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

Macro Friendly Recipes: The Best Meal Prep Recipes for Counting Macros - Smile Sandwich (5)

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

Macro Friendly Recipes: The Best Meal Prep Recipes for Counting Macros - Smile Sandwich (7)

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!

Macro Friendly Recipes: The Best Meal Prep Recipes for Counting Macros - Smile Sandwich (8)

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

Macro Friendly Recipes: The Best Meal Prep Recipes for Counting Macros - Smile Sandwich (10)

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.

Macro Friendly Recipes: The Best Meal Prep Recipes for Counting Macros - Smile Sandwich (12)

Fall Harvest Meal Prep Bowls

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

308 calories, 18F 14C 36P

Macro Friendly Recipes: The Best Meal Prep Recipes for Counting Macros - Smile Sandwich (13)

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

Macro Friendly Recipes: The Best Meal Prep Recipes for Counting Macros - Smile Sandwich (20)

Ello Duraglass Glass Food Storage Meal Prep Containers

The best food storage containers for meal prep + leftovers

Macro Friendly Recipes: The Best Meal Prep Recipes for Counting Macros - Smile Sandwich (21)

Ninja Air Fryer

Lets you fry food without using any oil!

Macro Friendly Recipes: The Best Meal Prep Recipes for Counting Macros - Smile Sandwich (22)

Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker

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

Macro Friendly Recipes: The Best Meal Prep Recipes for Counting Macros - Smile Sandwich (23)

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

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 is a macro menu? ›

The term macro in this diet, short for macronutrients, focuses on the percentage of carbohydrates, fat and protein consumed in a day. How much you are allowed per day (or per meal) depends on your body composition, age and health goals.

What foods to eat when counting macros? ›

While all foods are allowed, it's easier to meet your macro goals with a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, high-quality proteins, nuts, seeds and whole grains.

What is the perfect macro diet? ›

As a general rule, Albert advises a macronutrient breakdown of 20%-30% fat, 30% protein and 40%-50% carbohydrates. "Focus on getting healthy fats from things like nuts, seeds, olive oil, salmon, and avocados," Albert says. "Keep portion control in mind, because fats are higher in calories.

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? ›

Distribute Your Calories Among Macros & Set Your Macro Ratios. The optimal starting point for weight loss is often suggested as 40% carbohydrates, 30% proteins, and 30% fats. However, these ratios should be adjusted based on your individual response, preferences, and specific dietary needs.

How to hit your macros every day? ›

How to Hit Your Macros Consistently
  1. By Coach Makenzie and Coach Sue.
  2. STEP 1: PLAN OUT A FULL DAY OF FOOD WITH EASY-TO-TRACK AND SIMPLE MEALS THAT FIT YOUR MACROS.
  3. STEP 2: EAT THE SAME MEALS FOR 2-21 DAYS.
  4. STEP 3: LEARN HOW TO COOK BASIC FOODS (SO THEY ACTUALLY TASTE GOOD)
  5. STEP 4: ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN MOVING FORWARD.

What is the 40/30/30 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.

What are the best carbs for meal prep? ›

Whole grains: Brown rice, quinoa, oats, barley, whole wheat bread, and whole wheat pasta are excellent sources of complex carbohydrates that provide fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

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

Prospre takes the guesswork out of meal planning by generating personalized target macros, offering a wide variety of simple yet delicious recipes, and tracking your progress seamlessly.

What order should you eat Macros? ›

Eat your vegetables first, wherever possible. Then, eat the protein and/or fats. Finally, eat the carbs. As a bonus tip: don't eat carbs on their own (e.g. a big bowl of chips or a thick slice of sourdough).

Which menu is used to create macro? ›

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

What is the 30 30 30 macro split? ›

To put it simply, the 30 30 30 rule is a dieting guide that advises a balanced intake of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats in the ratio of 30:30:30, respectively.

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 filling macro? ›

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. Not only does eating more protein-rich foods keep us fuller, it also helps us burn more calories.

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 are the best foods for macro fats? ›

The following foods are healthy sources of fat that anyone should try to include into their daily eating regiment:
  • Avocado.
  • Almonds.
  • Olive oil.
  • Pecans.
  • Sunflower seeds.
  • Walnuts.
  • Peanut Butter/Almond butter.
  • Low Fat Cottage Cheese.
May 15, 2018

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