The best nutrition plan is one you can stick to. When you count macros, no foods are off limits, which means flexibility instead of restriction. However, we always recommend incorporating as many healthy choices as possible which will provide essential fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Aim for one to two servings of fruit or vegetables at each meal. These low-density, high-volume foods will help fill you up without using too many of your carbs if you have a hard time staying under your macro limits. You can throw some spinach, mushrooms, peppers, or tomatoes into your omelet at breakfast, or top your oatmeal with some fresh berries.

For quick or on-the-go snacks, try packing some carrots, bell peppers, celery or other veggies with a healthy protein like hummus, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, cheese, or nuts. Apples, oranges, or bananas make great portable options too!

If you spend time meal prepping lunches and dinners, you can get really creative here! You can dice, steam, sautee, roast, or bake any veggie you like and leave it on the side or mix it in with your meal. Lunches and dinners are a great time to incorporate some of the higher carb sources like sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, farro, barley, millet, oats, buckwheat, bulgur wheat, lentils, and beans. Most of these carb sources provide plenty of fiber and minerals, and even a little bit of protein!

For larger sources of protein, stick with lean options like chicken breast, turkey breast, white fish, egg whites, shrimp, and even protein powders to limit your saturated fat intake. If you can, also opt for fresh cut meat rather than anything deli-packaged, which are loaded with sodium nitrates for a longer shelf-life. Eating leaner meats will also help with keeping your fat macros in check for the day. If you do happen to have some fat remaining, stick with heart-healthy mono or poly unsaturated fats, typically found in plant sources like avocado and nuts.