You may have heard of bodybuilders and dieters counting their macronutrients, but what does that mean and should you be doing it, too?
Macronutrients, often shortened to macros, are the nutrients that your body requires in large amounts.
You’re almost definitely already familiar with the three macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein and fat.
Other familiar nutrients include fibre, vitamins or minerals such as potassium and calcium. These are considered micronutrients that your body still needs but in smaller doses.
The amount of protein, carbohydrates and fat you should eat every day varies from person to person.
Factors like gender, body size, body weight and fitness or weight goals all influence how much of each macro you should aim to eat, but here’s a rough guide.
Keep in mind, each macronutrient is measured in grams but the calories per gram of each macronutrient aren’t the same: protein and carbohydrates have four calories for every gram while fat has nine calories for every gram.
Protein
Aim for 10% to 35% of calories from protein each day.
That's 200 to 700 calories or 50 to 175 grams per day for a 2,000-calorie diet.
Protein is important because it's the main structural component of all of the cells in your body and is needed to build cells and repair them, among other key body processes.
Carbohydrate
The largest portion of your diet is dedicated to carbs.
The recommendation is to get 45% to 65% of daily calories from carbs.
That's 900 to 1300 calories or 225 to 325 grams per day for a 2,000-calorie diet.
Your body prefers carbohydrates and likes to use them as a primary energy source - especially your brain.
Fat
20% to 35% of your calories should come from fat each day.
That's 400 to 700 calories or 44 to 78 grams per day for a 2,000-calorie diet.
Saturated fats (the less healthy fat found mostly in animal meats and full-fat dairy), however, should be limited to less than 10% of calories
So where does one find these macros in the grocery store?
Meat, eggs, fish and seafood, dairy, legumes such as lentils and beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds are all high in protein.
You’ll find carbs in grains, fruits, dairy, legumes and starchy vegetables.
Foods high in fat include oils, butter, nuts, avocado and fatty fish like salmon and tuna.
Counting macros can be a more flexible and healthy way of eating and a sure-fire way to get your essential nutrients.
This week in our nutrition feature, we take a look at what macronutrients are
