How do you plan meals to meet macros. I mean in terms of different foods having different ratios of macros, how do you plan to hit those macros perfectly without going over too much and vice versa. I know how to get calories per micronutrients but just didnt know how to plan the meals.
Speaking for myself, I target my Protein goal first and then fill in the remaining calories accordingly. So if for example I’m looking to hit 180 g of protein, I’ll divide it into 5-6 meals then sort out carbs. I also load my carb heavy meals earlier so in the evening I’m usually doing my proteins with veggies.
TBH once my proteins are sorted the carbs are pretty easy since I’m making logical (to me) matchups between foods that belong together (e.g. chicken/rice beef/pasta egg/grits etc)
Not sure if this answers the question but this is what works for me. Mathematical perfection is tough and makes eating a chore but this method keeps me honest.
If you’re using a tracking app like MyFitnessPal, it helps me to track a majority of my calories/meals the day before (~80% to leave room for appetite changes/snacks). This allows u to see exactly of how much u will eat and can adjust before you eat, not scramble late at night to get a certain micronutrient in!
I tend to have go-to base foods like ground turkey and broccoli for example, and then adjust the amounts if I want to do a calorie deficit or surplus.
I don’t think it’s worth going to the exact macro calculations needed. I usually stay within +/- 5 grams on macros and +/- 50 calories.
I would say to use the same foods. If you look at most consistent macro users, they tend to use the same type of foods/meals (I know you’re working on the meals part). This gives them a more pinpoint idea of what their meals are going to consist of. I would suggest using as little ingredients to start and as you progress through meal prep, you can include more. Depending on your macro app, some have a recipe section that you can upload to or create your own and that makes things easier in the future.