Have you heard of people tracking their macros when planning their meals? Macronutrients, or macros, are the main nutrients your body needs. Cami Jacobsen is a dietitian with Avera’s Comprehensive Weight Management Clinic and she explains how you can include them in meal planning.
Macronutrients: Proteins, fats and carbohydrates
Protein is what’s building tissue, muscle, that sort of thing, builds it but also repairs it. Fat helps with lots of things, metabolism, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, it’s a cushion for us, it is a reserve in case we need it for times that we don’t eat as much. Carbohydrates are energy, gasoline for the car, so you need all of the macronutrients.
How much do you need for each meal?
You don’t want to do too much of any one and you don’t want to be doing exclusively and eliminating a category. More importantly is the source of what you’re getting. You want to be getting them from efficient sources of proteins, carbs and fats, that are going to serve you well.
Here are some examples of those sources:
Eggs, fish, great lean beef, turkey, chicken, lean pork, dairy, you can make it lean or lactose free, yogurts are a great source of protein, give you a lot of other things like probiotics. Healthy fats have the same calories as unhealthy fats, so you want to eat a little bit, carefully choose it. That’s why I say keep your protein lean so you can intentionally choose your fat, like avocado oil, olive oil, nuts, seeds. Carbohydrates, I like as much as possible to get your carbohydrates from actual foods like whole food sources, so the non-starchy vegetables, the starchy vegetables, fruits, beans, peas and then whole grains. We’re talking about macronutrients but in all of these, there’s a whole bunch of micronutrients, and that’s what we are really after, is mixing, making sure you’re eating a macronutrient, that’s loaded with micronutrients.
Find what works for you
It’s important to just have this balance. A balance of food, but a balance of overall habits that lead to good health. You have to have exercise, movement, it’s important, cardio and strength. Sleep, stress management, water, all of these healthy habits.
