Macro Friendly Recipes: The Best Meal Prep Recipes for Counting Macros - Smile Sandwich (2024)

These macro friendly recipes are the best meal prep recipes for counting macros because they’re well balanced between protein, carbs and fat!

Macro Friendly Recipes: The Best Meal Prep Recipes for Counting Macros - Smile Sandwich (1)

Have you heard of counting macros? My mom recently started and has raved about her results, so I’ve set out to learn more!

The reason I wanted to give this a try is because it does not restrict certain foods. You can eat whatever you love! You just have to try to reach certain goals for how much Protein, Carbs and Fat you’re eating every day.

The most difficult part about following a macro diet is that you have to log everything you eat. But in doing so, you learn SO MUCH about the nutritional value of what you’re eating. Rather than eating tiny amounts, the goal is to find foods with lots of volume but are low in calories and high in protein.

What Are Macros?

I can’t explain it as well as some others have, so here are some articles that explain it in more detail:

How to Calculate Macros

Here’s a macro calculator that will tell you how many grams of each macronutrient you should eat per day based on your weight, age and activity level.

Once you’ve figured out your macro goals, it’s time to start planning! I use the app MyFitnessPal to track everything I’m eating.

The Best Macro Friendly Recipes

I found it’s much easier to plan out your meals ahead of time so you know exactly how your food fits into your macros in advance. If I don’t plan, I sometimes find myself way out of balance halfway through the day and it’s hard to fix it.

That’s why these macro friendly meal prep recipes are here to help! Each one includes the macronutrient count so you can easily plan in advance.

Just make these meals a couple days in advance and refrigerate them for lunches or dinners.

By popular request, here’s the link to the Ello glass meal prep containers I use!

Macro Friendly Recipes: The Best Meal Prep Recipes for Counting Macros - Smile Sandwich (2)

Macro Friendly Recipes

Macro Friendly Recipes: The Best Meal Prep Recipes for Counting Macros - Smile Sandwich (3)

15-Minute Chicken Sausage Pasta Meal Prep Bowls

Use chickpea pasta for even more protein!

405 calories, 16F 49C 24P

Macro Friendly Recipes: The Best Meal Prep Recipes for Counting Macros - Smile Sandwich (4)

Mango Salsa Chicken Meal Prep Bowls

Mango Salsa Chicken Meal Prep Bowls is a healthy meal prep recipe with chicken, cilantro lime rice and mango avocado salsa.

541 calories, 18F 60C 39P

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Easy Cheesy Baked Pasta

This Easy Cheesy Baked Pasta is just like the Tik Tok feta baked pasta, but instead of feta it uses Laughing Cow Cheese, which is just a bit lighter!

304 calories, 16F 30C 15P

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Easy Ground Turkey Meal Prep Bowls

These Easy Ground Turkey Meal Prep Bowls are the perfect healthy recipes to save time and stay on track during the week!

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Chicken Meal Prep Bowls: 4 Ways

These Chicken Meal Prep bowls are the perfect way to stay on track with well-balanced meals for lunch and dinner!

Macro Friendly Recipes: The Best Meal Prep Recipes for Counting Macros - Smile Sandwich (9)

Photo Credit:www.kitchensanctuary.com

Spicy Chicken Nourish Bowl

Love anything with a little spice because it helps motivate me to drink more water.

462 calories, F18 38C 36P

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Paleo Pancake Breakfast Meal Prep Bowls

Kodiak Cakes is my favorite brand of protein pancakes. I make these bowls once per week!

360 calories, 16F 34C 24P

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Make-Ahead Breakfast Meal Prep Bowls: 4 Ways

These are perfect if you're looking for macro friendly meal prep recipes for breakfast.

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Fall Harvest Meal Prep Bowls

For fewer carbs, cut down a bit on the sweet potato and apples.

308 calories, 18F 14C 36P

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Veggie-Packed Chicken Salad Meal Prep

Use a low fat mayo or plain Greek yogurt to keep the fat count down on classic chicken salad.

403 calories, 14F 8C 65P

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Photo Credit:www.foodfaithfitness.com

Healthy Burger in a Bowl | Food Faith Fitness

If your family is having burger night, have a burger bowl instead!

423 calories, F19 30C 33P

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One Pan Sausage and Vegetables Meal Prep

This macro friendly recipe is SO easy.

162 calories, 7F 17C 10P

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Instant Pot Greek Chicken Power Bowls: Healthy Meal Prep Recipe

An Instant Pot is a must-have for macro counting. It makes prep so easy.

556 calories, F30 31C 43P

Zucchini noodles are perfect if you need a lower carb meal.

560 calories, F35 33C 34P

Plus don’t miss my list of the best macro friendly foods from Walmart. It’s a list of healthy groceries that are perfect for macro counting.

Items That Help Me with Macro Couting

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Digital Food Scale

Easiest way to make sure you're tracking correctly

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Souper Cubes 1-Cup Extra-Large Silicone Freezing Tray with Lid

Perfect for meal prepping sauces and soups to freeze in portions

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Ello Duraglass Glass Food Storage Meal Prep Containers

The best food storage containers for meal prep + leftovers

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Ninja Air Fryer

Lets you fry food without using any oil!

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Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker

Super easy to cook chicken from frozen when you're in a pinch.

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OXO Good Grips 3 Piece Squeeze & Pour Silicone Measuring Cup Set

Come clean super easily and perfect for pancake mix.

