What are Macronutrients?
Food and Culture
Written by: Gabriel Lopez, UH Intern Fall 2025
Our bodies rely on three essential macronutrients—nutrients we need in larger amounts to stay energized and functioning at our best. These key macronutrients are protein, carbohydrates, and fats.
Protein: Protein is the building block of our bodies and helps our bodies develop bones, muscles, and organs. They also help hormone, enzyme, and vitamin production. Protein can come from animal sources such as eggs, meats, seafood, and dairy, or plant-based options such as plants, nuts, beans, and soy products. Affordable lean protein sources are chicken, canned fish, beans, and lentils.
Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates, also known as carbs, are the body’s primary source of fast energy and come in two forms. Simple carbohydrates can be found in sugary or refined foods such as honey, processed fruit, white bread, and rice. These foods are absorbed fast, which can lead to spikes in blood sugar levels. Complex carbs digest slowly, which leads to fewer blood sugar spikes. They also contain more vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which are necessary for the body to function. They can be found in foods like whole grains, unprocessed fruit, and vegetables, and other sources. Our bodies digest carbs and give us fuel to do things like moving around and performing regular bodily functions.
Fats: Fats are what help the body have long-lasting energy and contain important vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, E, and K. There are two categories of fats. Unsaturated fats—monounsaturated and polyunsaturated—are beneficial to our health. These fats are often liquid at room temperature, and some are essential fats that our bodies can’t produce on their own. They support heart health by helping to reduce blood pressure.
An example of this is Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids. Unsaturated fats can be found in fruits like avocados and olives, and other foods like seeds, nuts, fatty fish, and oils. Less nutritious saturated fats are solid at room temperature. Saturated fats can lead to health problems like higher cholesterol, which can lead to an increase in heart disease. These can be found in full-fat dairy, animal fat, baked or fried food, and butter.
To find out how much of these nutrients you should be consuming, visit MyPlate. This website offers a general meal plan and guide on what portion of macronutrients you are recommended eat, based on your own personal health. MyPlate offers many recipes on its website that can help you include macronutrients in your diet in different ways. You can also find a selection of healthy recipes here on Houston Food Bank’s website.