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Training and nutrition go hand in hand. As the saying goes, you can't out-train a bad diet. To get the most out of your workouts, you need to eat the right food in the right amount. One way of doing that is by following a meal plan.
Muscle-building meal plans have been used successfully by bodybuilders for years. It's a foolproof way to ensure your diet is on the right track. Plus, having a plan makes shopping and meal prep more manageable. The hardest part of meal planning is figuring out where to start.
In this article, we will go over:
Why you need a meal plan to gain muscle & how to create one
An explanation of total daily energy expenditure (TDEE)
Ideal macros and meals per day for building muscle
Grocery shopping list for your weekly meal plan
7-day meal plan for maximum muscle gain
When to start cutting
Do you need a meal plan to gain muscle mass?
It may surprise you, but you do not need a specific meal plan to gain muscle. The most crucial factor for building muscle is a caloric surplus. A caloric surplus is when you consume more calories than your body requires to maintain weight.
We will go over this more in-depth in the section on TDEE. After calories, the next most important factor is protein intake. Protein is used for repairing and synthesizing new muscle tissue. As long as your diet has adequate calories and protein, it can effectively build muscle.
Now, we’d love to say that’s the end of it, but it's not always that simple.
What is the best meal plan to gain muscle?
Consistency and adherence are the most critical factors in nutrition and training. Although you don't need to follow a meal plan, having some structure to follow can make consistency easier. If every day is a blank slate, it is tough to be consistent.
Consistency is where many people fall short. It's not hard to have a good day of nutrition once in a while. However, being consistently good is more effective than being occasionally great. It's also important for planning what to eat before a workout and what to eat after a workout to maximize your gains.
So, what is the best meal plan to gain muscle? The one you can stick to over the long term. You can have the best diet in the world on paper, but if you can't follow it, it won't be effective.
Understanding TDEE & Bodybuilding
As mentioned, a well-structured meal plan needs to create a calorie surplus. It comes down to energy balance: calories in vs. calories out. Everyone has a different total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) based on body size and activity level.
The first step in creating an effective meal plan is figuring out your TDEE. Once you find your TDEE, the next step is adding calories to create a surplus. How many calories depends on where you are in your lifting journey.
If you are just starting out and about to take on a beginner Olympic weightlifting program (or any beginner program), you have more potential muscle to gain, and you can be more aggressive with calorie intake. On the other hand, intermediate and advanced lifters can't build muscle as quickly. Therefore they don't need as many additional calories.
For a beginner, gaining 1-1.5% body weight per month is a great goal. Calorie-wise, 15-20% above maintenance is a good starting point. For intermediate and advanced lifters, gaining .5-1% body weight per month is more realistic.
If you have been training for over five years and are fit enough to handle a 6-day split or even a 7-day workout split, stay on the low side of that range. Advanced and intermediate lifters should add 5% of calories on the low end and 15% above maintenance on the high end. Setting calories more aggressive than this would lead to unnecessary fat gain.
Remember what we said in the intro? Training and nutrition go hand in hand. Without a hard workout, even the best diet in the world will fail to cause muscle growth. To ensure muscle growth, strive to do more work over time.
Add 5 pounds to the bar, do more reps with the same weight, or do more sets. Training must force the muscle to adapt and give it a good reason to grow.
Ideal Macros for Building Muscle
When it comes to building muscle, calories are most important. However, having the ideal macronutrient setup is a close second. The macronutrients, or macros for short, are protein, carbohydrate, and fat. Protein and carbohydrates contain four calories per gram, and fat has nine.
Protein is the most vital macronutrient to build and maintain muscle. The goal is to lift weights and consume enough protein to boost muscle protein synthesis and reduce muscle breakdown. The best foods for muscle, which are typically high in protein, will help get you there.
Trying to figure out how much protein per day to build muscle? Current research supports the old recommendation of one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight1. You can probably get away with slightly less protein while in a caloric surplus but aiming for your body weight is easy to remember.
Pinning down the correct amount of carbohydrates and fat is a little less straightforward. Unlike protein, there is not a specific gram amount per pound of body weight that is the ideal intake. For fat and carbs, there is a broader range of proper intake, primarily due to personal preference.
Fat has a negative connotation in society, but consuming dietary fat doesn't make you more likely to gain fat. Some fat is essential, and the body must have it to stay alive. Fat is necessary for regulating hormones, aiding joint health, boosting brain function, and more. We want fat consumption to be about 20-40% of our total calorie intake.
If you enjoy higher fat foods, consume more fat in your diet. However, fat and carbs have an inverse relationship. Higher fat intake requires lower carbs and vice versa. Therefore, if you enjoy higher carb foods, keep fat intake closer to 20%.
Once we have calories, protein, and fat intake figured out, the calories leftover go toward carbohydrates. Carbohydrates benefit a muscle-building diet, especially before and during long workouts.
How Many Meals Per Day?
Meal frequency is a topic that has ebbed and flowed over the past twenty years. At a time, meal frequency was considered paramount to a well-structured diet. But, as often happens, the pendulum swung in the opposite direction, and meal frequency became an afterthought.
What is the truth?
End of the day, calories and macros are most important. Nothing trumps that. However, current evidence suggests distributing protein evenly throughout the day matters.
Based on this research, when determining how much protein you need per serving, having at least four protein meals per day is the best way to maximize muscle building2.
Whatever meal frequency pattern allows you to be consistent is best. The difference between eating three or six times a day is likely to be negligible. Practically, three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and one protein snack, like a protein shake made from one of the best protein powders, works well for most people.
What to Eat for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks
One of the staple practices within the bodybuilding community is meal prepping. Take a look at Chris Bumstead's workout and diet plan, for example, and you'll see that many of his food choices can be made in advance for easy meal times.
Cooking your food ahead of time is one of the best ways to ensure you stay on your diet long-term, whether your goal is to lose fat, reduce or increase your caloric intake, gain weight, or simply meet your maintenance calories. As an added bonus, it will also save you time and money.
Before you go to the store, plan out your week of meals. Sit down and write what you need for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, condiments, and drinks. You will notice you eat many of the same foods weekly.
Muscle-building staples like lean proteins, such as grilled chicken breast and whey protein powder, healthy fats including almond butter and extra virgin olive oil, healthy carbs, both fiber filled and starchy vegetables, and fruit will ensure you're following a balanced diet. These foods will help with muscle hypertrophy and also support muscle recovery.
