Your Macro Inspired Daily Meal Plan

Forget about counting calories…learn to understand the KIND of food that you’re putting in your body — the way you feel afterward might really amaze you…

Not to be confused with macrobiotic eating (which is also extremely beneficial to those who practice it), macro is essentially an approach to eating that focuses on carbohydrates, fats and proteins, and their distribution throughout your daily meal plan.

Macro “dieting” utilizes the following guideline for meal consideration:

1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories 

1 gram of fat = 9 calories 

1 gram of protein = 4 calories

The goal? Creating a menu that, by the end of the day, equals 100% of a mix of these 3 categories of macronutrients. This ratio will shift depending on your goal…whether it be to lose weight, boost metabolism or simply make better-informed eating habits. Here, our resident Chef Greg has prepared a series of 5 meals — breakfast, lunch and dinner, broken up by 2 snacks — that will ensure a day complete with a thoughtful and healthy mix of macros, and hopefully more energy, to boot. Note: there are LOTS of app options to help you keep track of your macros. We like this one, but feel free to do your research to determine which might work best for you!

Breakfast

Cottage Cheese Pick-Me-Up

 Ingredients
(makes 1 portion)
3/4 cup low-fat organic cottage cheese
1/4 cup organic strawberries
1/4 cup grapefruit segments
3 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds, lightly salted
Method
Scoop cottage cheese into a dish and arrange strawberries and grapefruit on top. Top with toasted pumpkin seeds. NOTE: recipe is for one portion but can also be portioned out for 3 days at a time. This is also delicious with cantaloupe, raspberries and toasted almonds.

Snack

Green Smoothie

 Ingredients
(makes 3 portions)
3 cups chopped kale
3 cups baby spinach
1 chopped banana
1 chopped mango
1 cup chopped pineapple
1/2 cup almond butter
2 cups coconut water
Method
Place all ingredients in a blender and purée until very smooth. You can adjust the amount of coconut water depending on the consistency you enjoy. You can also add flax seeds, hemp seeds or protein powder, depending on your individual needs.

Lunch

Mixed Leaf Salad

 Ingredients
(makes 3 portions)
3/4 # Mixed Lettuce
1 1/2 cups shaved carrots
1 avocado
1 1/2 cups sprouts
Toasted almonds
3 tbsp brown rice miso
1/4 cup brown rice vinegar
1/2 cup shaved carrot
3/4 cup avocado oil
Method
Put miso, vinegar, 1/2 cup shaved carrot in blender and set on medium speed. Slowly drizzle in avocado oil. Arrange remaining ingredients and top with dressing.

Snack

Quinoa Coconut “Rice” Pudding

 Ingredients
(makes 3 portions)
1 1/2 cups red quinoa
1/2 cup organic coconut cream
1 1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup dried Goji berries
1/4 cup toasted coconut
1 pinch Pink Himalayan sea salt
Method
Cook quinoa in water according to package directions. Drain off excess water. Fold in coconut cream (thick part of coconut milk). Season with a pinch of Pink Himalayan salt. Place in serving container and top with blueberries, Goji berries and toasted coconut.

Dinner

Roasted Cauliflower Steak

 Ingredients
(makes 3 portions)
1 head cauliflower
1 large sweet potato (or 2 small)
1 can chickpeas
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Lemon
1/4 cup parsley, Chopped
Pink Himalayan sea salt
Pepper
Method
Place sweet potatoes in a 350 degree oven on a sheet tray or in a oven-proof dish. Bake for 45 minutes or until tender.  Let cool for a few minutes and peel. Place in a bowl and mash with a fork.  Season with salt.  Cut Cauliflower in Steak Portions. Easiest way is to cut a 2″ thick cross section slice on both sides of core. Steam Cauliflower until tender about 5 minutes. If you don’t have a steamer you can boil in salted water. Next, sear cauliflower in a hot pan till charred and golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Also, zest some lemon on top. Next, heat a can of drained chickpeas in a sauté pan. Season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. You can also add some chopped parsley to chick peas.  Now, you are ready to plate up 3 portions!

+Want more from Chef Greg? Check out recipes and more here

Photo and GIFs by Mike Persico.
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Sounds like a really great day of nutritious eating! Dinner’s roasted cauliflower steak looks scrumptious!

Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com

6 years ago

Everything looks really good!

6 years ago

Yummy!! Everything looks delish!

x
StephC

http://sstephcc.blogspot.com/

Terese
6 years ago

Looks delicious!

6 years ago

Looks super tasty!! :D

6 years ago

Looks so yummy!
xx

6 years ago

very tasty food recipes

4 years ago

I never knew that one gram of fat is equivalent to nine calories! My husband and I are thinking about going vegan, but we want to make sure we’re getting the right calorie intake and nutrients when we do so. Hopefully we can find a good meal plan that will work for our desired dietary habits!