Macronutrients & Their Importance

So what are macronutrients?

Macronutrients, also known simpler as ‘macros’, are the basics of your diet - consisting of carbohydrates, protein, and fats. With trying to avoid going into a year 9 biology lesson, these macro’s are vital for your body to sustain energy needed in day to day life, hence why they’re macro’s and not micro’s, with each component playing its own part within the body.

Protein
Chemically, protein is composed of amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle mass. This means that protein is the key element when it comes to repairing and rebuilding muscle, meaning that if you want to develop more muscle mass and grow bigger muscles, you should consume more protein. The daily reference intake for protein is 0.8 grams of protein per Kilogram of pf body weight, equating to 56 grams per day for the average sedentary man, 46 grams per day for the average sedentary woman.

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates, named that due to being made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, are the foods that provide you mainly with energy, but also with fuel for the central nervous system and brain function. If you’re planning on participating in a lot of exercise, then it is recommended that you eat a lot of carbohydrates the day before, to provide you with more energy. The daily reference intake for carbohydrates is that they should make up 45 to 65 percent of your total daily calories. So, if you get 2,000 calories a day, between 900 and 1,300 calories should be from carbohydrates. That translates to between 225 and 325 grams of carbohydrates a day.

Fats
The truth about fat and whether you need to consume them are actually a very common misunderstanding. Although it’s bad if you eat too many fatty foods and have a high fat based diet, you do actually need to consume quite a bit, and the daily reference intake is supposed to be 20-35% off your daily diet. Fats are also used as a source of energy, which has a popular diet trend, the Keto Diet, focussing on the participant consuming no carbohydrates and only relying on their fat intake as their form of energy, which in turn contributes to the body burning more stored fat as they require more.

Each and every one of us needs different measurements of these macros depending on our needs for the day. For example, a body builder will need to eat more protein and carbohydrates to maintain and gain body mass, compared to someone who is trying to lose weight and slim down.

Working out your macronutrients is a lot more ideal and beneficial than just simply calorie counting, as this doesn’t take into account what you’re actually eating. Just because you’re not eating as much as usual, doesn’t mean your body is necessarily getting into a better, healthier shape, as you might have cut down on a number of important elements that’s needed and what your body thrives on.

So no matter what your goal is, it is useful to work out what percentage of these three elements you want your meal to consist of. Here at My Fresh Box, we try and assist you in building the ideal meal plan for your goals with foods we know you’ll love. We even have our own Vegan menu, Flexitarian plan and high protein breakfasts, as well as the newly added fruit smoothie range.

For an ideal balanced meal plan, click the link below and have a look for yourself