep track of your macros. Check out my article that briefly covers the basics of counting macros and calories before reading on.
Fats, Carbs, & Proteins
Each macronutrient plays a unique and key role in our bodies function and health. We are going to go over each macronutrient in detail to better understand what differentiates each of them.
Fats
Fats give your body energy, regulate your hormones, aid in brain function as well as mood stability, help you absorb a variety of essential vitamins, and insulate your body for warmth.
The fats you get from food provide your body with essential fatty acids that are needed for brain development, controlling inflammation, and blood clotting.
There are 4 types of fat: saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fat. They are categorized by how much of each fatty acid they contain.
Saturated fats are found in animal products like cheese and whole milk as well as fatty cuts of beef or pork, dark chicken meat, and coconut or palm oil.
Saturated fats raise your LDL (bad) levels of cholesterol. High LDL levels can lead to heart attack and stroke as well as other major health issues.
That being said, saturated fats have been shown in recent years to not be as harmful as previously thought, though recommendations are still to try to keep the intake of saturated fats low.
Unsaturated fats, which are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, have a better reputation for being more “heart-healthy” and therefore a better choice for your diet.
You can find these fats in a variety of foods like nuts including almonds, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, and pecans, as well as chia seeds, olive oil, and avocados.
Unsaturated fats can improve your blood cholesterol levels and decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease.
Trans fat is found in foods that contain hydrogenated vegetable oils. These oils are made by converting liquid unsaturated fats into solids. Food scientists do this by pumping hydrogen atoms into oils to make them semi-solid to preserve shelf life. You should try to avoid trans fat whenever possible.
You can find trans fat in fast foods, margarine, vegetable shortening, mass-produced baked goods, crackers, and some buttered popcorn.
Trans fat like saturated fat increases LDL levels and can also suppress your HDL (good) levels. Trans fat has also been linked with an increase of inflammation in the body causing heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are naturally occurring sugars, starches, and fiber in food. All carbohydrates are made up of sugar molecules. These sugar molecules are broken down in the digestive system and made into glucose.
Glucose is the fuel that provides energy and powers all of the body’s functions.
Carbs are extremely important for brain function because glucose is the brain’s preferred form of energy. Some cells in the brain can only use glucose for fuel. Carbs are also important for your nervous system, heart, kidneys, and digestive tract.
There are essentially 2 types of carbohydrates, refined and unrefined:
Refined carbohydrates (simple carbs) are typically overly processed foods like white bread, white rice, cakes, cookies, cereals, and table sugar. These carbohydrates are high in sugar but contain almost no fiber or nutritional value.
Unrefined carbohydrates (complex carbs) are less processed foods like whole-grain breads, vegetables, beans, and fruit. These typically have lots of fiber, lower sugar contents, and are high in nutritional value.
Why is Fiber Important?
Fiber helps to promote a healthy digestive system by keeping the bowels moving. It can also help prevent obesity and reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes by decreasing how much sugar and fat is absorbed by the gut.
There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble.
Soluble is found in oats, legumes, and some fruits and vegetables. As it goes through your body, it draws in water and forms a gel-like substance. This helps make bowel movements easier.
Insoluble fiber is found in whole grains and the skins and seeds of fruits and vegetables. It can help alleviate constipation and protects against digestive tract diseases.
Carbs have been a nutrient up for debate most recently as the ketogenic diet (a low carbohydrate diet and high-fat diet) has gained popularity for weight loss. But carbs are essential for our health and don’t necessarily cause weight gain. It’s all about quality.
Recent studies have found that fiber may be a key factor in maintaining healthy gut bacteria as well, which can promote good long-term health and wellness.
Proteins
Proteins are essentially the building blocks of life. Every cell in the human body contains protein and it helps the body repair cells and make new ones.
They are required for the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs. Proteins help build muscles, make hormones and antibodies, keep your immune system healthy, and can be stored as fat to use for energy when needed.
Protein can be found in animal sources such as meats, fish, and eggs as well as plant sources such as soy, legumes, beans, nuts, and some grains (such as quinoa).
When we consume protein, the proteins are break down into smaller parts called amino acids. There are 20 different amino acids that bind together in a chain to form a protein.
There are 2 main categories of amino acids: essential & nonessential.
Essential amino acids cannot be made by the body and therefore must come from food - there are nine of these essential amino acids. These are commonly known as complete proteins or whole proteins.
Nonessential amino acids are made by the body - there are 11 types of these amino acids.
When counting protein, you want to make sure to get an adequate amount of complete proteins (essential amino acids). The easiest way to do this is by eating foods that already contain all 9 essential amino acids, or by making sure you eat a variety of incomplete proteins (foods that contain a few essential amino acids but not all) to create a whole protein throughout the day.
The DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) recommends only .36 grams per pound of bodyweight for protein intake for the average person. It's extremely important to note that this isn't the recommended amount to function optimally, but the amount you need to meet your basic nutritional requirements, or how much you need to keep from getting sick.
If you exercise often, it is recommended to consume more in the .7-1gram per pound range.
How to Calculate and Count macros
Everyone’s macro requirements will differ based on gender, weight, muscle mass, activity level, health status, and goals.
The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR) set by the National Academy of Sciences for each macronutrient are:
10-35% protein
45-65% carbs
20-35% fats
You can try to calculate your recommended macro percentages by taking your recommended calorie intake and then dividing that into percentages, or you can use an online macro calculator.
