Nutrition Basics- Part 1: Macronutrients and Micronutrients

Nutrition
Written by Larry Betz

Why a Pantry Full of Calories Can Still Leave Your Family Short

By Larry Betz | Prepared Not Paranoid https://www.preparednotparanoid.com/


Walk through most emergency pantries and you'll see the same things. Rice. Pasta. Crackers. Canned soup. Maybe a bucket of freeze-dried meals.

That food will keep your family fed. But fed and healthy are not the same thing.

A pantry built only on calories can leave you short on the vitamins and minerals your body needs to fight off illness, heal a cut, stay strong, and think clearly. And in an emergency, those are exactly the things you need most.

Every food label, every diet book, and every grocery aisle comes back to two words: macronutrients and micronutrients. Once you understand them, food stops being confusing. You can look at a meal, a label, or your emergency shelf and know whether it's doing its job.

Here's the simple version. Macronutrients are the fuel and the building materials. Micronutrients are the tools your body uses to turn that fuel into energy, strength, and a working immune system. You need both.

Macronutrients

Macronutrients are nutrients that provide calories or energy, which are essential for growth, metabolism, and other body functions. Since "macro" means large, macronutrients are needed in large amounts. They include proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.

Each macronutrient provides a different amount of calories per gram:

  • Protein: 4 calories per gram

  • Carbohydrate: 4 calories per gram

  • Fat: 9 calories per gram

  • Alcohol: 7 calories per gram. Alcohol isn't a nutrient, because your body doesn't need it, but it does carry calories, so it belongs in your label math. Part 12 covers it.

How to Do the Calorie Math

For instance, if a product contains 12 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fat, and 0 grams of protein per serving, it has about 48 calories per serving (12 grams of carbohydrates multiplied by 4 calories per gram equals 48 calories).

Here's a fuller example. Say a granola bar label shows 4 grams of protein, 25 grams of carbohydrate, and 7 grams of fat.

The label will round, so you'll probably see 180 calories. But look at where those calories come from. Most of this bar is carbohydrate, and very little is protein. That tells you it will give you quick energy, but it won't keep you full for long.

Use this at the store: You don't have to do math in every aisle. Just glance at protein compared with total carbohydrate and sugar. For a snack that keeps you full, look for a real amount of protein and fiber, and not much added sugar.

Micronutrients

Micronutrients are essential nutrients the body needs in small amounts to function properly. They include vitamins and minerals, both of which play critical roles in maintaining health. They don't provide calories, but without them your body can't use the calories you eat.

Vitamins

Vitamins are organic compounds that the body cannot produce on its own and must be obtained through diet. They support a wide range of bodily functions, including immune response, energy production, and tissue repair.

Vitamins come in two types, and the difference matters for both food and supplements:

  • Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) are stored in body fat and the liver. They're absorbed best when your meal has some fat in it. Because they're stored, too much from supplements can build up.

  • Water-soluble vitamins (C and the B vitamins) aren't stored for long, with B12 as the exception. You need a steady supply from food.

Vitamin D is a special case. Your skin makes it from sunlight, but many people still run low, especially in winter, with darker skin, or as they get older. A simple blood test tells you where you stand.

Minerals

Minerals are inorganic elements required for various physiological processes such as building bones and blood, making hormones, and regulating heart rhythm. Minerals are divided into two categories based on the amount the body needs:

  • Macrominerals, needed in larger amounts, include: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, and sulfur.

  • Trace minerals, required in much smaller amounts, include: iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, selenium, chromium, and molybdenum.

Together, these micronutrients support nearly every system in the body, despite being required in only small quantities.

Key Micronutrients and Where to Find Them

Here are the ones that matter most for everyday health, and where to get them from real food.

Where Americans fall short: The federal Dietary Guidelines have named calcium, potassium, fiber, and vitamin D as nutrients most Americans don't get enough of. Iron is also a concern for young children, teen girls, and women who are pregnant or menstruating. Most of these gaps close when you eat more vegetables, fruit, beans, dairy, and fish.

Whole Foods First

Vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Although multivitamins or individual supplements can provide these nutrients, they cannot fully replicate the vast array of beneficial compounds found in whole plants. Phytochemicals, which are chemicals made by plants, play a significant role in health benefits. Science is only beginning to understand which phytochemicals and their combinations provide specific health benefits.

That's why a pill can't stand in for a plate.

My recommendation is to get as many nutrients as possible from whole foods, from certified organic sources when you can, with supplementation used to fill in any gaps. If budget is tight, and for most families it is, focus on eating more whole foods first. That matters more than the organic label.

Micronutrients in an Emergency

Here's where nutrition becomes preparedness.

