The best way to ensure that you hit your macros is to plan ahead. You can do this by preparing your meals in advance for the upcoming day or just knowing what you’re going to eat and adding up the macros beforehand.
You might also consider planning out some meals for an entire week and cooking in bulk on a single designated day. This can save time and will help you to stay organized. For simplicity and convenience, most people choose to cook versatile foods that can be used in multiple dishes. Having protein (such as lunch meat, turkey, chicken, and egg whites), fruits, vegetables, starches (such as potatoes, rice, oats, pasta, tortillas, and bread), and fats (such as nuts, seeds, and oils) on hand makes meals easy to put together. Once all of your food is cooked, you can put it together in Tupperware for the week or measure and divide it into several single servings that can be incorporated into meals.
If you need help planning individual meals, follow these steps:
Determine How Many Meals You’re Going to Eat
Most members prefer eating 3-5 meals per day, including full-sized meals and snacks.
Determine How Much Protein You Need Per Meal
Take your protein target and divide it by the number of meals you plan on eating.
Choose A Source of Protein
The best sources of protein include meat, poultry, protein powder, egg whites, and low-fat dairy.
Choose A Source of Carbohydrates
The best sources include grains, starches, fruits, and vegetables.
Choose a Source of Fat
Get your fats from fatty meats, full-fat dairy, oils, nuts, butter, avocado, and eggs.
As you plug each meal into the Avatar food tracker, keep an eye on the macros you have left. If you notice that you’re approaching your carb target dangerously fast, go back and reduce the serving size on some of your carb choices from previous meals. If you see that you are falling behind and have a ton of carbs left, go ahead and either add another source of carbs, or increase your serving sizes at some meals. Treat fat the same way!
If you aren’t sure what to eat to hit your protein, carbs, and fat, try opening the Suggested Foods option in the app to get recommendations on foods that will work to plug into your plan. The app is loaded with recipes as well that are high in protein and low in carbs and fat to help you stick to your macro targets. If you’d like some suggestions on what to eat and for Avatar to create a plan for you, try out the Meal Generator to get a custom meal plan tailor-fit to your macros.
For a visual description of how to plan meals, refer to our meal planning infographic below. For additional ideas to hit your protein, carbohydrate, and fat targets, see the Avatar food lists and visit our macro-friendly recipe section.