You'll notice that deep fried foods and processed foods are not on the list. No matter your goals, these foods have very little nutritional value and should be a treat - not a staple.
Food doesn't taste good after a few days in the refrigerator. One way to circumvent this issue is to cook meals twice a week. Sunday and Wednesday seem to work well, but do what works best for you.
Here is a grocery list for the 7-day meal plan. For easy shopping, we've grouped foods by department, so you can get in and out of the store even faster.
Protein Sources:
For protein, think lean meats, dairy, and protein supplements. Try to get a variety of meats that are appropriate for your morning, afternoon, and evening meals.
Meat:
Chicken breast
Turkey breast
White fish
Lean red meat
Pork loin
Beef jerky
Turkey sausage
Salmon
Ham
Canadian bacon
Dairy:
Greek yogurt
Cottage cheese
Fat-free milk
Eggs and egg whites
Protein Supplements:
Protein powder
Protein bar
Carbohydrate Sources:
Plan to dedicate your daily carbs to whole grains, quick digesting carbs for pre-workout meals, and plenty of produce.
Bread:
Whole-grain bread
Bagels
English muffins
Breakfast Items:
Oatmeal
Cereal
Pancakes
Pantry Items:
Whole-grain pasta
Rice cakes
Produce:
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Fruits
Vegetables
Fat Sources:
?You'll notice a few of the foods on this list were also on the protein list we covered above. That's because foods like egg yolks and salmon are high in both protein and fat. Remember, good fat sources are not the enemy!
Dairy:
Butter
Egg yolks
Cream cheese
Meat:
Produce:
Pantry Items:
Nuts or nut butter
Olive oil
Extras:
These beverages, spices, and sauces can take your meals from drab to fab, so make sure to include a few on your list each week!
Beverages:
Coffee
Sparkling water
Diet soda
Pantry Items:
Condiments
Spices
Marinades
Sweetener
Sample 7-Day Diet Plan for Muscle Gain
The following is a complete sample meal plan for Monday through Sunday. Keep in mind that this is just a guide. You will need to alter it slightly to create a calorie surplus based on your TDEE. Each day is roughly 2500 calories. If you're following a muscle-building plan, like this clean bulk workout and diet plan, you can incorporate a lot of these meal ideas directly into it.
This would be perfect for a moderately active 150-160 pound individual. If you're a big guy trying to follow a bodybuilding diet, you may want to bump up your daily calories. On the other hand, if you weigh less than 150 pounds, eat fewer calories than what is listed.
Daily macro goals:
Calories: 2500
Protein: 150-160g
Carbohydrates: 310-320g
Fat: 65-75g
All foods are listed in grams or ounces instead of cups and tablespoons. When weighing and measuring, a food scale is more accurate than volumetric measuring. With your food choices, some items don't have a listing with their weight on the nutrition label.
In this case, it will probably be listed by volume (cup, tbs, etc.) or by item. Regardless, weigh it out. For example, a cup of oats is supposed to be 80 grams, but many times a cup is more or less when put in a measuring cup.
A common question is whether you should weigh raw or cooked foods. The simple answer is it doesn't matter as long as you track it correctly. If you measure chicken after it is cooked, make sure you track it as cooked chicken, not raw chicken.
Everything is weighed and tracked as cooked in the meal plan, except for oats. This allows you to make everything up in advance and divide it up as needed for each meal.
All of the macros listed are approximate. Remember, these are suggestions, so you can either use them as is, or use them as inspiration for other healthy ideas. For example, if one day calls for a protein bar, feel free to substitute it for a tasty protein coffee and banana instead.
Monday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 158g protein, 310g carbohydrates, 74g fat
Breakfast:
4 eggs
80g oats
1 medium apple
Lunch:
4oz chicken breast
290g cooked white rice
100g broccoli
1oz almonds
Dinner:
5oz lean ground beef
10oz sweet potato
100g asparagus
Snack:
1 scoop protein powder for protein shake
1 medium banana
32g peanut butter
3 rice cakes
Tuesday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 151g protein, 312g carbohydrates, 70g fat
Breakfast:
2 whole eggs
8oz fat-free milk
80g multigrain Cheerios
1 medium apple
Lunch:
1 can of tuna
20g light mayonnaise
2 slices of whole-grain bread
14 baby carrots
1oz almonds
1 medium banana
Dinner:
8oz salmon
12oz russet potato
Large green salad
30g low-fat dressing
Snack:
Wednesday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 150g protein, 312g carbohydrates, 68g fat
Breakfast:
1 scoop protein powder
8oz fat-free milk
3 large pancakes
2 turkey sausage links
Lunch:
3oz ham
2 slices of whole-grain bread
Lettuce
Low-fat cheese
1 medium banana
Dinner:
6oz chicken thighs
290g cooked brown rice
100g green beans
Snack:
2oz beef jerky
1 apple
1oz almonds
Thursday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 160g protein, 310g carbohydrates, 70g fat
Breakfast:
3 eggs
4 slices bacon
80g oats
Lunch:
32g peanut butter
20g jelly
2 slices of whole-grain bread
200g vanilla Greek yogurt
1 medium banana
Dinner:
4oz chicken breast
300g pasta
150g red sauce
150g green peppers/onions
Snack:
1 scoop of protein powder
8oz fat-free milk
2 rice cakes
Friday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 160g protein, 315g carbohydrates, 75g fat
Breakfast:
2 whole eggs
1 slice of low-fat cheese
3 pieces of Canadian bacon
1 bagel
30g cream cheese
1 medium apple
Lunch:
5oz white fish
10oz potato
100g green veggies
14g olive oil
Dinner:
4oz lean ground beef
3 whole-grain tortillas
½ avocado
145g rice
75g black beans
lettuce
Tomatoes
Onions
Peppers
Snack:
230g low-fat cottage cheese
150g pineapple
Saturday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 150g protein, 305g carbohydrates, 72g fat
Breakfast:
4 egg whites
2 English muffins
32g peanut butter
8oz fat-free milk
Lunch:
1 can tuna
290g rice
11g butter
100g green beans
Dinner:
6oz pork loin
12oz sweet potato
Large green salad
20g salad dressing
Snack:
1 scoop of protein powder
150g plain fat-free Greek Yogurt
75g frozen blueberries
1 granola bar
1oz almonds
Sunday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 160g protein, 300g carbohydrates, 70g fat
Breakfast:
4 egg whites
2 whole eggs
80g oats
1 medium apple
Lunch:
5oz chicken breast
220g rice
100g green veggies
11g butter
Dinner:
5oz shrimp
220g rice
100g stir fry vegetables
30g teriyaki sauce
14g olive oil
Snack:
1 scoop protein powder
3 rice cakes
1 banana
32g peanut butter
What to do after the seven days?
