Essential Tips for Macro Meal Management
Have you heard all about the magic of Macro Meals? Combining a protein, healthy fat, carb and fiber source in all your meals and snacks makes them Macro Meals, and they will keep you all fueled up for hours. That’s what to eat. Then there’s when to eat. While each meal should include all four parts of a Macro Meal, your body needs a stronger emphasis on different macros throughout the day. Here are tips to help you in your macro meal management:
Breakfast
You know how everyone always says that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? As a certified health coach, I can tell you that if you skip breakfast, your body won’t let you forget it. Eventually, you’ll eat, but you will never fully shake that gnawing, craving feeling in your stomach. And it’s not just any breakfast your body needs. You guessed it – it’s a Macro breakfast.
I find fats to be a crucial component of breakfast. Without enough fat in the early part of the day, you’ll be craving excess carbs later on – typically 4:00 pm! Sound familiar?
Holiday schedules aren’t always conducive to breakfast, but most of us manage to squeeze it in somehow or another! Check out this pure pudding recipe, which stays fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days. It is the perfect -on-the-go breakfast that you can prepare in advance. Have it with fresh fruit and nuts to add protein and fiber for a well-balanced Macro Meal.
Lunch
While breakfast is the time our bodies need the most fat, lunch is the best time of day to pack in the protein. The body is at its most active in the middle of the day. Your metabolism is all revved up and in need of amino acids that only protein can provide. So make sure that lunch gives you a real, solid protein, preferably fish, meat or chicken, along with the other macros.
Dinner
If you’re a seasoned dieter, this part will shock you, because the fat phobia of the ‘90s has evolved into the carb phobia of today. The macronutrient I always highlight at dinner is complex carbohydrates.
Women who have learned to be scared of carbs often avoid them at dinner, because they reason that they “can’t burn them off” at the end of the day. But those same women find themselves experiencing late-night cravings and even sleeping issues. That’s because we need a quality whole carb source to help our bodies wind down in the evening. Carbs raise our serotonin (calming hormone) levels, bring down cortisol (stress hormone) levels, and increase melatonin (sleepy hormone) levels. They are literally comfort food! Besides, we’re tired at night and we tend to gravitate to sweet foods. Why not satisfy our sweet tooth with something that’s full of nutrients?
When clients of mine need to limit their carb intake due to metabolic issues or in order to achieve a healthy weight, I encourage them to save their highest-starch vegetable for dinner. Just having chicken and salad with olive oil is not a filling option at any time of day, and at dinner, it can prevent you from balancing your hormones for a peaceful night’s sleep.
Make a concerted effort to eat clean, balanced meals and feel the freedom fullness brings. If you need help with your meal planning, check out my brand new cookbook, Food You Love: That Loves You Back. It features over 200 recipes that are kosher and made with wholesome, easy-to-find ingredients. Many of the recipes are also gluten-free!
Wishing you the best of health!
Rorie Weisberg, CHC, is the author of the newly released cookbook, Food You Love: That Loves You Back. Her passion? Making a healthy lifestyle doable and delicious, favorite foods included. Certified in integrative nutrition, Rorie is the health ambassador of Kosher.com, popular health columnist, lecturer, and founder and CEO of Full ‘N Free, LLC, an exclusive line of better-for-you baking essentials. To learn more about Rorie’s story, product line, courses, and live demos, visit www.fullnfree.com or follow her on Instagram at @fullnfree.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
