Substituting Meals/Food Items
A Complete Guide on Substituting Meals/Food Items
In this article we'll cover meal substitutions and what to do if you receive a meal plan containing items you dislike, cannot access, or simply do not want to consume.
Upon signing up you're required to add any items you do not what to consume - for whatever reason, to the dislikes/allergies field. If you did not do this you now know why these items have been included, but not to worry! If your plan has too many items included that you don't want included simply add them to your dislikes/allergies list via the "Account Details" section of the members area. Once you've done this email support and request your meal plan be revised. Your newly revised meal plan will not include anything you've added to your dislikes/allergies list.
But what if items are included even though they were added to your allergies/dislikes list?
There are a couple of reasons as to why this may have happened. Firstly, there are a few items with multiple entries in our food library, so if you remove "Pork Lean" that's not going to remove "Bacon." Even though you may consider bacon a pork product it's considered a different food item for the purpose of our food library.
Secondly, some items can bypass being excluded if substitute options are mentioned. For example; if you remove "turkey," but turkey has chicken as a substitute - and you haven't removed chicken, then turkey may still be included. If substitute options are mentioned they will be mentioned below the food item they pertain to.
If a food item, or meal has been included that you don't like you can also request a "Meal Swap." This can be done via the app.
How to substitute food items yourself - D.I.Y
Some background info to begin! The human body needs protein, carbohydrates and fats to function.
Protein, often referred to as the body’s building blocks are used to build and repair tissues in your body as well as help fight infection. After these tasks, excess protein can be used for your day-to-day energy – more about this can be read at macronutrients explained. Our rule indicates that our clients should be obtaining at least 1g of protein per pound of their lean body mass.
Fat gives you energy as well as help absorb certain vitamins (often referred to as fat soluble vitamins). Essential fatty acids have a crucial role to play in body function, however they need to be consumed and cannot be made by the body. There are some fats which are bad for your health – more about this topic can be read at macronutrients explained. Our second rule states our clients should be obtaining around 20 – 35% of their total calories from fat.
Generally speaking, carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy. The brain requires carbohydrates to function and therefore cannot be removed entirely from one’s diet. Most foods with carbohydrates also supply fiber – a type of carbohydrate that our body cannot digest. More about this topic can be read at macronutrients explained. Ministry of Health suggests obtaining around 45-65% of their total calories from carbohydrates. However, with some diets such as keto this is limited to <10%, providing enough for your brain to function, without any excess.
So long as the minimum requirements for the specific diets are met, there is room for play with the macronutrient breakdown within the total calorie count. Looking at an example within that; say you have 140g of cooked chicken you'd like to substitute out for lean beef, as you've got some beef left over you don't want to waste. You might be thinking you can replace 140g of chicken with 140g of beef, well I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but not all chickens and cows were created equal. The substitution needs to be made using the total calorie count of each item. Let's say there are 165 calories in 100g of cooked chicken breast, then that means there are 231 calories in 140g of cooked chicken breast.
So what you're trying to essentially find is the amount of beef, in grams, that equates to 231 calories. If we say there are 250 calories in 100g of cooked beef, then there are 225 calories in 90g of beef. 225 is very close to 231, so these are the figures you'll want to run with. To conclude, 140g of cooked chicken breast can be substituted with 90g of cooked lean beef.
After trying all of the above and you still need assistance, or you simply need further clarification on any of the points mentioned; please do not hesitate to email our support team at: support@macroactive.com
Quick Substitution Guide
This guide is to be used for making quick food item substitutes. Perhaps you've forgotten to add the odd item to your allergies/dislikes list, or maybe you want to have the option of variety, either way, use this guide as a reference for making food items substitutions.
Substitutions are made using the total calories only, not the macronutrient totals. It is, for this reason, the macronutrient totals will not be mentioned.
