Counting Macros? What are they anyway?

Several years ago, someone told me they were “counting their macros.” This statement confused me, not because I don’t know what “macros” are, but why would they be counting all of these things, which are not always simple to count? And it was a lot more work or cumbersome than just counting calories. Their interpretation was that counting their macros was straightforward and better for them than counting calories. 

What confused me is that “macros” are indeed calories.

In the science of human nutrition, calories are the measure or units of energy that we need, and they come from food (and beverages). There are four sources of calories in human nutrition. Three are nutrients, and the fourth is not.

We call these three nutrients that provide calories “macronutrients” because they are necessary or essential nutrients in large quantities relative to the “micronutrients,” which are vitamins and minerals.

The three macronutrients are carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

So “macros” is just referring to the term macronutrients.

CARBOHYDRATES – aka carbs

Carbohydrates come from any food and all food that comes from a plant. They have 4 calories per gram. If something has 10 grams of carbs, it will provide 40 calories from carbohydrates (4 calories/gram x 10 grams = 40 calories). No matter the source, all the carbs will give this same 4 calories per gram – whether a potato or tomato, lettuce or kale, peanut or walnut, maple syrup, or sugar.

People often confuse the macronutrient carbohydrate with a specific food group like grains. But again, I must emphasize, carbohydrates come from ALL plant foods. Anyone who follows a “plant-based” diet or any form of a vegetarian diet will be eating lots of carbs. They can’t help it.

PROTEIN

Protein is in virtually all foods. Seriously. ALL foods – even plants. Protein also has 4 calories per gram. If a food has 8 grams of protein, it will provide 32 calories from protein (4 calories/gram x 8 grams = 32 calories). Whether the protein comes from beef or chicken, soy or quinoa, broccoli, or almonds will still have 4 calories per gram.

What makes this nutrient is even more confusing is that when the MyPlate arrived in 2011, it changed the former “meat” group to “protein” to be more inclusive for people who choose not to eat meat. People often mistakenly think that meat is the only food source of protein and will ask, “how do vegetarians get protein.” They can get plenty, and if they know what they are doing, they aren’t going to be suffering from a protein deficiency. Grains have protein, vegetables have protein, fruits have some protein, dairy has protein, nuts, beans, seeds, legumes, lentils, eggs, and all animal origin foods have protein.

FAT 

The third macronutrient and source of energy or calories is fat. And all sources of fat have 9 calories per gram. No matter the fat – whether lard or canola oil, beef fat or olive oil, butter or avocado oil the fat from these sources all have 9 calories per gram. If one tablespoon of oil has approximately 120 calories, there are about 13 grams of fat (9 calories/gram x 13 grams = 117 calories).

While there are healthier fats and less healthy fats, they all have the same energy or calories per gram. There is no such thing as “low-fat” oil or “low-fat” fat. I’ve heard this from people.)

Fats are in all types of foods. Some have very little (like grains), and some have a lot like salmon or prime rib.

Now that you know all the “macros,” – I have to ask, how is this more accessible to count or track than calories?

All foods are a mixture of at least two of these macronutrients and often all three. For example, 2% yogurt has carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Avocado has fat, carbohydrates, and protein. Peanut butter has protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

The only two things that don’t have a mix of at least two are sugar and oil.

If someone is eating food, you know, like a person, they will always have a mix of all three macronutrients. So how is that more accessible to understand the details on this than to count overall calories?

If you even want to count anything, which isn’t necessary, then count the calories, not the macros.

But if you are eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, appropriate protein sources, healthy fats, grains, and low-fat dairy – or an easier way to say this: get various foods from all food groups, and many things will work themselves out by themselves.

Oh, and the fourth source of calories, which is not a nutrient? Alcohol = 7 calories per gram