The quick guide to planning a macro-friendly meal the whole family will enjoy

I talk a lot about how essential a meal plan is to being successful with macro tracking. Today, I want to talk about how to plan each meal on that plan. When you’re starting out on your nutritional journey, this can seem so daunting but it doesn’t have to be! Feeding your family macro-friendly meals just takes a little planning! 

Macro-tracking is not a one-size-fits-all program which means there is no one way to eat. You don’t have a set meal that you have to eat every day. 

This is actually what makes macro tracking, or flexible dieting, so amazing! You get to enjoy the foods you love and avoid the foods you hate and still hit your goals! 

Due to the flexibility of this plan, you won’t see me telling you what to eat at each meal in this post - or ever!

We’re all on different journeys. Some people may be trying to maintain their weight, some may want to lose weight and others may be trying to build muscle. Whatever your goal is, you can obtain it through macro tracking.

What you want to include in each meal

Let’s talk about what we all can do no matter what our goal is! We all need to be eating balanced meals that are focused to help fit our needs. You’ll want to include adequate amounts of protein, fat, and carbs in each meal.

This doesn’t mean you need to have a perfect balance of each macronutrient at each meal. Some meals may be heavier in one macro. For example, if you work out really hard and have a post-workout meal, it would probably be heavier in protein because you want to repair and build muscle after your workout.

What I do want you to include in each meal is healthy carb, fat and protein choices! When you need carbs, opt for whole grains and fiber-rich carbs, which are more nourishing than simple carbs. Also, look for fats that come from whole foods. They will be more beneficial for your body than processed fats. Finally, lean protein choices will be better for you than red meats.

Once you start eating foods that are better for you, you’ll see that it’s easy to create meals that are healthy!

How to decide how many macros you should eat at each meal

You can determine what your macros should be for each day either on your own - I have a guide on setting your macro numbers in my ebook, Macros Made Easy - or you can set them with a coach. Once you know your macro numbers you can decide what you need at each meal.

There is no “right” way to split your macros up between each meal, but I do have a method that works best for me. I call it the backward planning method.

I start with the meal that I want to eat the most food at - which is usually dinner for me. I decide what meal I want to make and then I subtract those macros from my daily total. I then go to my next biggest meal, find foods that fit my macro numbers and plan that meal. 

I keep doing that until I’m out of macros for the day. I use this method to plan for my major meals - breakfast, lunch, and dinner - as well as my snacks. That way all of my food choices are made for the day and I don’t have to think about it again.

Bonus tip: I’ll even enter all of these foods into MyFitnessPal as I plan them. That way I can see all of my nutritional info ahead of time and make sure that I’m hitting all of my nutrition goals. If I end up having to switch something up at the last minute, I can go in and edit MyFitnessPal, but it’s so nice to have it all in there ahead of time so I’m not worried about it in the moment.

How to find kid (or husband) approved recipes

I do not believe in making three different meals for my family. I make one meal and we all eat it. To make sure I get kid-friendly and family-approved meals, I include my kids and husband in the planning and prepping process. I ask for everyone’s input on our weekly menu and make sure to include meals that everyone wants. I also have my kids help me cook and prepare our meals. This is a great way to teach your kids about nutrition and life skills!

Remember, if you are the one grocery shopping and preparing meals, then you are in control of the food in your house. Your family will learn to eat what you serve. You have to be firm in setting the expectation that you all eat the same meal. That being said, don’t become a drill sergeant! Ease your family into this process and introduce them to foods slowly. Once they’re used to this new way of eating it will be easier on everyone!

Now, all you need are some go-to recipes! You can always use recipes you have on hand - no need to go crazy making new foods you’ve never tried. Just adjust your portion sizes to fit your goals. If you do want some new recipes, you can try these five 10-minute meals for the mama on the go! These are my family’s go-to recipes that take between 2 and 15 minutes, so they’re great for last-minute meals!

If you need help at any point in this process, please schedule a free discovery call with me. I would love you be your guide and personal cheerleader along this journey. 

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