What do I do with foods that don’t easily fit my macros? Don’t know find out how to track legumes, or that mixed stew? We’ve got you.

Reviewed by Brian St. Pierre, MS, RD

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Not all foods fit into neat macro categories.

Meeting your macro goals can seem easy on paper or on an orderly spreadsheet, but in real life, it could sometimes feel more like a toddler’s finger painting.

Finding foods that align perfectly along with your macro targets will be difficult, making the duty of accurately tracking your intake feel not possible.

While there are various apps that may aid you track the dietary breakdown of every food you eat, using an app doesn’t work for everybody.

For those attempting to track macros without the help of an app in your back pocket, you may have questions on how exactly some foods fit into different macro categories.

Luckily, there are multiple strategies available to assist.

In this post, we’ll go over methods and solutions for accommodating foods that don’t naturally fit right into a single macro category—from individual foods like beans (which contain each protein and carbs) to dishes like soup or stew (that may contain a mixture of macronutrients).

A transient review of the macro categories: Carbs, protein, and fat

Before we start exploring foods that don’t easily fit into ‌traditional macro categories, let’s take a minute to get a solid understanding of macro basics.

Carbohydrates, protein, and fat are the three macronutrients that our bodies need in large amounts. They provide us with energy, help construct and repair tissues, and protect our organs.

• Carbohydrates are our body’s essential source of energy. They’re present in foods like bread, pasta, rice, fruits, beans, and starchy vegetables. Carbs are broken down into glucose and utilized by our cells as fuel.
• Protein is important for constructing and repairing tissues. It’s present in foods like meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, soy, and beans. It’s made up of amino acids, that are the constructing blocks of protein.
• Fat is a concentrated source of energy and nourishes our brain and cell membranes. It’s present in foods like oils, nuts, seeds, and avocados. Fats also help absorb vitamins, and play a task in hormone production.

Of course, there’s rather a lot more to macronutrients than this summary above.

Macro-based diets are designed to fulfill every day targets for these three macros—often through measuring/weighing foods and calculating their corresponding macros.

Weighing food on a scale using grams provides probably the most accurate strategy to account for macros, though measuring cups and spoons work too.

However, for many who need to track macros without the effort of weighing and measuring your food, our Hand Portion Method is extremely effective.

Macro organizing category guide: Some foods don’t fit perfectly

Food is complex (beans have each carbs and proteins; nuts have each fats and proteins). And, measuring will be complicated (soda can’t follow the cupped hand rule). Yet, for those who’re trying to fulfill your macro goals, what you eat still must be accounted for.

We’ll cover a number of the most typical, tricky-to-categorize foods and supply recommendations for find out how to account for them.

The key for all of those foods is to choose an approach, and apply it consistently. (This might be more vital than the actual classification itself!)

Tricky macro #1: Legumes (beans and lentils)

Legumes and lentils each contain protein and carbs—so where should they be counted?

Generally, it is dependent upon the meal itself and/or the eating variety of the person.

If someone is fully plant-based/vegan, then it’s likely the legumes or lentils will count as their protein source, since those are probably probably the most protein-dense foods they’re consuming. But they may also count as each protein and carb, under certain conditions.

Our suggestion: Choose probably the most protein-rich food (assuming there may be one) as your protein source, and categorize the opposite items from there.

Here are a number of examples.

In a meal with…

▶ Chicken with beans, broccoli and olive oilchicken is the protein (probably the most protein-rich a part of the dish), beans are the carbs, broccoli is the vegetable, and olive oil is the fat.

▶ Beans with rice, broccoli and olive oilbeans are the protein (probably the most protein-rich a part of the dish), rice is the carbs, broccoli is the vegetable, and olive oil is the fat.

▶ Two servings of beans with broccoli and olive oilone serving of beans would count as protein, and the opposite serving would count as carbs.

▶ Rice with broccoli and olive oilthere isn’t a protein-rich food—only a carb, vegetable, and fat.

▶ Beans, broccoli and olive oilit will rely on the eater. Omnivore? Then we’d count the beans as a carb. Plant-based? Then we’d count the beans as a protein.

Tricky macro #2: Dairy

Despite being a dietary staple, dairy doesn’t at all times neatly fit right into a macro category.

Cow’s milk and non-Greek yogurt are likely to be a reasonably even mixture of all three macros, but can vary depending on the fat level (whole, low fat, skim).

Ultimately, we recommend categorizing based on the fat or carbohydrate content of the milk or yogurt you’re consuming.

• Generally, consider 1 cup (8 oz) of whole milk products a “thumb” of fat. (Even though it’s larger than a thumb and in addition provides protein and carbs, it’s fat wealthy so will be counted as a fat.)
• A cup of lower fat milk (0-2%) is mostly considered a cupped hand of carbs (even though it also provides fats and protein).
• A portion of lower fat Greek yogurt or cottage cheese (0-2%) is mostly considered a palm of protein.
• A cup of anything highly sweetened (chocolate milk, strawberry yogurt) is mostly considered a cupped hand of carbs (though it has fats and protein).

So, let’s say you’ve a full-fat Greek yogurt or whole milk that’s highly sweetened.

Is it a fat or carb??

Think of it this fashion: If it’s full-fat, you realize it’s a thumb of fat. But if there’s numerous sugar added to it, then it’s a cupped hand of carbs.

Tricky macro #3: Dairy Alternatives

Dairy alternatives—nut, soy, or grain milks—are very similar to products constituted of cow’s milk. They are likely to provide a mixture of macros, depending on the source, and classification also is dependent upon whether or not they’re sweetened.

At just 30 to 40 calories for an 8-ounce serving, unsweetened variants like almond milk can almost be considered negligible on macro counts. If you’re just using a splash in coffee or tea, you may just overlook it altogether.

However, this isn’t a universal rule across all dairy alternatives.

For instance, oat, soy, or pea protein milk could have a richer nutrient profile that, even when unsweetened, must be factored in.

Sweetened dairy alternatives introduce one other layer of complexity. Added sugars can quickly ramp up the carbohydrate content, and must be categorized as a cupped hand of carbs.

Tricky macro #4: Soda

A serving of soda doesn’t fit right into a cupped hand, and a scale isn’t at all times available.

To classify when on the go, consider a mean 12-ounce can of soda as a cupped hand of carbs.

Eight ounces may be a preferable serving by way of sugar content, but 12 ounces simplifies the maths, as most beverages come packaged this fashion.

This is comparable to how we account for bananas, apples, oranges, pears, and other fruits, since they’re “pre-packaged” by nature. While they will be standardized, each bit can differ significantly in its macro content.

Estimating is okay. By continuously comparing actual measurements with visual estimations, we will train ourselves to be more accurate over time.

Tricky macro #5: Alcohol

Alcohol generally must be in its own category, as nearly all of its calories are derived from fermentation from starch and sugar.

This applies to just about all alcohol, be it light beer, microbrew/craft beer, wine, and spirits (although some microbrews/craft beer and dessert wines can contain quite a number of carbs).

Many folks wish to put alcohol within the carb category, which works. Again, whatever method you favor can work; just follow it consistently.

Note that the majority alcohol is about 100-150 Calories per serving. If it has a sweetened additive (think margarita, or alcohol + soda), count that as a further cupped hand of carbs.

How to account for mixed-food meals

With the tricky food out of the way in which, it’s time to debate mixed food, like soups, salads, chili, casseroles, curries, and more.

Since these kind of foods are technically several foods put together, they naturally have a mixture of macros.

Our advice: Eyeball it.

Make your best guess on the proportion of protein-rich foods, carb-rich foods, and fats. This isn’t a full-proof method, but the bottom line is consistency. If you categorize chili a method at some point, do the identical the subsequent day.

With mixed meals, the goal is to get a protein, veggie, quality carb, and/or healthy fat in each portion.

This is comparatively easy to do when making it yourself, as you’ll be able to weigh each ingredient to calculate the macros after which divide by the full portions. When made by others, simply guesstimate in addition to you’ll be able to.

Tip: If a mixed meal—like chili or soup—is low in any particular macronutrient, you’ll be able to at all times add a side dish to fill the gap.

We can support you in your fitness journey

If you’re just getting began with macros, take a moment to explore Precision Nutrition’s Ultimate Macro Calculator.

This interactive tool can aid you determine your ideal calorie and macronutrient intake based in your individual goals and desires to create a personalised plan—no expertise on the carb content of beans required.