Use the seven-day meal plan's structure for as long as you still want to gain muscle. If it's not broken, don't fix it. That doesn't mean you have to eat the same foods every day. You can, if that is easier for you, but it's not necessary.
Each meal and snack is set up with the same basic structure. Each time you eat, aim for a protein, carbohydrate, and fat source with some fruits and veggies thrown in. Maintaining this structure over the long term should be pretty straightforward. If you get tired of certain foods or food combinations, mix and match food options within the same food group.
Calorie-free spices, marinades, and condiments are your best friend. Simply changing how a meal is seasoned can make a big difference. Eating healthy doesn't mean all your meals must be bland and boring.
When to Start Cutting?
After following a muscle-building diet for an extended period, the natural question becomes, when is it a good time to start a cut?
Generally, when discussing bulking vs. cutting, we want to spend considerably more time building muscle than fat loss. You have to earn the right to cut. The muscle-building process takes time; it is a long-term process. Cutting too soon or frequently will slow or even prevent you from maximizing muscle.
The best way to determine when it's time to start a cut is by analyzing your body composition. Continue building muscle until your body fat gets higher than you are comfortable with. The specific body fat percentage will be different for everyone. Once your body fat reaches the point where you are no longer happy with your physique, it makes sense to start a fat loss phase.
Use Your Meal Plan for Maximum Muscle Gains
Building muscle is a challenging pursuit. If it were easy, everyone would be stacked. However, one thing that can make the process easier is following a well-structured muscle-building meal plan.
Whether you want to lose weight, improve lean muscle mass, reduce body fat, or bulk, nutrition is all about consistency. To make real progress, you need to have your nutrition dialed in for the long term. Become best friends with high protein low fat foods, eat your fruits and veggies, and remember some fat is necessary. Although this is only a seven-day meal plan, our hope is you can take the principles outlined above and use them for the rest of your life.
Author: Kyle Hunt, Hunt Fitness
More Meal Inspiration: 7 Best Bulking Breakfast Ideas to Maximize Your Gains
References:
Morton, R. W., Murphy, K. T., McKellar, S. R., Schoenfeld, B. J., Henselmans, M., Helms, E., … Phillips, S. M. (2017). A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(6), 376–384. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608
Schoenfeld, Brad Jon, and Alan Albert Aragon. "How Much Protein Can the Body Use in a Single Meal for Muscle-Building? Implications for Daily Protein Distribution." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 15, no. 1, 27 Feb. 2018, 10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1
Training and nutrition go hand in hand. As the saying goes, you can't out-train a bad diet. To get the most out of your workouts, you need to eat the right food in the right amount. One way of doing that is by following a meal plan.
Muscle-building meal plans have been used successfully by bodybuilders for years. It's a foolproof way to ensure your diet is on the right track. Plus, having a plan makes shopping and meal prep more manageable. The hardest part of meal planning is figuring out where to start.
In this article, we will go over:
Do you need a meal plan to gain muscle mass?
It may surprise you, but you do not need a specific meal plan to gain muscle. The most crucial factor for building muscle is a caloric surplus. A caloric surplus is when you consume more calories than your body requires to maintain weight.
We will go over this more in-depth in the section on TDEE. After calories, the next most important factor is protein intake. Protein is used for repairing and synthesizing new muscle tissue. As long as your diet has adequate calories and protein, it can effectively build muscle.
Now, we’d love to say that’s the end of it, but it's not always that simple.
What is the best meal plan to gain muscle?
Consistency and adherence are the most critical factors in nutrition and training. Although you don't need to follow a meal plan, having some structure to follow can make consistency easier. If every day is a blank slate, it is tough to be consistent.
Consistency is where many people fall short. It's not hard to have a good day of nutrition once in a while. However, being consistently good is more effective than being occasionally great. It's also important for planning what to eat before a workout and what to eat after a workout to maximize your gains.
So, what is the best meal plan to gain muscle? The one you can stick to over the long term. You can have the best diet in the world on paper, but if you can't follow it, it won't be effective.
Understanding TDEE & Bodybuilding
As mentioned, a well-structured meal plan needs to create a calorie surplus. It comes down to energy balance: calories in vs. calories out. Everyone has a different total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) based on body size and activity level.
The first step in creating an effective meal plan is figuring out your TDEE. Once you find your TDEE, the next step is adding calories to create a surplus. How many calories depends on where you are in your lifting journey.
If you are just starting out and about to take on a beginner Olympic weightlifting program (or any beginner program), you have more potential muscle to gain, and you can be more aggressive with calorie intake. On the other hand, intermediate and advanced lifters can't build muscle as quickly. Therefore they don't need as many additional calories.
For a beginner, gaining 1-1.5% body weight per month is a great goal. Calorie-wise, 15-20% above maintenance is a good starting point. For intermediate and advanced lifters, gaining .5-1% body weight per month is more realistic.
If you have been training for over five years and are fit enough to handle a 6-day split or even a 7-day workout split, stay on the low side of that range. Advanced and intermediate lifters should add 5% of calories on the low end and 15% above maintenance on the high end. Setting calories more aggressive than this would lead to unnecessary fat gain.
Remember what we said in the intro? Training and nutrition go hand in hand. Without a hard workout, even the best diet in the world will fail to cause muscle growth. To ensure muscle growth, strive to do more work over time.
Add 5 pounds to the bar, do more reps with the same weight, or do more sets. Training must force the muscle to adapt and give it a good reason to grow.
Ideal Macros for Building Muscle
When it comes to building muscle, calories are most important. However, having the ideal macronutrient setup is a close second. The macronutrients, or macros for short, are protein, carbohydrate, and fat. Protein and carbohydrates contain four calories per gram, and fat has nine.
