After I work out a clients daily calorie intake and macro nutrient count, the next question is ‘ Great, so what is a macro & what exactly do i need to eat??!!’ This is a little snippet out of my nutrition E book, hope it helps and answers a few questions.
What is a macronutrient?
Nutrients are environmental substances used for energy, growth, and bodily functions by organisms. Depending on the nutrient, these substances are needed in small amounts or larger amounts. Those that are needed in large amounts are called macronutrients.
There are three macronutrients required by humans: carbohydrates (sugar), lipids (fats), and proteins. Each of these macronutrients provides energy in the form of calories.
Now you’ve got your macronutrient count and daily calorie intake, what is classified as each macronutrient?
Carbohydrates:
- Beetroot
- Sweet Potato
- Pumpkin
- Butternut pumpkin
- All legumes
- Buckwheat
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Corn
- Bread/ Gluten free bread
- Fruit – All berries, apples, pears
Proteins:
- Lean meats-
- Beef- All lean cuts
- Lamb- All lean cuts
- Poultry- chicken, turkey, eggs
- Pork- All lean cuts
- Seafood- All
- Protein powder- Whey or Plant based – No soy based proteins
Fats:
Monounsaturated:
- Nuts & seeds (Raw only)
- Cold presses vegetable oils (Extra virgin only)
- Avocado
- Olives
- Nut based oils
Polyunsaturated:
Omega3 –
- Oily fish
- Eggs
- Flaxseed
Omega6-
- Vegetable and seed oils
- Organic butter
Vegetables:
- All green fibrous vegetables
- Artichokes
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cucumbers
- Capsicum
- Eggplant
- Garlic
- Leeks
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Radish
- Squash
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini