Macros and Micros: What’s the Difference?
Need to Know:
Macronutrients are the building blocks of nutrition and include protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Your body needs these nutrients in larger amounts.
Micronutrients include vitamin and minerals, nutrients that your body needs in smaller amounts.
Most people track macronutrients to reach weight or fitness goals, but may track micronutrient intake to reach specific health goals.
Your body needs both micros and macros to function properly. Major health organizations provide evidence-based guidelines to consumers about how much of each nutrient to consume. Consuming a balanced diet, full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein will help you reach both your macronutrient (macro) and micronutrient needs.
Macros and Micros Definitions
It’s pretty easy to remember the definitions of these two terms because “micro” means small, and “macro” means large. Micro and macronutrients are substances required by the body in different amounts.
Macro: A nutrient required in large amounts by the body. The three primary macronutrients are protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
Micro: Nutrients required in small amounts by the body, including vitamins and minerals. Examples of micronutrients include calcium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin A, or B vitamins.
When you look at a Nutrition Facts label on a package of food, you’ll see information about macronutrients in the large section at the top. Below that section, you may see some information about micronutrients in smaller print. Information about vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium is required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but food manufacturers may also include information about other micros as well. (1)
What Are Micros?
Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals. There are certain micronutrients that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies as being essential for optimal health: (2)
Iodine found in foods such as seafood, dairy, and iodized salt.
Iron found in foods such as beans, seafood, red meat, and spinach
Folate found in foods such as legumes and green leafy vegetables
Zinc found in foods such as shellfish, red meat, and poultry
Vitamin A found in foods such as eggs, cheese, and carrots
Vitamin D found in fortified foods like milk and cereal
Some micronutrients require fat to be absorbed properly. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins.
The USDA provides guidelines for the amounts of micronutrients that we should consume. These numbers are provided as a Daily Value or DV. You’ll see information about the DV of specific foods on food labels. You’ll see both numbers for DV (daily value) and %DV (percent daily value) on these labels.
Daily Value (DV) is the recommended amount of a particular nutrient to consume or not to exceed each day. Some micronutrients are typically underconsumed, while others may be overconsumed. For example, you’ll want to ensure that you get enough calcium but not too much sodium. Daily Value numbers are usually expressed in specific amounts such as grams (g), milligrams (mg), or micrograms (mcg).
Percent Daily Value (%DV) is how much of a nutrient is in a single serving of a particular food (or supplement) contributes to your daily diet, assuming that you consume 2000 calories per day. Keep in mind that 2000 calories is not a recommended daily intake for calories but rather an average daily caloric consumption.
Reading food labels can help you to reach micronutrient goals to optimize wellness or to manage certain health goals. For example, women who are pregnant are advised to consume more folate. They can choose to consume folate-rich foods or take a supplement to reach their daily target.
Keep in mind that micronutrient supplements may provide more or less of a vitamin or mineral than is required by the body. Also, supplements are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not regulate supplements the way they regulate medications. So you may be getting ingredients that you don’t expect and the label may not provide accurate information in some cases.
What Are Macros?
Macros, or macronutrients, are foods that your body needs in larger amounts. These nutrients include:
Protein includes foods such as meat, poultry, legumes, and tofu. Protein helps your body build muscles and provide structure to hair, skin, nails, and bone.
Fat is found in foods such as avocado, olives, olive oil, and butter. Fat can be saturated or unsaturated based on its structure. Generally unsaturated fats are recommended for heart health rather than saturated fat.
Carbohydrates include foods such as fruit, vegetables, beans, pasta, and grains. Carbs are your body’s preferred source of energy.
Balancing your macronutrients can help your body perform at its best. There is no single guideline for the exact ratio of these nutrients that is best for everyone, but the USDA does provide recommended ranges (see below).
Which Is More Important: Micros or Macros?
Macronutrients provide calories (or energy) to fuel the body. So, you could argue that macronutrients are more important than micronutrients. After all, your body can’t function without fuel. But micronutrients are also key! Without micronutrients, your body can’t complete all of the intricate functions that are essential to good health. Without adequate micronutrients, your body may be able to function, but it won’t function well.
Tracking micronutrients, however, may be especially important for those with certain medical conditions or for those who follow certain types of specialized diets. Certain diets can put you at an increased risk of inadequate vitamin and mineral intake.