Protein is the most vital macronutrient to build and maintain muscle. The goal is to lift weights and consume enough protein to boost muscle protein synthesis and reduce muscle breakdown. The best foods for muscle, which are typically high in protein, will help get you there.
Trying to figure out how much protein per day to build muscle? Current research supports the old recommendation of one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight1. You can probably get away with slightly less protein while in a caloric surplus but aiming for your body weight is easy to remember.
Pinning down the correct amount of carbohydrates and fat is a little less straightforward. Unlike protein, there is not a specific gram amount per pound of body weight that is the ideal intake. For fat and carbs, there is a broader range of proper intake, primarily due to personal preference.
Fat has a negative connotation in society, but consuming dietary fat doesn't make you more likely to gain fat. Some fat is essential, and the body must have it to stay alive. Fat is necessary for regulating hormones, aiding joint health, boosting brain function, and more. We want fat consumption to be about 20-40% of our total calorie intake.
If you enjoy higher fat foods, consume more fat in your diet. However, fat and carbs have an inverse relationship. Higher fat intake requires lower carbs and vice versa. Therefore, if you enjoy higher carb foods, keep fat intake closer to 20%.
Once we have calories, protein, and fat intake figured out, the calories leftover go toward carbohydrates. Carbohydrates benefit a muscle-building diet, especially before and during long workouts.
How Many Meals Per Day?
Meal frequency is a topic that has ebbed and flowed over the past twenty years. At a time, meal frequency was considered paramount to a well-structured diet. But, as often happens, the pendulum swung in the opposite direction, and meal frequency became an afterthought.
What is the truth?
End of the day, calories and macros are most important. Nothing trumps that. However, current evidence suggests distributing protein evenly throughout the day matters.
Based on this research, when determining how much protein you need per serving, having at least four protein meals per day is the best way to maximize muscle building2.
Whatever meal frequency pattern allows you to be consistent is best. The difference between eating three or six times a day is likely to be negligible. Practically, three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and one protein snack, like a protein shake made from one of the best protein powders, works well for most people.
What to Eat for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks
One of the staple practices within the bodybuilding community is meal prepping. Take a look at Chris Bumstead's workout and diet plan, for example, and you'll see that many of his food choices can be made in advance for easy meal times.
Cooking your food ahead of time is one of the best ways to ensure you stay on your diet long-term, whether your goal is to lose fat, reduce or increase your caloric intake, gain weight, or simply meet your maintenance calories. As an added bonus, it will also save you time and money.
Before you go to the store, plan out your week of meals. Sit down and write what you need for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, condiments, and drinks. You will notice you eat many of the same foods weekly.
Muscle-building staples like lean proteins, such as grilled chicken breast and whey protein powder, healthy fats including almond butter and extra virgin olive oil, healthy carbs, both fiber filled and starchy vegetables, and fruit will ensure you're following a balanced diet. These foods will help with muscle hypertrophy and also support muscle recovery.
You'll notice that deep fried foods and processed foods are not on the list. No matter your goals, these foods have very little nutritional value and should be a treat - not a staple.
Food doesn't taste good after a few days in the refrigerator. One way to circumvent this issue is to cook meals twice a week. Sunday and Wednesday seem to work well, but do what works best for you.
Here is a grocery list for the 7-day meal plan. For easy shopping, we've grouped foods by department, so you can get in and out of the store even faster.
Protein Sources:
For protein, think lean meats, dairy, and protein supplements. Try to get a variety of meats that are appropriate for your morning, afternoon, and evening meals.
Meat:
Carbohydrate Sources:
Plan to dedicate your daily carbs to whole grains, quick digesting carbs for pre-workout meals, and plenty of produce.
Bread:
Fat Sources:
?You'll notice a few of the foods on this list were also on the protein list we covered above. That's because foods like egg yolks and salmon are high in both protein and fat. Remember, good fat sources are not the enemy!
Dairy:
Produce:
Pantry Items:
Extras:
These beverages, spices, and sauces can take your meals from drab to fab, so make sure to include a few on your list each week!
Beverages:
Sample 7-Day Diet Plan for Muscle Gain
The following is a complete sample meal plan for Monday through Sunday. Keep in mind that this is just a guide. You will need to alter it slightly to create a calorie surplus based on your TDEE. Each day is roughly 2500 calories. If you're following a muscle-building plan, like this clean bulk workout and diet plan, you can incorporate a lot of these meal ideas directly into it.
This would be perfect for a moderately active 150-160 pound individual. If you're a big guy trying to follow a bodybuilding diet, you may want to bump up your daily calories. On the other hand, if you weigh less than 150 pounds, eat fewer calories than what is listed.
Daily macro goals:
All foods are listed in grams or ounces instead of cups and tablespoons. When weighing and measuring, a food scale is more accurate than volumetric measuring. With your food choices, some items don't have a listing with their weight on the nutrition label.
In this case, it will probably be listed by volume (cup, tbs, etc.) or by item. Regardless, weigh it out. For example, a cup of oats is supposed to be 80 grams, but many times a cup is more or less when put in a measuring cup.
A common question is whether you should weigh raw or cooked foods. The simple answer is it doesn't matter as long as you track it correctly. If you measure chicken after it is cooked, make sure you track it as cooked chicken, not raw chicken.
Everything is weighed and tracked as cooked in the meal plan, except for oats. This allows you to make everything up in advance and divide it up as needed for each meal.
All of the macros listed are approximate. Remember, these are suggestions, so you can either use them as is, or use them as inspiration for other healthy ideas. For example, if one day calls for a protein bar, feel free to substitute it for a tasty protein coffee and banana instead.
Monday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 158g protein, 310g carbohydrates, 74g fat
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Snack:
Tuesday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 151g protein, 312g carbohydrates, 70g fat
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Snack:
Wednesday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 150g protein, 312g carbohydrates, 68g fat
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Snack:
Thursday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 160g protein, 310g carbohydrates, 70g fat
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Snack:
Friday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 160g protein, 315g carbohydrates, 75g fat
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Snack:
Saturday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 150g protein, 305g carbohydrates, 72g fat
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Snack:
Sunday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 160g protein, 300g carbohydrates, 70g fat
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Snack:
What to do after the seven days?