Example: A very active person weighing 125 lbs and maintaining weight needs about 2,100 calories each day. One possible macronutrient range option would be:
To increase protein to 25% (131g)
Keep fats around 25% (58g)
And carbs around 50% (263g)
If your goal is to lose weight, a recommended way is to decrease your daily calories by 15-25%, and increase your protein percentage to the higher range if it's not there already.
You can adjust these percentages to meet your needs, goals, and what makes you feel the best so remember that this is just a recommended way to calculate your macros and not the only way.
Once you figure out your recommended macro count, you can start tracking.
Counting macros is typically counted in grams. Some people use kitchen scales to calculate precisely how much they are consuming, another option is to measure volume using cups, tablespoons, etc. as well.
My preferred method to keep track of my food and macros is to use a food journal.
The easiest way to count macros digitally is to use some kind of app like MyFitnessPal.
Apps like these have made counting macros incalculably easier because most of the food you eat you can find already loaded into the app.
To set up for success, many people plan out their week to make sure they have all of their meals portioned and ready.
Food prepping (aka making a lot of food one day for half or the rest of the week) is common when people count macros because it takes the worry out of what to eat and how to get in all the nutrients you need.
It's not the only way to count macros though, and like its nickname “flexible dieting”, counting macros can be a more flexible way of going through your day. If you eat a cookie at lunch, you just have to adjust your macros for your snack or dinner later in the day.
Other Forms of Macro Counting
Like mentioned earlier, there's not one way to calculate your macro percentages. There are many “diets” out there that also use macro counting.
Keto
5-10% calories from carbs, 15-30% from protein, 60-75% from fat.
Goal is to get your body into a state called ketosis which causes your body to burn fat instead of carbs for energy. The keto diet is fine short-term but has been proven to not be as effective long term due to its restrictive nature.
Atkins
Carbs are restricted to about 20g per day and fat and protein are free game.
High Carb, Low Fat
There is no set range for this but some may choose to eat in these ranges. A low-fat diet should only be chosen if a person feels that they function better in that range as there is no research showing that a low-fat diet is better for losing weight.
The reason Keto and Atkins have been used as successful weight loss diets is that a high protein diet can keep you satiated longer, therefore the amount of calories one eats tends to be less.
Also, a higher percentage of protein (which is anything higher than the average 15-16%) has been shown to increase basal metabolic rate by 15-30%. (In comparison to carbohydrates at a 5-10% increase and fats at a 0-3% increase.)
But, it's been shown that a low-carb diet isn’t necessary to lose weight. Higher protein diets are shown to work best while still consuming a normal amount of carbohydrates. This is because of the way our body makes muscle and uses energy.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for carbohydrates is 130 grams per day. This is based upon the amount of carbs required to fuel an adult’s brain, red blood cells and central nervous system.
If we do not get enough carbohydrates from our diet (as shown during long-term ketosis and starvation), the body will instead break down protein into glucose to maintain blood sugar levels and fuel the brain as well as red blood cells. This can lead to a loss of muscle or result in no muscle gain.
Although, eating mostly refined processed carbs can cause you to gain weight. That’s because these foods have high sugar contents and almost no fiber. Since they don’t have much fiber, they metabolize very quickly into glucose and the sudden spike in the blood glucose level triggers the pancreas to produce more insulin, a hormone that promotes fat storage. Unrefined, less processed carbs won’t have the same effect and contain many other nutrients like vitamins and minerals we need for a healthy, functioning body.
A diet with 25% protein and 50% carbs is sufficient for weight loss, muscle gain, creating a higher metabolic rate, and keeping one satiated. It may also be more effective in the long run since it is less restrictive.
The great thing about counting macros is that as long as you stick to a calorie range, you can change around your macros to what feels best for your body all while crushing your goals.
Example meals for a day
Now that we know a little more about each macronutrient and how to calculate and count your macros, here's an example day of macro counting.
Taking the earlier example of a 2,100 calorie diet. Goal macro counts:
Carbs 263g
Protein 131g
Fats 58g
Breakfast -
2 fried eggs (cooked using PAM)
2 slices of Ezekiel bread
1 ½ cup sliced fruit mixture of blueberries, strawberries and kiwi
Cup of black coffee
Carbs 56.7g, Fat 11.8g, Protein 24.3g
Snack -
Protein Shake made of 1 scoop Santa Cruz Medicinals CBD infused hemp + collagen protein
1 banana
12 ounces almond milk
Sprinkle Cinnamon
Carbs 40.7g, Fat 6.3g, Protein 22.9g
Lunch -
1 cup brown rice
1 ½ cup roasted broccoli
1 cup roasted red bell pepper
4 oz chicken breast
Carbs 54g, Fat 6g, Protein 38g
Snack -
1 boiled beet 4” in diameter
1 cup roasted sweet potato
Sprinkle of salt
Carbs 57g, Fat .3g, Protein 6.6g
Dinner -
6 ounce grilled salmon
1 cup quinoa
1 cup steamed kale
Salad consisting of:
1 cup raw spinach
5 cherry tomatoes
¼ cup shredded carrots
2 tbsp lemon vinaigrette
Carbs 52.2g, Fat 33.6g, Protein 46.7g
Total Macros Count:
260g carbs (49%)
58g fat (25%)
128g of protein (26%)
It’s okay if your macros aren’t exactly on the dot. You just want them to be in close range to your goals each day, give or take 10g.