For example, vegans may fall short in their intake of vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and zinc because these nutrients are often provided by meat and dairy products. People who choose a keto diet may also not get enough of certain vitamins and minerals because they consume fewer fruits and vegetables. For example, foods like oranges and strawberries are smart sources of vitamin C, but on a keto diet, you are not likely to consume them because their carbohydrate content is too high.
But if you’re not on a specialized diet, the bottom line for you is fairly simple. Both types of nutrients are important. You don’t want your body just to function at its most basic level. To feel good, look good, and perform at your best, you need proper amounts of both macros and micros.
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Getting the Right Amount of Macros and Micros
If good health is your goal, you’ll want to pay attention to your food choices to optimize your intake of the macros and micros that you need.
Macros
In a previous blog post, What Are Macros?, I go over each macronutrient in detail and provide examples of foods that provide either protein, fat, or carbs. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, we should get macros in the following ranges:
10% — 35% of calories from protein from foods such as poultry, eggs, seafood, or tofu.
45% — 65% of calories from carbohydrates from foods such as grains, fruits, vegetables, or beans.
20% — 35% of your calories from fat from sources such as avocado, olive oil, or nuts.
Getting macros in these ranges can not only help you to feel energized and satiated throughout the day, but it can also help you to lose or maintain your weight as long as you aren’t over- or under-consuming calories. Getting enough fat, carbs, and protein will also help you maintain strong muscles, boost brain health, and keep your body insulated.
If you need help figuring out what foods to choose or what macro targets you should aim for, pick up a copy of Macro Diet for Dummies. The book walks you through your own personal nutritional program, including tips for shopping, prepping foods, and eating out.
Micros
Micronutrients are slightly more complex. There are more micros to manage, and the amounts needed vary based on your stage in life. For example, if your body is still growing, you are likely to need certain vitamins and minerals in larger amounts than when you reach adult body size.
The FDA provides a handy reference guide for all the micronutrients on the Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts product labels. The guide also reviews some key terms that you’ll want to understand when looking for information about micros.
This list provides DVs for some, but not all, of the micronutrients needed to keep an adult's body happy.
Calcium 1300mg
Iron 18mg
Magnesium 420mg
Potassium 4700mg
Riboflavin 1.3mg
Vitamin B12 2.4mcg
Vitamin C 90mg
Vitamin D 20mcg
Zinc11mg
If you need more information about vitamins, minerals, or supplements, the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements provides helpful fact sheets for vitamins and minerals and popular supplements.
Tips to Optimize Nutrition
By choosing high-quality macro foods, you can help ensure that you get all of the micronutrients that you need. Less processed foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, are not only delicious but also chock full of vitamins and minerals.
Consider some of these different ways to boost your intake of micros:
Choose less-processed macro foods. In many cases, food manufacturers strip away micronutrients when they prepare and package foods. Stick with foods in their unprocessed form as much as possible to optimize micronutrient intake.
Eat varied meals. Try to mix up your diet as much as possible. Choose from a variety of sources. For instance, people who tend to eat a lot of red meat might want to incorporate a plant-based meal into their weekly meal plan to take advantage of nutrients provided by whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Eat the (produce) rainbow. When shopping in the produce department, try to choose foods in a wide variety of colors. Not only will colorful foods provide plenty of vitamins and minerals, but they also get their pigments from flavonoids, carotenoids, and anthocyanins, bioactive compounds that provide health benefits.
Aim for 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans provide this recommendation to help you get your micros. Consider setting up a fruit and veggie station in your fridge with prepped produce that is easy to grab at snack time. You may also want to include at least one vegetable with each meal and consider fruit for dessert.
Prep meals in advance. If there are a few micronutrients that are particularly important for you, use an app to track your intake. Then, plan meals in advance. You can use the app to input your expected food intake for a given day, and it will indicate whether or not you are meeting your daily micro goals.
For most people, tracking micros isn’t necessary. Some opt to take a daily multivitamin or a specific supplement to ensure that they meet their needs. However, experts generally recommend that you get your nutrients from food rather than pills. Planning a diet full of nutrient-rich foods that are less processed is the smartest approach to healthy eating for enjoyment and optimal wellness.
Sources:
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Changes to the Nutrition Facts Label. Updated 03/28/2024
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Micronutrient Facts.
USDA. Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels
USDA. Questions and Answers on Dietary Supplements. Updated 02/21/2024