Use the seven-day meal plan's structure for as long as you still want to gain muscle. If it's not broken, don't fix it. That doesn't mean you have to eat the same foods every day. You can, if that is easier for you, but it's not necessary.
Each meal and snack is set up with the same basic structure. Each time you eat, aim for a protein, carbohydrate, and fat source with some fruits and veggies thrown in. Maintaining this structure over the long term should be pretty straightforward. If you get tired of certain foods or food combinations, mix and match food options within the same food group.
Calorie-free spices, marinades, and condiments are your best friend. Simply changing how a meal is seasoned can make a big difference. Eating healthy doesn't mean all your meals must be bland and boring.
When to Start Cutting?
After following a muscle-building diet for an extended period, the natural question becomes, when is it a good time to start a cut?
Generally, when discussing bulking vs. cutting, we want to spend considerably more time building muscle than fat loss. You have to earn the right to cut. The muscle-building process takes time; it is a long-term process. Cutting too soon or frequently will slow or even prevent you from maximizing muscle.
The best way to determine when it's time to start a cut is by analyzing your body composition. Continue building muscle until your body fat gets higher than you are comfortable with. The specific body fat percentage will be different for everyone. Once your body fat reaches the point where you are no longer happy with your physique, it makes sense to start a fat loss phase.
Use Your Meal Plan for Maximum Muscle Gains
Building muscle is a challenging pursuit. If it were easy, everyone would be stacked. However, one thing that can make the process easier is following a well-structured muscle-building meal plan.
Whether you want to lose weight, improve lean muscle mass, reduce body fat, or bulk, nutrition is all about consistency. To make real progress, you need to have your nutrition dialed in for the long term. Become best friends with high protein low fat foods, eat your fruits and veggies, and remember some fat is necessary. Although this is only a seven-day meal plan, our hope is you can take the principles outlined above and use them for the rest of your life.
Author: Kyle Hunt, Hunt Fitness
More Meal Inspiration: 7 Best Bulking Breakfast Ideas to Maximize Your Gains
References:
[*]Morton, R. W., Murphy, K. T., McKellar, S. R., Schoenfeld, B. J., Henselmans, M., Helms, E., … Phillips, S. M. (2017). A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(6), 376–384. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608
[*]Schoenfeld, Brad Jon, and Alan Albert Aragon. "How Much Protein Can the Body Use in a Single Meal for Muscle-Building? Implications for Daily Protein Distribution." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 15, no. 1, 27 Feb. 2018, 10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1
Click here to view the article.
Muscle-building meal plans have been used successfully by bodybuilders for years. It's a foolproof way to ensure your diet is on the right track. Plus, having a plan makes shopping and meal prep more manageable. The hardest part of meal planning is figuring out where to start.
In this article, we will go over:
Why you need a meal plan to gain muscle & how to create one
An explanation of total daily energy expenditure (TDEE)
Ideal macros and meals per day for building muscle
Grocery shopping list for your weekly meal plan
7-day meal plan for maximum muscle gain
When to start cutting
Do you need a meal plan to gain muscle mass?
It may surprise you, but you do not need a specific meal plan to gain muscle. The most crucial factor for building muscle is a caloric surplus. A caloric surplus is when you consume more calories than your body requires to maintain weight.
We will go over this more in-depth in the section on TDEE. After calories, the next most important factor is protein intake. Protein is used for repairing and synthesizing new muscle tissue. As long as your diet has adequate calories and protein, it can effectively build muscle.
Now, we’d love to say that’s the end of it, but it's not always that simple.
What is the best meal plan to gain muscle?
Consistency and adherence are the most critical factors in nutrition and training. Although you don't need to follow a meal plan, having some structure to follow can make consistency easier. If every day is a blank slate, it is tough to be consistent.
Consistency is where many people fall short. It's not hard to have a good day of nutrition once in a while. However, being consistently good is more effective than being occasionally great. It's also important for planning what to eat before a workout and what to eat after a workout to maximize your gains.
So, what is the best meal plan to gain muscle? The one you can stick to over the long term. You can have the best diet in the world on paper, but if you can't follow it, it won't be effective.
Understanding TDEE & Bodybuilding
As mentioned, a well-structured meal plan needs to create a calorie surplus. It comes down to energy balance: calories in vs. calories out. Everyone has a different total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) based on body size and activity level.
The first step in creating an effective meal plan is figuring out your TDEE. Once you find your TDEE, the next step is adding calories to create a surplus. How many calories depends on where you are in your lifting journey.
If you are just starting out and about to take on a beginner Olympic weightlifting program (or any beginner program), you have more potential muscle to gain, and you can be more aggressive with calorie intake. On the other hand, intermediate and advanced lifters can't build muscle as quickly. Therefore they don't need as many additional calories.
For a beginner, gaining 1-1.5% body weight per month is a great goal. Calorie-wise, 15-20% above maintenance is a good starting point. For intermediate and advanced lifters, gaining .5-1% body weight per month is more realistic.
If you have been training for over five years and are fit enough to handle a 6-day split or even a 7-day workout split, stay on the low side of that range. Advanced and intermediate lifters should add 5% of calories on the low end and 15% above maintenance on the high end. Setting calories more aggressive than this would lead to unnecessary fat gain.
Remember what we said in the intro? Training and nutrition go hand in hand. Without a hard workout, even the best diet in the world will fail to cause muscle growth. To ensure muscle growth, strive to do more work over time.
Add 5 pounds to the bar, do more reps with the same weight, or do more sets. Training must force the muscle to adapt and give it a good reason to grow.
Ideal Macros for Building Muscle
When it comes to building muscle, calories are most important. However, having the ideal macronutrient setup is a close second. The macronutrients, or macros for short, are protein, carbohydrate, and fat. Protein and carbohydrates contain four calories per gram, and fat has nine.
Protein is the most vital macronutrient to build and maintain muscle. The goal is to lift weights and consume enough protein to boost muscle protein synthesis and reduce muscle breakdown. The best foods for muscle, which are typically high in protein, will help get you there.
Trying to figure out how much protein per day to build muscle? Current research supports the old recommendation of one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight1. You can probably get away with slightly less protein while in a caloric surplus but aiming for your body weight is easy to remember.
