Macronutrients

Macronutrients
Macro indicates large therefore macronutrients are nutrients needed in the body in large amounts. There are three nutrients that are classed as macronutrients they are, in order of importance

Protein

Carbohydrates

Fats

This order is always adhered to on food packets under the nutritional guide. Also on food packets the carbohydrates might be split into two categories

Carbohydrates

• Sugars



• Starch

We should aim to keep the sugars low and eat as much starch as possible when eating carbohydrates with our meals.
Fats are often defined as a percentage of saturated fats to whole fat content. But sometimes the list actually breaks down the exact fat content, fats have three categories

Fats

• Saturated “Bad Fats”



• Monounsaturated



• Polyunsaturated

Try to aim for as much monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats as possible and cut out the saturated fats.

Energy content-Calories

• Protein 4 calories per gram



• Carbohydrates 4 calories per gram



• Fats 9 calories per gram

These figures are to the nearest whole number.


As you can see fat contains more than twice the energy of other macronutrients. Look out for future posts on these Macronutrients which will give a more indepth explaination.