Macro Friendly Recipes: The Best Meal Prep Recipes for Counting Macros - Smile Sandwich (2024)

FAQs

What is the most macro friendly food? ›

Green Vegetables are the most macro friendly. They give you the most bang for your buck. These include: Broccoli, Kale, Spinach, Peppers, Green Beans, Asparagus, Cucumber, Zucchini, Lettuce, Mustard Greens, Celery, Brussel Sprouts, and many more.

How do I calculate my macros for meal prep? ›

How to Calculate Macros for any Homemade Dish
  1. Find the macro numbers for each ingredient in your dish. This is the tedious part, but it's not hard. ...
  2. Add everything up. Fat: 35g Protein: 29g Carbs: 96g.
  3. 3, Decide how much is a serving, and then divide by how many servings you have in the dish.
May 5, 2016

What is the 40 30 30 macro meal plan? ›

The theory behind the Zone diet is all in the numbers: 40-30-30. Zone dieters balance their meals and snacks so that their calories come from a mix of 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein and 30 percent “friendly” fats.

How do I make a macro friendly meal plan? ›

A basic strategy would be to divide your total daily targets including calories, carbs, fat and protein by four. This would give you even macro targets for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Then, divide that 1/4 number by two to get the target macros for your two snacks.

What foods to eat when counting macros? ›

Best Foods for Macronutrients
  • Foods to consider: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, yogurt.
  • Foods to consider: plant oils (olive/canola), avocado, nuts/nut butter, seeds, egg yolks.
  • Foods to consider: lean means, dairy, seafood, beans, soy, eggs.
Aug 16, 2021

What is the perfect macro diet? ›

The optimal ratios of macros for weight loss are generally accepted as:
  1. Carbohydrates: 40-50% of your daily calories.
  2. Protein: 25-35% of your daily calories.
  3. Fat: 20-30% of your daily calories.
Mar 11, 2024

What is the easiest way to count macros? ›

The most convenient way to track macros may be through a nutrition app like MyFitnessPal, Lose It!, or My Macros +. These apps are user-friendly and specifically designed to simplify tracking macros. In addition, a digital food scale may help you track your macros — though it isn't necessary.

What is the best macro split for fat loss? ›

Your perfect macronutrient ratio depends on your goals, activity level, age, health, and genetics. For weight loss purposes, a moderate carb (30%-40% of calories), moderate fat (20%-30% of calories), and high protein diet (25%-35% of calories) tends to work for most people.

How to start a macro diet? ›

People should follow several steps before starting a macro diet.
  1. Determine caloric needs. There are a few ways a person can figure out their daily calorie needs. ...
  2. Determine macronutrient ratio. Once a person has calculated their total daily calories, they can then determine their macronutrient ratio. ...
  3. Track macros.
Jul 23, 2021

How much protein do you need a day to lose weight? ›

If you're trying to lose weight, shoot for 68-82 grams of protein per day. Matt says to split your daily protein intake between your three daily meals. “Your body does a way better job at metabolizing protein when it's consumed 15-30 grams at a time.

What are the healthiest fats to eat? ›

Choose foods with “good” unsaturated fats, limit foods high in saturated fat, and avoid “bad” trans fat. “Good” unsaturated fats — Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats — lower disease risk. Foods high in good fats include vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, sunflower, soy, and corn), nuts, seeds, and fish.

What is the 30 30 30 rule for weight loss? ›

The 30-30-30 rule involves eating 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up, followed by 30 minutes of low-intensity, steady state cardiovascular exercise. Beyond these steps, the 30-30-30 method doesn't require any changes to other meals or behaviors, restrictions or counting calories.

Is there an app to enter macros and create a meal plan? ›

for Your Macros. Get instant, personalized meal plans with the Prospre meal plan generator. "I have lost 60 pounds with this app! ... This app is the ONLY system that has worked for me and I know I can easily carry these new habits for the rest of my life.

What is the easiest way to create a macro? ›

Record a macro with a keyboard shortcut
  1. Click View > Macros > Record Macro.
  2. Type a name for the macro.
  3. To use this macro in any new documents you make, be sure the Store macro in box says All Documents (Normal.dotm).
  4. To run your macro when you press a keyboard shortcut, click Keyboard.

What is the macro split per meal? ›

There is no consensus on what constitutes the ideal percentage split however, the following are common targets used by adopters of the macro diet: 30/30/40 - 30 per cent from protein, 30 per cent from fat and 40 per cent from carbs. 40/40/20 - 40 per cent protein, 40 per cent carbs and 20 per cent fat.

What food has the most macronutrients? ›

What foods are good sources of macronutrients? Macronutrients are found in proteins like meat, beans, and nuts, carbohydrates like rice, quinoa, and sweet potatoes, and fats like avocado, fatty fish, and nuts.

What is the most efficient macro? ›

Your perfect macronutrient ratio depends on your goals, activity level, age, health, and genetics. For weight loss purposes, a moderate carb (30%-40% of calories), moderate fat (20%-30% of calories), and high protein diet (25%-35% of calories) tends to work for most people.

What are the top 3 macros? ›

The three primary macronutrients are carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Carbs fuel your body with immediate energy. Protein provides amino acids, which are essential for building muscle, skin, blood, and important structures of the brain and nervous system.

What macros are most filling? ›

Protein: Protein is the most satiating macronutrient. It actually changes the levels of several satiety hormones, including the hunger hormone ghrelin and peptide YY, a hormone that makes you feel full.

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