Pinning down the correct amount of carbohydrates and fat is a little less straightforward. Unlike protein, there is not a specific gram amount per pound of body weight that is the ideal intake. For fat and carbs, there is a broader range of proper intake, primarily due to personal preference.
Fat has a negative connotation in society, but consuming dietary fat doesn't make you more likely to gain fat. Some fat is essential, and the body must have it to stay alive. Fat is necessary for regulating hormones, aiding joint health, boosting brain function, and more. We want fat consumption to be about 20-40% of our total calorie intake.
If you enjoy higher fat foods, consume more fat in your diet. However, fat and carbs have an inverse relationship. Higher fat intake requires lower carbs and vice versa. Therefore, if you enjoy higher carb foods, keep fat intake closer to 20%.
Once we have calories, protein, and fat intake figured out, the calories leftover go toward carbohydrates. Carbohydrates benefit a muscle-building diet, especially before and during long workouts.
How Many Meals Per Day?
Meal frequency is a topic that has ebbed and flowed over the past twenty years. At a time, meal frequency was considered paramount to a well-structured diet. But, as often happens, the pendulum swung in the opposite direction, and meal frequency became an afterthought.
What is the truth?
End of the day, calories and macros are most important. Nothing trumps that. However, current evidence suggests distributing protein evenly throughout the day matters.
Based on this research, when determining how much protein you need per serving, having at least four protein meals per day is the best way to maximize muscle building2.
Whatever meal frequency pattern allows you to be consistent is best. The difference between eating three or six times a day is likely to be negligible. Practically, three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and one protein snack, like a protein shake made from one of the best protein powders, works well for most people.
What to Eat for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks
One of the staple practices within the bodybuilding community is meal prepping. Take a look at Chris Bumstead's workout and diet plan, for example, and you'll see that many of his food choices can be made in advance for easy meal times.
Cooking your food ahead of time is one of the best ways to ensure you stay on your diet long-term, whether your goal is to lose fat, reduce or increase your caloric intake, gain weight, or simply meet your maintenance calories. As an added bonus, it will also save you time and money.
Before you go to the store, plan out your week of meals. Sit down and write what you need for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, condiments, and drinks. You will notice you eat many of the same foods weekly.
Muscle-building staples like lean proteins, such as grilled chicken breast and whey protein powder, healthy fats including almond butter and extra virgin olive oil, healthy carbs, both fiber filled and starchy vegetables, and fruit will ensure you're following a balanced diet. These foods will help with muscle hypertrophy and also support muscle recovery.
You'll notice that deep fried foods and processed foods are not on the list. No matter your goals, these foods have very little nutritional value and should be a treat - not a staple.
Food doesn't taste good after a few days in the refrigerator. One way to circumvent this issue is to cook meals twice a week. Sunday and Wednesday seem to work well, but do what works best for you.
Here is a grocery list for the 7-day meal plan. For easy shopping, we've grouped foods by department, so you can get in and out of the store even faster.
Protein Sources:
For protein, think lean meats, dairy, and protein supplements. Try to get a variety of meats that are appropriate for your morning, afternoon, and evening meals.
Meat:
Chicken breast
Turkey breast
White fish
Lean red meat
Pork loin
Beef jerky
Turkey sausage
Salmon
Ham
Canadian bacon
Dairy:
Greek yogurt
Cottage cheese
Fat-free milk
Eggs and egg whites
Protein Supplements:
Protein powder
Protein bar
Carbohydrate Sources:
Plan to dedicate your daily carbs to whole grains, quick digesting carbs for pre-workout meals, and plenty of produce.
Bread:
Whole-grain bread
Bagels
English muffins
Breakfast Items:
Oatmeal
Cereal
Pancakes
Pantry Items:
Whole-grain pasta
Rice cakes
Produce:
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Fruits
Vegetables
Fat Sources:
?You'll notice a few of the foods on this list were also on the protein list we covered above. That's because foods like egg yolks and salmon are high in both protein and fat. Remember, good fat sources are not the enemy!
Dairy:
Butter
Egg yolks
Cream cheese
Meat:
Produce:
Pantry Items:
Nuts or nut butter
Olive oil
Extras:
These beverages, spices, and sauces can take your meals from drab to fab, so make sure to include a few on your list each week!
Beverages:
Coffee
Sparkling water
Diet soda
Pantry Items:
Condiments
Spices
Marinades
Sweetener
Sample 7-Day Diet Plan for Muscle Gain
The following is a complete sample meal plan for Monday through Sunday. Keep in mind that this is just a guide. You will need to alter it slightly to create a calorie surplus based on your TDEE. Each day is roughly 2500 calories. If you're following a muscle-building plan, like this clean bulk workout and diet plan, you can incorporate a lot of these meal ideas directly into it.
This would be perfect for a moderately active 150-160 pound individual. If you're a big guy trying to follow a bodybuilding diet, you may want to bump up your daily calories. On the other hand, if you weigh less than 150 pounds, eat fewer calories than what is listed.
Daily macro goals:
Calories: 2500
Protein: 150-160g
Carbohydrates: 310-320g
Fat: 65-75g
All foods are listed in grams or ounces instead of cups and tablespoons. When weighing and measuring, a food scale is more accurate than volumetric measuring. With your food choices, some items don't have a listing with their weight on the nutrition label.
In this case, it will probably be listed by volume (cup, tbs, etc.) or by item. Regardless, weigh it out. For example, a cup of oats is supposed to be 80 grams, but many times a cup is more or less when put in a measuring cup.
A common question is whether you should weigh raw or cooked foods. The simple answer is it doesn't matter as long as you track it correctly. If you measure chicken after it is cooked, make sure you track it as cooked chicken, not raw chicken.
Everything is weighed and tracked as cooked in the meal plan, except for oats. This allows you to make everything up in advance and divide it up as needed for each meal.
All of the macros listed are approximate. Remember, these are suggestions, so you can either use them as is, or use them as inspiration for other healthy ideas. For example, if one day calls for a protein bar, feel free to substitute it for a tasty protein coffee and banana instead.