Protein Sources
Chicken Breast (no Skin, uncooked weight) 100g 95-calories
- White Fish (uncooked weight) 100g 95-calories
- Lean Beef Steak (uncooked weight) 70g 101-calories
- Whey or Vegan Protein Powder 1-scoop 120-calories*
- Chickpeas (drained) 100g 97-calories
- Quinoa (uncooked weight) 30g 102-calories
Whole Egg (raw, regular) 64-calories
- Chicken Breast (no Skin, uncooked weight) 70g 66-calories
- White Fish (uncooked weight) 70g 66-calories
- Whey or Vegan Protein Powder 1/2-scoop 60-calories
- Chickpeas (drained) 70g 68-calories
- Quinoa (uncooked weight) 20g 68-calories
Egg White (raw, regular) 100ml 46-calories
- Chicken Breast (no skin, uncooked weight) 50g 47-calories
- White Fish (uncooked weight) 50g 47-calories
- Whey or Vegan Protein Powder 1/2-scoop 60-calories*
- Chickpeas (drained) 50g 48-calories
- Quinoa (uncooked weight) 15g 51-calories
Whey or Vegan Protein Powder 1-scoop 120-calories
- Chicken Breast (no Skin, uncooked weight) 130g 123-calories
- White Fish (uncooked weight) 130g 123-calories
- 2x Whole Egg (raw, regular) 128-calories
- Chickpeas (drained) 120g 116-calories
- Quinoa (uncooked weight) 35g 119-calories
Turkey (uncooked weight) 100g 116-calories
- Chicken Breast (no Skin, uncooked weight) 120g 114-calories
- White Fish (uncooked weight) 120g 114-calories
- Whey or Vegan Protein Powder 1-scoop 120-calories
- Chickpeas (drained) 120g 116-calories
- Quinoa (uncooked weight) 35g 119-calories
Lean Lamb (uncooked weight) 100g 188-calories
- Chicken Breast (no skin, uncooked weight) 200g 190-calories
- White Fish (uncooked weight) 200g 190-calories
- Lean Beef (uncooked weight) 130g 188-calories
- Whey or Vegan Protein Powder 1.5-scoops 180-calories
- Chickpeas (drained) 190g 184-calories
Carbohydrate Sources
Oatmeal (uncooked weight) 100g 348-calories
- Muesli (uncooked weight) 90g 360-calories
- Wholegrain Bread 4x slices 336-calories(84-calories ea.)
- White Rice (uncooked weight) 100g 354-calories
- Potato (uncooked weight) 650g 338-calories
- Bagel 1x (uncooked weight) 350-calories
Sweet Potato (uncooked weight) 100g 64-calories
- Potato (uncooked weight) 120g 62-calories
- White Rice (uncooked weight) 20g 70-calories
- Oatmeal (uncooked weight) 20g 69-calories
- Pumpkin (uncooked weight) 150g 63-calories
- Pasta (uncooked weight) 20g 67-calories
Baked Beans (uncooked weight) 100g 70-calories
- Potato (uncooked weight) 130g 67-calories
- White Rice (uncooked weight) 20g 70-calories
- Oatmeal (uncooked weight) 20g 69-calories
- Pumpkin (uncooked weight) 160g 67-calories
- Pasta (uncooked weight) 20g 67-calories
White Rice (uncooked weight) 100g 354-calories
- Pasta (uncooked weight) 105g 354-calories
- Potato (uncooked weight) 700g 364-calories
- Quinoa (uncooked weight) 100g 340-calories
- Lentils (uncooked weigh) 115g 356-calories
- Peanut Butter 9x teaspoons 333-calories
Mixed Vegetables (uncooked weight) 100g 20-calories
- Can be substituted with any other vegetable of the same quantity. This is ok because the calorie counts are so low.
Fat Sources
Butter 20g 149-calories
- Peanut Butter 25-30g (approx.) 149-calories
- Olive Oil 3.5x teaspoons 144-calories
- Coconut Oil 3.5x teaspoons 144-calories
- Cheddar Cheese 40g 140-calories
- Almonds 25g 151-calories
Full-Fat Cream (unwhipped) 30ml 105-calories
- Peanut Butter 15-20g (approx.) 99-calories
- Olive Oil 2.5x teaspoons 102-calories
- Coconut Oil 2.5x teaspoons 102-calories
- Cheddar Cheese 30g 105-calories
- Butter 15g 112-calories