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If you're new to the nutrition world or are trying to improve your diet, macro's might be a part of diet plan. But, what are they?
Basically, macro's is short for macronutrients. As in, the large components that make up a foods composition. These components are the parts of food that give us energy. These do not include nutrients, vitamins or minerals - these are collected under the term 'micronutrients'. There are three macro's (some would argue four):
Carbohydrates,
Fats, and
Protein
Some people like to follow certain macronutrient breakdowns to help them manage their dietary intake. Examples of this include 50% carbohydrates, 20% protein, and 30% fat. Most people in Australia trying to eat healthily would naturally eat around this amount. Others prefer a higher fat intake, around 40 and even 50%. People who eat low carb or keto may have fats as high at 75% while keeping carbohydrates as low as 5% (which is really hard to do).
It's good to keep a balance to ensure you're feeding your body the right way, but some people do live well on different macronutrient breakdowns.
Examples of different foods groups into their main macro
Carbohydrates
Pasta
Breads
Oats (contains good nutrients too)
Cereals
Grains (can be nutrient dense)
Most fruit (nutrient dense)
Most vegetables (although also nutrient dense)
Fats
Avocado
Oils
Eggs (also have protein)
Butter
Dairy
Nuts & seeds (nutrient dense, also contain decent protein)
Protein
All animal meats
Legumes (contain plenty of carbohydrates)
Beans (also contain plenty of carbohydrates)
Soy
Of course, all these foods are much more than one macronutrient, some foods are made up of two macronutrients almost equally. However, if are looking to monitor the way you eat, choosing nutrient dense foods that follow a macronutrient breakdown you thrive on, can be a positive way to "diet".