Monday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 158g protein, 310g carbohydrates, 74g fat
Breakfast:
4 eggs
80g oats
1 medium apple
Lunch:
4oz chicken breast
290g cooked white rice
100g broccoli
1oz almonds
Dinner:
5oz lean ground beef
10oz sweet potato
100g asparagus
Snack:
1 scoop protein powder for protein shake
1 medium banana
32g peanut butter
3 rice cakes
Tuesday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 151g protein, 312g carbohydrates, 70g fat
Breakfast:
2 whole eggs
8oz fat-free milk
80g multigrain Cheerios
1 medium apple
Lunch:
1 can of tuna
20g light mayonnaise
2 slices of whole-grain bread
14 baby carrots
1oz almonds
1 medium banana
Dinner:
8oz salmon
12oz russet potato
Large green salad
30g low-fat dressing
Snack:
Wednesday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 150g protein, 312g carbohydrates, 68g fat
Breakfast:
1 scoop protein powder
8oz fat-free milk
3 large pancakes
2 turkey sausage links
Lunch:
3oz ham
2 slices of whole-grain bread
Lettuce
Low-fat cheese
1 medium banana
Dinner:
6oz chicken thighs
290g cooked brown rice
100g green beans
Snack:
2oz beef jerky
1 apple
1oz almonds
Thursday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 160g protein, 310g carbohydrates, 70g fat
Breakfast:
3 eggs
4 slices bacon
80g oats
Lunch:
32g peanut butter
20g jelly
2 slices of whole-grain bread
200g vanilla Greek yogurt
1 medium banana
Dinner:
4oz chicken breast
300g pasta
150g red sauce
150g green peppers/onions
Snack:
1 scoop of protein powder
8oz fat-free milk
2 rice cakes
Friday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 160g protein, 315g carbohydrates, 75g fat
Breakfast:
2 whole eggs
1 slice of low-fat cheese
3 pieces of Canadian bacon
1 bagel
30g cream cheese
1 medium apple
Lunch:
5oz white fish
10oz potato
100g green veggies
14g olive oil
Dinner:
4oz lean ground beef
3 whole-grain tortillas
½ avocado
145g rice
75g black beans
lettuce
Tomatoes
Onions
Peppers
Snack:
230g low-fat cottage cheese
150g pineapple
Saturday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 150g protein, 305g carbohydrates, 72g fat
Breakfast:
4 egg whites
2 English muffins
32g peanut butter
8oz fat-free milk
Lunch:
1 can tuna
290g rice
11g butter
100g green beans
Dinner:
6oz pork loin
12oz sweet potato
Large green salad
20g salad dressing
Snack:
1 scoop of protein powder
150g plain fat-free Greek Yogurt
75g frozen blueberries
1 granola bar
1oz almonds
Sunday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 160g protein, 300g carbohydrates, 70g fat
Breakfast:
4 egg whites
2 whole eggs
80g oats
1 medium apple
Lunch:
5oz chicken breast
220g rice
100g green veggies
11g butter
Dinner:
5oz shrimp
220g rice
100g stir fry vegetables
30g teriyaki sauce
14g olive oil
Snack:
1 scoop protein powder
3 rice cakes
1 banana
32g peanut butter
What to do after the seven days?
Use the seven-day meal plan's structure for as long as you still want to gain muscle. If it's not broken, don't fix it. That doesn't mean you have to eat the same foods every day. You can, if that is easier for you, but it's not necessary.
Each meal and snack is set up with the same basic structure. Each time you eat, aim for a protein, carbohydrate, and fat source with some fruits and veggies thrown in. Maintaining this structure over the long term should be pretty straightforward. If you get tired of certain foods or food combinations, mix and match food options within the same food group.
Calorie-free spices, marinades, and condiments are your best friend. Simply changing how a meal is seasoned can make a big difference. Eating healthy doesn't mean all your meals must be bland and boring.
When to Start Cutting?
After following a muscle-building diet for an extended period, the natural question becomes, when is it a good time to start a cut?
Generally, when discussing bulking vs. cutting, we want to spend considerably more time building muscle than fat loss. You have to earn the right to cut. The muscle-building process takes time; it is a long-term process. Cutting too soon or frequently will slow or even prevent you from maximizing muscle.
The best way to determine when it's time to start a cut is by analyzing your body composition. Continue building muscle until your body fat gets higher than you are comfortable with. The specific body fat percentage will be different for everyone. Once your body fat reaches the point where you are no longer happy with your physique, it makes sense to start a fat loss phase.
Use Your Meal Plan for Maximum Muscle Gains
Building muscle is a challenging pursuit. If it were easy, everyone would be stacked. However, one thing that can make the process easier is following a well-structured muscle-building meal plan.
Whether you want to lose weight, improve lean muscle mass, reduce body fat, or bulk, nutrition is all about consistency. To make real progress, you need to have your nutrition dialed in for the long term. Become best friends with high protein low fat foods, eat your fruits and veggies, and remember some fat is necessary. Although this is only a seven-day meal plan, our hope is you can take the principles outlined above and use them for the rest of your life.
Author: Kyle Hunt, Hunt Fitness
More Meal Inspiration: 7 Best Bulking Breakfast Ideas to Maximize Your Gains
References:
Morton, R. W., Murphy, K. T., McKellar, S. R., Schoenfeld, B. J., Henselmans, M., Helms, E., … Phillips, S. M. (2017). A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(6), 376–384. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608
Schoenfeld, Brad Jon, and Alan Albert Aragon. "How Much Protein Can the Body Use in a Single Meal for Muscle-Building? Implications for Daily Protein Distribution." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 15, no. 1, 27 Feb. 2018, 10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1
Training and nutrition go hand in hand. As the saying goes, you can't out-train a bad diet. To get the most out of your workouts, you need to eat the right food in the right amount. One way of doing that is by following a meal plan.
Muscle-building meal plans have been used successfully by bodybuilders for years. It's a foolproof way to ensure your diet is on the right track. Plus, having a plan makes shopping and meal prep more manageable. The hardest part of meal planning is figuring out where to start.
In this article, we will go over:
- Why you need a meal plan to gain muscle & how to create one
- An explanation of total daily energy expenditure (TDEE)
- Ideal macros and meals per day for building muscle
- Grocery shopping list for your weekly meal plan
- 7-day meal plan for maximum muscle gain
- When to start cutting
Do you need a meal plan to gain muscle mass?
It may surprise you, but you do not need a specific meal plan to gain muscle. The most crucial factor for building muscle is a caloric surplus. A caloric surplus is when you consume more calories than your body requires to maintain weight.
