Macronutrients are an essential part of a healthy diet. They are the building blocks of a balanced meal and play a crucial role in maintaining overall health. Macronutrients are nutrients that the body requires in large amounts, and they include carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. In this article, we will discuss the recommended intake of each macronutrient.
Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for the body. They are found in foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy products. The recommended intake of carbohydrates for adults is 45-65% of their daily caloric intake. For example, if you consume 2000 calories a day, you should aim to consume 225-325 grams of carbohydrates.
Proteins are essential for building and repairing tissues in the body. They are found in foods such as meat, fish, beans, and nuts. The recommended intake of protein for adults is 10-35% of their daily caloric intake. For example, if you consume 2000 calories a day, you should aim to consume 50-175 grams of protein.
Fats are essential for the body to function properly. They help the body absorb vitamins and minerals, and they are an excellent source of energy. Fats are found in foods such as oils, nuts, and fatty fish. The recommended intake of fats for adults is 20-35% of their daily caloric intake. For example, if you consume 2000 calories a day, you should aim to consume 44-77 grams of fat.
Each person's macronutrient needs may vary based on their age, gender, weight, and activity level. It's best to consult with a healthcare professional to help you determine your specific macronutrient needs. At Mindful Weight Loss every patient has access to unlimited visits with a health coach who can help you understand your macronutrient needs.
It is important to note that many studies have concluded that the ratio of macronutrients does not necessarily mean weight loss. In a study that followed over 800 overweight people for a course of two years, with groups following different macronutrient protocols, it was concluded that “Reduced-calorie diets result in clinically meaningful weight loss regardless of which macronutrients they emphasize.” (1)
And just like that one study, many more suggest that caloric deficit is the key element for sustainable weight loss.
At Mindful Weight Loss we often start with the basic recommendation: Prioritize protein and eat unlimited fruits and vegetables. This puts the mind on sustainable changes and the focus on one key macronutrient: protein.
Simplicity takes away the complicated reality that most people face with an overload of information that tends to take away the focus from the reality that our lives are already too complicated to add one more equation.
Our recommendation is to talk to your health coach and start creating goals that are doable, sustainable, and that make sense TO YOU. With our compassionate approach we will be sure to help you calculate your macros (if that’s what you want) and create a simple plan that takes into consideration your life circumstances, challenges, and goals.
In conclusion, macronutrients are an essential part of a healthy diet, and the recommended intake of each macronutrient can vary based on individual needs. By following easy and healthy recommendations and consuming a balanced diet, you can help maintain overall health and well-being.
1. Sacks FM, Bray GA, Carey VJ, Smith SR, Ryan DH, Anton SD, McManus K, Champagne CM, Bishop LM, Laranjo N, Leboff MS, Rood JC, de Jonge L, Greenway FL, Loria CM, Obarzanek E, Williamson DA. Comparison of weight-loss diets with different compositions of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. N Engl J Med. 2009 Feb
This one got too complicated!!!! Carbs: Macro breakdown, ratio, and timing
There is a lot of confusion about macros, and although at Mindful Weight Loss we don’t really believe in tracking macro percentages as a sustainable way of living, for some people (especially those trying to change body composition) it is important to clarify what is an ideal macro breakdown.
I would like to clarify that regardless of the macro breakdown, for weight loss, calorie deficit is more important. You can read more on this interesting study that followed over 800 people for 2 years (1).
If you prefer to do it on your own, here are the steps we follow:
Step one find out your calorie intake for your goals. You can do this by tracking everything that you eat for 1 week and weigh in before and after you have completed your week of tracking. Did you lose weight? That means you were in a calorie deficit during that week. Did you gain weight? That would mean you were on a calorie surplus that week.
If your weight did not change, then you are in a caloric balance, which means you ate the calories you need to maintain your weight.
Things do get complicated, if the week that you tracked you did more physical activity than any other week, then the data would not be reliable. The number of calories you need per week is an estimate.
After you find out how many calories you need, I would make an example of 1800 calories per day average, you can go to the next step.
Step two calculate your protein needs. As a fitness professional to me it is very important to help my patients understand why protein is so important, you can read more about this on my proteins 101 blog post.
You would calculate protein intake needs like this:
If you have a mostly sedentary lifestyle and do not work out regularly, you would need 0.8 grams of protein for each kilogram of body weight, this is the MINIMUM recommended.
Calculate your weight in kilograms here, then multiply that number times 0.8. That’s how many grams of protein you need minimum.
If you have a more active lifestyle and walk, or exercise once or twice a week, you would need around 1 gram to 1.2 grams of protein for each kilogram of body weight.
