If you’re ready to start a weight loss journey that’s safe and sustainable, tracking macros might have appeared on your radar. Counting or tracking macros can be an effective way to lose weight when executed properly. If you have weight you would like to lose, you will need to be in a caloric deficit, which you’ll be aware of if you’re tracking your nutrition intake.
Now, here’s where things get tricky. Most of us don’t know what to eat to “hit our macros” and lose weight. Worse yet, many of us believe we must eat bland, boring “diet” foods to get the job done. Thankfully, this is not the truth and we will show you how you can eat delicious, nutritious, family-friendly foods and meals while still reaching your goals.
Our macro recipes can easily be added to your daily nutrition and allow you to lose weight while experiencing the joy that comes with consuming the meals you love. So long as you know your deficit macros, you can incorporate them into your day, hitting your targets, and experiencing sustainable weight loss in the process.
In this article, we’re sharing our best macro recipes for weight loss. These recipes are high in protein, balanced in carbs and fats, easy to make, and simple to track (we even have everything pre-logged into MyFitness Pal & MacrosFirst!).
How Can Macro-Friendly Recipes Play a Role in Weight Loss?
Before I share our best macro-friendly recipes, I want to address how they might play a role in your weight loss journey.
We’ll start with the fundamentals; in order to lose weight, you must be eating in a caloric deficit (eating less than calories than your body burns throughout the day). This is the only way to lose weight, which means the specific recipes, meals, and foods you choose to fill your calorie with don’t matter as much as it matters that you’re eating in a calorie deficit.
With that said, choosing to eat whole, nutrient-dense foods that are high in protein and balanced in carbs and fats will help you reach your goals while still enjoying plenty of yummy foods. This is where our macro-friendly recipes will come into play!
Our recipes help you to eat balanced, nutrient-dense meals that are simple to make and full of flavor, all while keeping calories on the lower end. We offer lightened-up versions of your favorites and high-protein powerhouses to help you hit your goals with ease.
Breakfast Recipes
One of the biggest misconceptions about weight loss is that we should restrict calories and skip meals, particularly breakfast. But I am here to tell you that if you’re skipping breakfast, you’re likely setting yourself up for failure.
Consuming a protein-filled, nutrient-dense breakfast is a great way to start your day off by fueling your body for the day ahead. Try any of the following macro-friendly breakfast recipes for weight loss or whatever nutritional phase you’re in!
Two of my favorite powerhouse breakfast ingredients are egg whites and cottage cheese - and this recipe has both! Plus, a hefty serving of nutrient-dense veggies. You can’t go wrong with this simple, meal prep-worthy casserole, especially when you consider that the serving size has only 132 calories and 20g of protein!
Can you eat tacos for breakfast and still reach your weight loss goals? Absolutely! Our High Protein Breakfast Tacos have all the flavors you love but with only 198 calories and 21g of protein each. As a bonus, they’re super easy to make and the whole family will love them!
With our Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Bake recipe, you can have your cake and eat it, too! This easy-to-make bake is bursting with flavor from healthy whole grains, tender carrots, and a sweet cream cheese frosting, but it doesn’t break the bank when it comes to calories. At 143 calories per serving and 7g of protein, this is the perfect way to add some sweetness and enjoyment to your day while still prioritizing your nutrition goals.
Find the rest of our macro-friendly breakfast recipes here.
Lunch Recipes
Lunch can be a real struggle for many due to work, time constraints, and the need for convenience around the lunch hour. However, with a little thought and preparation, you can set yourself up for success by choosing easy, macro-balanced lunch meals that can help you reach your weight loss goals without a lot of fuss and frustration. Below are a few of our go-to lunch recipes.
This high-protein Thai Chicken Wrap is absolutely bursting with flavor, but you won’t believe how simple it is to put together. With a few ingredients, you can whip up a flavorful lunch that will fill you up, leave you feeling satisfied, and only cost you 260 calories! But the best part is the fact that this wrap comes with 27g of protein.
We all know that consuming pizza on the regular when we’re trying to lose weight isn’t always the best option, however, we make it possible with our protein-packed personal BBQ Chicken Pizza. With 360 calories for an entire pizza and 37g of protein, you won’t believe that you can eat this much yummy food and still hit your targets!
This meal-prep classic allows you to put together an entire week of lunches in just about 25 minutes. Totally customizable, this recipe can be modified to fit your tastes and preferences. And with 378 calories per serving with 20g of protein, you can feel good about adding this lunch to your routine.
Find the rest of our macro-friendly lunch recipes here.
