Last Updated on January 17, 2022 by TheMealPrepNinja
How To Calculate Macros for Meal Prep
If It Fits Your Macros is a term used when meal prepping
Well, if it fits your macros is a common saying in the meal prep and flexible healthy lifestyle space but what does it all meal. Rather than just focusing on your calories you can also track your macronutrients instead, namely protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Below is a macro calorie calculator that will help you determine your macros.
This allows for much more flexibility when meal prepping since all foods can be enjoyed as long as you find created ways to fit into your macros for the day.
What are Macronutrients?
The human body and all its impressive mechanisms are quite complex, which means that it requires a variety of nutrients to function optimally. What we eat is essential to meet these needs. Macronutrients help us grow, develop, repair, energize us and make us feel good. Each has its own role and functions.
There are three main groups of macronutrients, which are fat, carbohydrates, and protein. Each playing a vital role in the body. Tracking macronutrients make it easier to count and track nutrients and calories.
The macronutrient that has the highest percentage in each food will determine how it is classified, for example as proteins, carbohydrates or fats. Avocados, for example, contain about 70% fat, 8% carbohydrates and 2% protein, so even if they contain some of the other macros, they will be classified as fat. Another example would be an apple made up of about 95% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and 3% fat, meals apples are classified as carbohydrates.
When tracking your macros in a portion of food you will determine how much fats protein and carbs are in that food and add it to your daily macros.
The calorie count of food consists of the combined caloric load of the macronutrients of which it is composed. This means that the number of calories in food can be separated into its own macros:
1 gram of protein = 4 calories
1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories
1 gram of fat = 9 calories
Their calculation is important based on the results we set ourselves and based on the needs of our bodies.
How To Calculate Macros
Below we have The Meal Prep Ninja Macro Calculator take helps you to calculate and determine the macros that match your health and fitness goals. This way, all you have to do is to meal prep and to match your macros. Whether you’re trying to maintain, gain, or lose weight, this macronutrient calorie calculator will help you figure out where to start.
Macro Calorie Calculator By The Meal Prep Ninja
Step 1: Calculate your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure)
Step 2: Look at the chart above and determine if you want to maintain, lose 1 lb a week or lose 2 lbs a week.
Now you have a number to start with.
How Much Protein Do You Need When Counting Macros
Most nutrition experts recommend around 1 gram on protein per body weight. So a 150-pound person would need around 150 grams on protein per day. That would be around 600 calories coming from protein daily.
Below is a Protein calculator to help you determine how much protein you will need in a day.
Calculating your Macros for Carbohydrates and Fats
Fat – 15% -25% of your calories should come from fat. Good healthy fats like peanut butter, olive oil, and or almonds.
Carbohydrates – This number will be determined by how many calories you have left in your calculation.
Example of counting macros
Step 3: After using the calorie calculator above you have determined how many calories you can consume in a day that will help you meet your weight loss goals. Let’s say it gave you a number of 2107 calories a day.
1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. If you weight 162 pounds you would need to eat around 162 grams of protein per day. 4 calories per gram of protein, 162 X 4 = 648 calories coming from protein.
2107 total calories subtract 648 calories puts us at 1459 remaining.
We are going to multiply 2107 times .20% to get 421 calories from fat. We will then divide 421 divided by 9 because there are 9 calories per gram of fat to get 47 grams of fat per day.
2107 (total) subtract 648 (protein) subtract 421 (fat) leaves us with 1038 calories for carbohydrates. Yes, I know that seems high.
1038 calories from carbohydrates. 1038 divided by 4 calories per grams equals 259.5 grams of carbohydrates per day.
Protein – 162
Fat – 47
Carbohydrates -259.5
P/162 F/47 C/259.5
So there you have it you just calculated out your macros for the day. The example above is a weight loss example. So instead of tracking your calories, you can just track the macros in the meal prep meals you are eating
Meal Prepping to track macros
This Chipotle Chicken Bowl Meal Prep Recipe is a good example of a recipe that has not only the calories but also the macronutrient information. 498 calories per bowl, Fat 13 grams, Carbs 50 grams, and Protein 39 grams.
You can choose to break up your meals the way you like. Some people like to break up their macro intake throughout the day and others like to eat most of their macros in two large meals. It is up to you. I like to have 3 meals and 2 snacks.
Keep macro counting simple
This macro calorie calculator is very helpful to give you a starting point on where to start with your macros. Every person is different so you might have to try it for a few weeks to see if you are seeing some progress.
A great product to have when meal prepping is a food scale.
Jim Lopez, the founder and editor of The Meal Prep Ninja, shares his journey from a passionate bodybuilder and fitness enthusiast to a certified nutrition coach. Certified by Precision Nutrition, Jim aims to empower others with knowledge on meal prep and nutrition, offering resources for busy individuals to enjoy low-calorie, tasty foods. His blog is a community for sharing healthy eating habits and meal prep recipes