Calculate your weight in kilograms here, then multiply that number times 1.2. That’s how many grams of protein you need, it's ok to eat a little less or a little more.
If you do 30-minutes of resistance training 3-4 days per week, you would need 1.5 grams of protein for each kilogram of body weight.
Calculate your weight in kilograms here, then multiply that number times 1.5. That’s how many grams of protein you need per day.
If you do heavy resistance training 4+ days per week, you would need 1.8 to 2 grams of protein for each kilogram of body weight.
Calculate your weight in kilograms here, then multiply that number times 1.8. That’s how many grams of protein you need per day.
Step 3 you have your protein needs, multiply that number by 4 (that’s how many calories each gram of protein has).
For example, if my protein need is around 70 grams, I multiply 70 x 4 and I get 280, that means that 280 is the number of calories from protein I need each day.
If my total calorie intake needed for weight loss is 1800 calories per day, then 280 calories from protein would be 18% of my daily calorie intake.
My macro breakdown would start like this:
Total calories per day 1800 (for maintenance)
Protein 15% = 280 calories from protein = 70 grams of protein daily
Carbs ___%
Fat____%
After calculating protein we move on to carbs, this is because the amount of fat needed will depend on how much protein and carbohydrates are needed on a regular basis.
Calculate carbohydrates. The amount of carbohydrates needed will also depend on physical activity. But another thing to consider would be the quality of the carbohydrates and the timing.
We always recommend more complex carbs than simple ones, but in the case of heavy lifting, simple carbs can actually be great to consume immediately after a heavy workout.
Low intensity exercise would require that you eat 3-5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per day. While bodybuilding would require you to eat around 8 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight (depending on the stage of training).
Let’s say I workout moderately 3 days per week, I would need around 5 grams of carbohydrates for each kilogram of body weight. Let’s do the math (again, you can have your health coach do this for you!):
If my weight is 130lbs, this translates to 59 kg. You can google “Lbs to Kg” to make the conversion.
weight in Kg is now multiplied by 5 (5 grams of carbohydrates per kg of body weight). 59 x 5 = 295
This means I would need 295 grams of carbohydrates daily.
Each gram of carbohydrate has 4 calories, so no we multiply 295 x 4 = 1,180
I need around 1,180 calories from carbohydrates. Going back to my caloric intake of 1800 this would translate as:
Total calories per day 1800 (for maintenance)
Protein 15% = 280 calories from protein = 70 grams of protein daily
Carbs 65% = 1180 calories from carbohydrates = 295 grams of carbohydrates dail
Fat____%
The last macronutrient that I calculate is fat, this is because fat is high in calories, with 9 calories per gram of fat (compared to 4 calories per gram for protein and carbohydrates).
You add the percentage of protein and carbohydrates and what is left to make 100 is what you would have for fat.
In my example: 15% protein + 65% carbohydrates = 80%
Then my 20% would come from fats right? Well, not really… This is a starting point and we will modify the macros starting here.
Total calories per day 1800 (for maintenance)
Protein 15% = 280 calories from protein = 70 grams of protein daily
Carbs 65% = 1180 calories from carbohydrates = 295 grams of carbohydrates daily
Fat 20% = 360 calories from fat = 40 grams of fat daily
Well, this would be MY starting point, from here I adapt my macros to make them work for my goals. For example if I wanted to lose weight I now know that I must cut the calories, somewhere around 150 calories per day is a good way to get started.
GOAL: 1650 calories (this is 150 less calories than my 1800 I calculated for maintenance)
New macro breakdown: I would maintain my calories from protein, to me that would be a non-negotiable, will cut most of my calories from fat. This is how it would look like:
NEW GOAL Total calories per day 1650 (for weight loss)
Protein 70 grams of protein daily = 280 calories from protein = 17%
Carbs 295 grams of carbohydrates daily = 1180 calories from carbohydrates 71.5%
*Protein and carb grams per day remain the same, the percentage now changes due to lower calorie intake goal
Fat = 12%
1. Sacks FM, Bray GA, Carey VJ, Smith SR, Ryan DH, Anton SD, McManus K, Champagne CM, Bishop LM, Laranjo N, Leboff MS, Rood JC, de Jonge L, Greenway FL, Loria CM, Obarzanek E, Williamson DA. Comparison of weight-loss diets with different compositions of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. N Engl J Med. 2009 Feb 26;360(9):859-73. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa0804748. PMID: 19246357; PMCID: PMC2763382.
Carla Baccio is a National-Board certified Health and Wellness coach and has a master’s degree in Exercise Science, Nutrition, and Wellness from Liberty University.