Dinner Recipes
Dinner is hit or miss for most families. We need something easy and convenient but also healthy, which can sometimes feel impossible! Oh, and we’d prefer it if everyone ate the same meal. Here at FHM, we get that! We’re busy moms, professionals, business owners, etc. All of our dinner recipes are healthy, macro-balanced, family-friendly, and easy to throw together. Here are a few of our most popular macro dinner recipes that help our audience achieve their weight loss goals.
Lasagna is a family favorite, but it’s such a pain to make. For most of us, homemade lasagna is reserved for special occasions. Our Easy One-Pot Lasagna, though, is perfect for weeknights! This recipe requires just one pot which means you get a delicious, hearty, and fully satisfying meal on your table in 30 mins or less. Each serving contains about 428 calories and 35g of protein.
Skip the takeout and make your own healthier version of a classic chicken fried rice dish. Our Macro-Friendly Chicken Fried Rice is not only delicious, but it’s full of protein and so simple to put together. No need to be intimidated by lengthy ingredient lists or copious amounts of steps, this dish comes together in 25 mins and can be done in just 1 skillet! There’s a whopping 44g of protein in this dish!
Mark my words; if you try this recipe once, it’ll find its way into your permanent dinner rotation. Our Loaded Burger Bowls deliver all the flavor and enjoyment of eating a cheeseburger but without the bun. This recipe is a real crowd-pleaser and one that my family eats on repeat! With just over 300 calories and 30g of protein, adding this to your lineup will make staying on track with your weight goals without sacrificing a breeze.
Find all our macro-friendly dinner recipes here.
Snack & Dessert Recipes
Snacks and desserts always have a place in your diet, even when you’re trying to lose weight! The key to adding sweet and savory treats is to make sure that they’re high in protein and macro-balanced so that they can easily fit into your day without the need to make sacrifices elsewhere. Below are a handful of our favorite macro-friendly snacks and desserts that work wonderfully during a dieting phase.
Protein-filled snacks that contain simple ingredients are my go-to, and our Protein Cheesecake Bites certainly fit the bill. Creamy cheesecake paired with sweet strawberries makes for the perfect indulgent snack or treat. Whether you’re looking for something to get you through your mid-day slump or a post-workout pick-me-up, you can’t go wrong with having a batch of these at the ready.
Creamy, delicious, and caffeinated, this Chocolate PB Mocha Protein Shake is the perfect macro-friendly snack to help you hit your protein goals, keep your weight in check, and enjoy a decadent drink. Skip the pricey, calorically dense drinks from Starbucks and make your own coffee protein shake at home! With 278 calories and 29g of protein, this shake will pack a lot more bang for your buck!
Our Edible Protein Brownie Batter has been one of our most popular macro-friendly desserts to date, and it’s easy to see why! With 25g of protein in a single serving, you won’t find a more delicious and indulgent treat that also helps you to hit your macros and maintain your weight loss goals. Do yourself a favor and whip up a batch and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about - it’s just like licking the bowl while making a batch of brownies, but without the guilt!
Banana Pudding is a classic dessert that’s full of flavor, but it’s also usually full of sugar and calories. We took this classic treat and put a macro-friendly spin on it so that you can enjoy a single-serve cup of protein banana pudding for just 135 calories and 8g of protein! If you like Banana Pudding (or even if you don’t!) give this recipe a try!
Blueberry Muffins are another classic snack that offers a ton of flavor and comfort but tend to lack protein and satiety properties. However, our Protein Blueberry Muffins are the perfect antidote. We pack in 10g of protein per muffin for just 160 calories, and we do it without protein powder! Delicious, nutritious, and ideal for easy snacking, these Protein Blueberry Muffins are a must-try.
Find all our macro-friendly snacks & desserts here.
Wrapping Up Macro Meals For Weight Loss
Finding macro recipes that will help with weight loss is not always about finding what’s the lowest in calories. It’s about finding the recipes that you enjoy, that are easy to make, and that your family will also love, but that takes a more balanced approach than the traditional rendering. This is the exact type of recipes that we create here at FHM and we can’t wait to see you making them!
Our goal is to show you that eating healthy, losing weight, and sticking with your plan don’t need to be painful. You don’t have to eat boring, restrictive diet foods! Additionally, you don’t need to make crazy intricate recipes to get results. Stick to the basics!
You can check out our full library of recipes here, and if you want access to even more recipes, join our Monthly Macro Membership that not only guarantees you 3 brand new recipes each and every week, but you’ll also get unlimited access to our custom macro meal planner software which will help take all the guesswork and hassle out of creating meals that fit your macros.