Emergency food tends to be heavy on calories and light on micronutrients. Rice, pasta, crackers, and canned soup will fill you up, but they won't cover your vitamin C, potassium, or magnesium. Over a few days, that's not a big deal. Over a few weeks, it starts to show up as low energy, slow healing, and getting sick more easily.

Plan for it now:

  • Canned and frozen vegetables and fruit keep much of their nutrition and store well. Choose fruit packed in water or juice, not heavy syrup, and lower-sodium vegetables.

  • Dried fruit, nuts, and seeds add vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats in a small space.

  • Canned fish with bones, like sardines and salmon, adds calcium and vitamin D.

  • Beans and lentils add potassium, magnesium, iron, and fiber.

  • A basic multivitamin in your emergency supplies can help cover gaps during a longer disruption.

Rotate for freshness. Vitamins, especially vitamin C, slowly break down in storage. Rotating your pantry keeps your stored food at its most nutritious. New food goes to the back, older food moves to the front, and you eat from the front. Part 17 shows you how to set up your family's food PACE plan.

The Importance of Balanced Nutrition

A balanced diet, rich in both macronutrients and micronutrients, is essential for maintaining optimal health. Macronutrients provide the energy required for daily activities and bodily functions, while micronutrients support a wide range of physiological processes, including immune function, bone health, and wound healing. Understanding the roles of different nutrients and ensuring adequate intake through a varied diet can help prevent deficiencies and promote overall well-being.

What does balance look like on a plate? Here's a simple starting point:

  • A palm-sized portion of protein: eggs, chicken, fish, meat, Greek yogurt, or beans

  • Half the plate vegetables, in a mix of colors

  • A portion of whole-food carbohydrates: sweet potato, brown rice, oats, beans, or fruit

  • A thumb-sized portion of healthy fat: olive oil, avocado, or nuts

Supplementation Considerations

While whole foods are the best source of nutrients, supplements can help address deficiencies and ensure adequate intake of essential vitamins and minerals. However, it is important to choose high-quality supplements and consult with a healthcare professional to avoid potential interactions and side effects. Relying primarily on a diverse and nutrient-rich diet can provide a solid foundation for health, with supplements used as an adjunct to support specific needs.

When you do choose supplements:

  • Look for third-party testing. Supplements are not approved by the FDA before they're sold. A USP Verified or NSF mark means an independent organization checked what's in the bottle. Without one, what's on the label is the company's claim.

  • More is not better. Fat-soluble vitamins and some minerals can build up to harmful levels.

  • Test, don't guess. Bloodwork for vitamin D, iron, and B12 tells you what you actually need.

  • Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you take medication. For example, vitamin K affects how blood thinners like warfarin work.

Keep iron away from children. Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. That's why the FDA requires a warning on these labels. Store all supplements, especially anything with iron, locked up and out of reach. If a child swallows supplements, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, or 911 if they have symptoms.

Ask Yourself

  • Is my family's plate mostly calories, or is it full of nutrients too?

  • Would our emergency food keep us fed, or keep us healthy?

  • Am I using supplements to fill real gaps, or to make up for meals that need work?

Remember

Macronutrients give your body fuel. Micronutrients let it use that fuel. Build your meals and your pantry around whole foods, and use supplements to fill gaps, not to replace food.

Get Started Today

[FREE DOWNLOAD: TO BE CHOSEN AFTER THE BINDER REVIEW]

Go Deeper

The Prepared Not Paranoid Family Nutrition Guide. This post covers the basics. The guide takes you the rest of the way: the five supplements I keep on hand, how to build an emergency supplement kit, which bloodwork numbers every adult should know, a full chapter on building a plate for every age in your family, and an emergency pantry plan that keeps your family healthy, not just fed. [Get it here: LINK]

Tools I recommend: The food storage containers and kitchen tools I recommend are in my Amazon store. https://amzn.to/4yM747h

Related reading:

References

Disclaimer

This article is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for guidance from your physician or a registered dietitian. Talk to your doctor before starting supplements or making major changes to your diet, especially if you are pregnant or nursing, take medications, or have a medical condition. Affiliate disclosure: I've linked to products from my Amazon store that I personally recommend. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work.

If a child swallows supplements or medication, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. In a medical emergency, call 911.


Awareness gives you time. Time gives you options.


The prepared protector is someone who's decided that loving someone means being ready for them, not just hoping things go fine.


Prepared Not Paranoid. Protecting the Most Vulnerable Among Us.

Larry Betz https://www.sedonastrengthandmobility.com
Previous

Strength Training Foundations: Part 3
Next

Nutrition Basics- Part 2: Protein: 1 Gram Per Pound