Macronutrients, sometimes referred to as macros, are the three main nutrients our body needs to function - proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Each gets used by our body in a specific way, so it's important to get the right balance of all three to suit our individual needs. You can read more about macronutrient portion sizes here.

Foods are typically made up of a combination of two or all of these macronutrients, but when it comes to logging/categorising for nutrition purposes we look at the dominant macronutrient (i.e. what the food is mostly made up of).

Take milk for example, we usually call it a protein, but it does have milk fat as well as lactose, or milk sugar which is carbohydrate. A slice of cake will have fats and protein from the butter and eggs, and carbs from the flour and sugar.

Eating whole foods makes it easier to determine the macronutrients you're getting, whereas having pre-packaged, baked, processed or restaurant foods can be trickier to figure out at a glance.

Protein (4 calories per gram)

Often called the building blocks of life, protein is used by our body to repair and build tissues (such as bones, cartilage, skin and blood), and to create hormones and enzymes which makes it generally important to get adequate amounts most of the time. This also makes it even more important for growing kids, during pregnancy, when we're injured and recovering, or if we've been doing intense exercise.

Examples of protein dense foods include: Lean meat, poultry, fish, seafood, tofu, legumes, lentils, dairy products.

Carbohydrate (4 calories per gram)

Carbs often get a bad rap when it comes to weight loss nutrition, but they are a key source of energy for our body which means they are still important to include in our diet. When we eat carbohydrates, they get gradually broken down as they work their way through our digestive system, ending up as glucose before being absorbed into our bloodstream.

Once there, it goes through a series of processes to get turned into fuel which is used for a range of things from moving our muscles, to providing the primary source of energy for the brain, and assisting with hormone production.

No all carbs are created equally though. High GI carbs such as refined sugar and white bread are digested quickly by your body giving you a fast hit of energy followed by a quick drop as the food source runs out. Low GI carbs such as grainy bread and porridge take longer for your body to break down so the energy you'll get from these foods will be released slower as they progress through your digestive system. Dietary fibre found in plant-based carbs is non digestible and is important for keeping your digestive system healthy.

Examples of carb dense foods include: Pasta, rice, vegetables, fruit, bread, potatoes, cereals, grains.

Fat (9 calories per gram)

Even if you're trying to lose weight, there's no reason to avoid fats - in fact, they are an important part of your diet. However, there are healthy fats and not so healthy fats. You'll find the healthy fats predominantly come from plant-based products such as plant oils, nuts, nut butters, avocados and seeds. They can have an anti-inflammatory effect on your body which can help improve heart health, lower cholesterol and potentially alleviate inflammatory illnesses.

Oily fish such as tuna and salmon contain Omega-3s which are special fatty acids proven to help boost heart health (though for portioning purposes we classify fish as a protein; just means these are a great healthy option!).

The unhealthy fats such as saturated fat, tend to come from animal-based products and can increase your cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease.

However, as usual, it's not quite so simple in some cases. Butter - which is an animal product - is made of natural ingredients, while margarine - which is mostly plant-based - is often highly processed though typically celebrated for having less saturated fat than butter.

Looking at your overall diet, butter may not be an unhealthy choice if you use it sparingly in moderation, and it may be an even better choice than an alternative product that's been processed. You'll need to think about your goals and what you're trying to achieve to figure out which you would rather use.

Examples of fat dense foods include: Nuts, oils, avocado, lard, butter, nut butters, oily fish.

The fourth macronutrient - Alchohol (7 calories per gram)

The one most people don't talk about is... alcohol. Now don't get too excited! We're not saying you need to have this as part of a balanced diet, however your body does use it as an energy source so it's important for us to address it here.

Our body can't use it for anything useful and it's relatively high in calories. It's not a good source of energy, our muscles can't use it and alcohol has no vitamins or minerals. The body treats it as a toxin, and while our body is working to process it, it can inhibit absorption of other nutrients, affect muscle growth, cause dehydration and reduce healing capabilities.

Not to be all doom and gloom, there's nothing wrong with the occasional drink, so if you choose to have alcohol we recommend drinking it in moderation.

Vegetables (and why we count them separately)

Technically, most veges fall into the carbohydrates category as we mentioned earlier. At Grace, Grit & Gratitude we approach them as a separate macro when it comes to balancing our meals for a number of reasons:

• You get vitamins from them
• They contain minerals
• They have phytonutrients - special plant-based chemicals - that help bolster your immune system and ward off specific diseases
• They also have fibre which helps keep your digestive system healthy
• They help to keep you full
• They assist with maintaining a healthy body weight

Eating enough vegetables is one of the biggest struggles for many people, but there are so many good reasons to incorporate veges into your diet, so make sure you're 'eating the rainbow' and having a wide variety of them in your meals.

REFERENCES

1. Student Health Services. How Alcohol Affects Nutrition and Endurance. (https://wellness.ucsd.edu/studenthealth/resources/health-topics/alcohol-drugs/Pages/alcohol-nutrition-endurance.aspx).

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