At Macro Friendly Food, our recipes are designed to help you hit your macro goals while enjoying delicious, family-friendly meals. Each recipe is crafted with balanced macros (proteins, fats, and carbs) and typically stays under 500 calories per serving. Whether you’re new to tracking macros or a seasoned pro, this guide will walk you through how to use our recipes to meet your health and fitness goals.
What Are Macros and Why Track Them?
Tracking macros—also known as flexible eating or dieting—focuses on balancing your intake of proteins, fats, and carbs rather than strictly restricting calories. It’s less about limiting yourself and more about eating the right foods to fuel your body. In fact, many people find they can eat more food than ever while tracking macros!
For example, both Elyse and I (the founders of Macro Friendly Food) used to think we needed to eat very low calories to lose weight. But when we started tracking macros, we discovered we could eat more than we thought while still reaching our goals. This approach allows for flexibility, making it easier to enjoy meals without feeling deprived.
Step 1: Determine Your Macro Goals
Everyone has different macro needs based on factors like age, weight, activity level, and fitness goals (e.g., weight loss, muscle gain, or maintenance). To use our recipes effectively, you’ll first need to know your personal macro targets. Here’s how to get started:
Use a Free Calculator: Try our free online macro calculator here. Free Macro Calculator
Work with a Professional: For a more personalized approach, consider hiring our friend Kim from Lift with Kim to calculate your macros for you. A professional can tailor your targets to your specific needs and lifestyle.
Understand Your Goals: Your macro ratios will vary depending on your goals. For example, if you’re focused on muscle gain, you might need focus on higher protein. If you're primary goal is fat loss you may need to reduce the amount of fat and carbs you're consuming.
Step 2: Explore Macro Friendly Food Recipes
Our recipes are designed to make hitting your macros easy and delicious:
Balanced Macros: Each recipe is crafted to balance proteins, fats, and carbs, typically under 500 calories per serving, making them a great fit for most macro plans.
Family-Friendly: Recipes serve 6–8 people, so you can feed the whole family without cooking separate meals.
Variety: With over 1,000 recipes and 12 new ones added monthly, you’ll never run out of options. Browse by course (main dishes, sides, desserts, breakfast, lunch, snacks), filter by macros, prep + cook time, and save your favorites in the web app at macrofriendlyfood.app.
Step 3: Track Your Macros with Our Recipes
All of our recipes are pre-logged in MyFitnessPal and MacrosFirst to simplify tracking. Here’s how to use them:
Find the Recipe in MyFitnessPal or MacrosFirst:
Open your tracking app and search for the recipe using the format “MFP-MFF [Recipe Title]” (e.g., “MFP-MFF Grilled Chicken Breast”) or “MacrosFirst-MFF [Recipe Title].”
The macro breakdown (protein, carbs, fats) will already be entered for you.
Log Your Serving:
Select the recipe and adjust the serving size based on what you ate (e.g., 1 serving, 1/2 serving). Each recipe includes serving sizes for 6–8 people, so you may need to divide accordingly.
Add it to your daily food diary to track your macros for the day.
Manual Tracking (Optional):
If you don’t use MyFitnessPal or MacrosFirst, each recipe includes a full macro breakdown at the bottom (e.g., 30g protein, 20g carbs, 10g fat per serving). You can log these numbers in any app or by hand.
Step 4: Adjust Recipes to Meet Your Macro Goals
Since everyone’s macro needs are different, you may need to tweak our recipes to fit your targets:
Increase Protein: Add a scoop of Macro Friendly Food’s Whey Protein Isolate Powder (21g protein per scoop) to a recipe, or serve with an extra portion of lean protein like grilled chicken or turkey.
Lower Carbs: Reduce the carb-heavy ingredients (e.g., use half the amount of sweet potatoes or skip the side of garlic bread).
Adjust Fats: Use less oil or avocado if you need to lower fats, or add a drizzle of olive oil or a few nuts if you need more.
Portion Sizes: If a recipe is too high in one macro, eat a smaller portion and pair it with a side that balances your needs (e.g., a high-protein salad).
Step 5: Plan Your Meals to Hit Your Macros
Use the Macro Friendly Food web app or printable PDFs to plan your meals:
In the Web App: At macrofriendlyfood.app, select recipes for the week and add them to your meal plan. The app helps you generate a shopping list to make prep easy.
With Printable PDFs: Download the PDFs from macrofriendlyfood.com/my-account/downloads/. Use the 4-week planning pages to write down your daily recipes, ensuring they align with your macro goals.
Sample Day (1,500 Calories, 40% Protein, 40% Carbs, 20% Fats):
Breakfast: 1 scoop Whey Protein Isolate Powder (vanilla, 120 calories, 21g protein, 4g carbs, 1.5g fat) in a shake.
Lunch: Grilled Chicken Breast (130 calories, 26g protein, 0g carbs, 3g fat) with 1/2 cup roasted sweet potatoes (100 calories, 2g protein, 24g carbs, 0g fat).
Snack: 1/4 avocado (60 calories, 1g protein, 3g carbs, 6g fat).
Dinner: Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta (400 calories, 30g protein, 40g carbs, 10g fat).
Total: ~1,500 calories, 150g protein (40%), 150g carbs (40%), 33g fat (20%).
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Can’t Find a Recipe in MyFitnessPal?
Double-check the spelling (e.g., “MFP-MFF Grilled Chicken Breast”). If it’s not there, use the manual macro breakdown from the recipe to log it.
Macros Not Adding Up?
Ensure you’re logging the correct serving size. If you ate less or more than the listed serving, adjust the amounts in your app.
Not Hitting Your Macros?
Use the web app’s search to find recipes higher in the macro you need (e.g., search “high protein” for more protein-heavy meals).
Need More Guidance?
Email contact@macrofriendlyfood.com for help, or consider working with a professional like Kim from Lift with Kim for personalized macro coaching.
Tips for Success
Start Small: If you’re new to tracking macros, begin with 1–2 meals per day using our recipes, then scale up as you get comfortable.
Batch Cook: Double a recipe to have leftovers, making it easier to hit your macros on busy days.
Mix and Match: Combine recipes from different months to keep meals varied while meeting your macro needs.
Use Supplements: Try our Dreami Protein Ice Cream Mix (41–43g protein per serving) or Whey Protein Isolate Powder to boost protein if you’re falling short.
Why Use Macros with Macro Friendly Food?
Flexibility: Eat more of the foods you love while hitting your goals.
Family-Friendly: Our recipes are designed for 6–8 servings, so everyone can enjoy the same meal.
Time-Saving: Pre-logged recipes and shopping lists take the guesswork out of meal planning.
Results-Driven: Balanced macros help you achieve your fitness goals, whether it’s weight loss, muscle gain, or maintenance.
Ready to start? Calculate your macros, explore our recipes at macrofriendlyfood.app, and build your first macro-friendly meal plan today! If you need help, email us at contact@macrofriendlyfood.com—we’re here for you.