What are the 3 Macronutrients?
Updated December 2023
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When it comes to many health and fitness goals, macronutrients can be crucial for your success. Tracking calories is a common step people take to ensure that they are losing weight or gaining muscle as they desire, but paying attention to your macronutrients will take you to the next level!
The three macronutrients are carbohydrates, protein, and fats. These three components comprise any food you eat, whether it be apples, fish, or donuts.
Keep reading to further understand what is in everything you eat, and allow yourself to make more informed decisions when it comes to filling your plate!
Carbohydrates
At least one person in your life has likely told you that carbs are bad for you. While there are many sources of unhealthy carbohydrates, this statement as a whole is untrue. Many foods provide the body with energy and nutritional value that are primarily comprised of carbs!
The two main types of carbohydrates are simple and complex. Let’s take a look at what each of these is and what you need to know before consuming either of them in the future!
Simple Carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates tend to have minimal nutritional value and are what you think of when people say that carbs make you fat. These simple carbs are sugars such as brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and glucose. They are typically found in foods that you use to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Foods that are high in simple carbohydrates:
Donuts
Cakes
Cookies
Candy
Artificial breakfast cereals
Fruit juice concentrate
Soda
Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbs, on the other hand, do benefit your body. Sources of complex carbohydrates tend to be high in fiber, help manage blood sugar levels, provide the body with energy, and aid with weight loss. Try to consume this type of carbohydrate at every meal and after a workout to help replenish your glycogen stores.
Foods that are high in complex carbohydrates:
Fruits and vegetables
Beans and legumes
Whole-grain bread and cereals
Nuts
Protein
Protein is an undervalued macronutrient by many people, and the RDA tends to be relatively low for the average person. Having sufficient protein each day will allow your muscle fibers to repair and grow continuously. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism tends to be. This means that you will burn more calories than if you had less mass on you, whether you are exercising or just sitting on the couch. It also allows you to eat more foods without gaining weight!
If you are pursuing a fitness goal, protein will be the most crucial macronutrient for hitting the numbers you are aiming for. The body breaks down protein into amino acids that fuel and build your muscles, so you become stronger and more powerful with both exercises in the gym and daily activities.
If you are weightlifting often, it is recommended that you consume one gram of protein per pound you weigh. While this will help you build muscle mass efficiently, it is important to keep in mind that too much protein can lead to dehydration and kidney problems. Getting regular urine and blood tests to learn about your ACR and GFR will help you stay aware of how your kidneys are functioning and whether or not they are healthy.
Foods that are high in protein:
Fish and seafood
Lean meats such as chicken and ground turkey
Eggs
Greek yogurt
Cottage cheese
Protein bars
Protein shakes
Beans
Soy
Spinach
Fats
It is very likely that you currently do or have in the past considered any food that had fat to be bad. This is an understandable assumption, as society has pegged “no-fat” and low-fat” foods as healthy even though that is not always the case.
For example, if you compare the labels of yogurt labeled as low-fat to one that is not, you may find that the low-fat yogurt has more sugars and less protein. This means that you are actually benefiting more from the full-fat yogurt. Therefore, it is vital to be aware of what is on the front and back labels of any food item that you buy.
Saturated and Trans Fats
Saturated fats and trans fats are fats that you want to minimize or avoid altogether. The original purpose of trans fats was to help prevent foods from going bad, but no certain amount of trans fat is considered safe when consumed. In 2015, the FDA announced that companies had three years to stop using trans fats and that they would officially be banned from that point on within the United States.
While you should no longer see the presence of trans fats on any labels, saturated fats are very much still present. If you often eat high amounts of saturated fats, cholesterol can build up within your arteries and put you at risk for heart disease and other cardiovascular ailments.
Foods that are high in saturated fats:
Cakes
Cookies
Biscuits
Pastries
Butter
Fatty meat, including bacon and sausage
Lard
Palm oil
Cheese
Unsaturated Fats
Luckily, not all fats should be avoided because they will cause you health issues! If you regularly consume unsaturated fats, they will actually help reduce the bad form of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood, counteracting the effects of saturated fats. Your body will also experience benefits such as increased longevity, reduced inflammation, and proper hormone production and maintenance.
Foods that are high in unsaturated fats:
Extra virgin olive oil
Avocados
Nuts and nut butters
Dark chocolate
Olives
Fatty fish
Top Tips for Balancing and Tracking Macros
Now that you understand the three macronutrients, how can you apply them to your daily life? If you have a specific physique goal, whether it be losing fat, building muscle, or overall recomposition, tracking your macros is essential for you to be successful. How much of each macro you consume daily determines how your body functions and looks.
Because it can be a bit complicated and overwhelming to track everything from the beginning, take it one step at a time. Start with monitoring just your calories for two weeks. After getting into a routine of inputting all of your food, add tracking your protein for another two weeks. Do the same with carbohydrates and then fats. Once you have reached a point where you can hit your macro goals daily, you should see your body really start to go in the direction that you desire.
What your macro split looks like is highly dependent on your current physique and goals, but take a look at the example below for an average adult.
Calorie Goal: 2,000
Protein: 140 grams (35% of caloric intake)
Carbs: 160 grams (40% of caloric intake)
Fat: 44 grams (25% of caloric intake)
Many people do not want to track calories and macros forever, and that is perfectly fine! Once you have reached your goal, take a step back from MyFitnessPal or whatever app you were using. At this point, you should have a good idea of what is in everything you regularly consume. Keep stepping on the scale and taking measurements as you allow yourself to use your best judgment for one month. If you find that your measurements start going in the wrong direction, you may need to start tracking again.
Final Thoughts
The three macronutrients are carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Each plays an essential role in the function of the body and can make or break the state of your health. If you have a specific goal for how you want your physique to look, tracking how many calories and macronutrients you consume daily is key to getting you to where you want to be. Focus on the healthiest sources of each macro and provide your body with the nutrients that it needs!
