Everytime I tell someone I'm a personal trainer/fitness enthusiast I get a response like, "Oh great, can you make me a meal plan?" My first reaction is to respond with a no, because I can't prescribe someone a meal plan, only Registered Dieticians can do that. It is also because to make a truly productive meal plan is to know what the person eats, what their goals are and what can be altered to achieve that goal. This takes a lot of knowledge and time, and while I can't prescribe a diet, I can monitor and give guidance and advice on healthier eating. I also have a detailed caloric calculator to factor in more than just height and weight to figure your caloric needs for your goals.
PROTEIN.
I listed protein first because it is the most important of the three. Most people think protein is only for building muscle, while that's true it is important for maintaining/increasing muscle it's also a long lasting energy source which is the building block for your body. Animal proteins give the most bang-for-your-buck since it's a complete protein. There are nine amino acids which the body cannot create, getting these from another source is known as getting a complete protein. While there is protein in some plants, it's incomplete and not as concentrated. Incomplete proteins can be made complete by adding in other ingredients; such as adding beans to rice. When eating a meal and probably a snack, you should be asking yourself, "Am I getting enough protein/nutritional value from this?" For fat loss and muscle gain your goal should be about your bodyweight in lbs turned into grams of protein.
CARBOHYDRATES.
Next is carbs, often the highest amount of macros eaten falls into this. While carbs are not "bad" they are more-often-than-not just over eaten. They are the greatest source for quick energy and can give long lasting energy and keep your intestinal tract in smooth working order. Not all carbs are created equal; High Glycemic Index are known as "Simple Carbs" and spike blood sugar(glucose). They are foods like cane sugar, honey, white bread, candy, muffins and cake. These are foods I suggest consuming as little as possible, the only exception being immediately after resistance training. If you have to have it, let it be immediately after; it will replace lost energy(glycogen). Inversely, Low Glycemic Index carbs are often called "Complex Carbs," because they have long complex chains which are broken down and absorbed slower than short chains found in "Simple Carbs." This means since it's broken down and absorbed slower your blood sugar(glucose) levels won't spike up and down, but rather stay steady and longer lasting. Some examples are quinoa, whole grain pasta, sweet potatoes or oats.
FATS.
What used to be demonized and misunderstood is now viewed as very black and white. Monounsaturated & Polyunsaturated being the good, Saturated being the bad and Trans fats being the ugly. Fat such as Omega-3's found in fish are part of a balanced diet and keeps the brain healthy and operate at maximum efficiency. Mono and Poly help lower bad cholesterol while Trans and Sat do the opposite and raise blood pressure. A general rule of thumb is you don't have to force fat into your diet, it naturally comes from protein shakes, animal proteins and in general cooking(canola, olive). Also try to avoid eating fat during or after exercise, it will slow down nutrient absorption.