We will go over this more in-depth in the section on TDEE. After calories, the next most important factor is protein intake. Protein is used for repairing and synthesizing new muscle tissue. As long as your diet has adequate calories and protein, it can effectively build muscle.
Now, we’d love to say that’s the end of it, but it's not always that simple.
What is the best meal plan to gain muscle?
Consistency and adherence are the most critical factors in nutrition and training. Although you don't need to follow a meal plan, having some structure to follow can make consistency easier. If every day is a blank slate, it is tough to be consistent.
Consistency is where many people fall short. It's not hard to have a good day of nutrition once in a while. However, being consistently good is more effective than being occasionally great. It's also important for planning what to eat before a workout and what to eat after a workout to maximize your gains.
So, what is the best meal plan to gain muscle? The one you can stick to over the long term. You can have the best diet in the world on paper, but if you can't follow it, it won't be effective.
Understanding TDEE & Bodybuilding
As mentioned, a well-structured meal plan needs to create a calorie surplus. It comes down to energy balance: calories in vs. calories out. Everyone has a different total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) based on body size and activity level.
The first step in creating an effective meal plan is figuring out your TDEE. Once you find your TDEE, the next step is adding calories to create a surplus. How many calories depends on where you are in your lifting journey.
If you are just starting out and about to take on a beginner Olympic weightlifting program (or any beginner program), you have more potential muscle to gain, and you can be more aggressive with calorie intake. On the other hand, intermediate and advanced lifters can't build muscle as quickly. Therefore they don't need as many additional calories.
For a beginner, gaining 1-1.5% body weight per month is a great goal. Calorie-wise, 15-20% above maintenance is a good starting point. For intermediate and advanced lifters, gaining .5-1% body weight per month is more realistic.
If you have been training for over five years and are fit enough to handle a 6-day split or even a 7-day workout split, stay on the low side of that range. Advanced and intermediate lifters should add 5% of calories on the low end and 15% above maintenance on the high end. Setting calories more aggressive than this would lead to unnecessary fat gain.
Remember what we said in the intro? Training and nutrition go hand in hand. Without a hard workout, even the best diet in the world will fail to cause muscle growth. To ensure muscle growth, strive to do more work over time.
Add 5 pounds to the bar, do more reps with the same weight, or do more sets. Training must force the muscle to adapt and give it a good reason to grow.
Ideal Macros for Building Muscle
When it comes to building muscle, calories are most important. However, having the ideal macronutrient setup is a close second. The macronutrients, or macros for short, are protein, carbohydrate, and fat. Protein and carbohydrates contain four calories per gram, and fat has nine.
Protein is the most vital macronutrient to build and maintain muscle. The goal is to lift weights and consume enough protein to boost muscle protein synthesis and reduce muscle breakdown. The best foods for muscle, which are typically high in protein, will help get you there.
Trying to figure out how much protein per day to build muscle? Current research supports the old recommendation of one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight1. You can probably get away with slightly less protein while in a caloric surplus but aiming for your body weight is easy to remember.
Pinning down the correct amount of carbohydrates and fat is a little less straightforward. Unlike protein, there is not a specific gram amount per pound of body weight that is the ideal intake. For fat and carbs, there is a broader range of proper intake, primarily due to personal preference.
Fat has a negative connotation in society, but consuming dietary fat doesn't make you more likely to gain fat. Some fat is essential, and the body must have it to stay alive. Fat is necessary for regulating hormones, aiding joint health, boosting brain function, and more. We want fat consumption to be about 20-40% of our total calorie intake.
If you enjoy higher fat foods, consume more fat in your diet. However, fat and carbs have an inverse relationship. Higher fat intake requires lower carbs and vice versa. Therefore, if you enjoy higher carb foods, keep fat intake closer to 20%.
Once we have calories, protein, and fat intake figured out, the calories leftover go toward carbohydrates. Carbohydrates benefit a muscle-building diet, especially before and during long workouts.
How Many Meals Per Day?
Meal frequency is a topic that has ebbed and flowed over the past twenty years. At a time, meal frequency was considered paramount to a well-structured diet. But, as often happens, the pendulum swung in the opposite direction, and meal frequency became an afterthought.
What is the truth?
End of the day, calories and macros are most important. Nothing trumps that. However, current evidence suggests distributing protein evenly throughout the day matters.
Based on this research, when determining how much protein you need per serving, having at least four protein meals per day is the best way to maximize muscle building2.
Whatever meal frequency pattern allows you to be consistent is best. The difference between eating three or six times a day is likely to be negligible. Practically, three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and one protein snack, like a protein shake made from one of the best protein powders, works well for most people.
What to Eat for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks
One of the staple practices within the bodybuilding community is meal prepping. Take a look at Chris Bumstead's workout and diet plan, for example, and you'll see that many of his food choices can be made in advance for easy meal times.
Cooking your food ahead of time is one of the best ways to ensure you stay on your diet long-term, whether your goal is to lose fat, reduce or increase your caloric intake, gain weight, or simply meet your maintenance calories. As an added bonus, it will also save you time and money.
Before you go to the store, plan out your week of meals. Sit down and write what you need for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, condiments, and drinks. You will notice you eat many of the same foods weekly.
Muscle-building staples like lean proteins, such as grilled chicken breast and whey protein powder, healthy fats including almond butter and extra virgin olive oil, healthy carbs, both fiber filled and starchy vegetables, and fruit will ensure you're following a balanced diet. These foods will help with muscle hypertrophy and also support muscle recovery.
You'll notice that deep fried foods and processed foods are not on the list. No matter your goals, these foods have very little nutritional value and should be a treat - not a staple.
Food doesn't taste good after a few days in the refrigerator. One way to circumvent this issue is to cook meals twice a week. Sunday and Wednesday seem to work well, but do what works best for you.
Here is a grocery list for the 7-day meal plan. For easy shopping, we've grouped foods by department, so you can get in and out of the store even faster.
Protein Sources:
For protein, think lean meats, dairy, and protein supplements. Try to get a variety of meats that are appropriate for your morning, afternoon, and evening meals.
Meat:
- Chicken breast
- Turkey breast
- White fish
- Lean red meat
- Pork loin
- Beef jerky
- Turkey sausage
- Salmon
- Ham
- Canadian bacon
- Greek yogurt
- Cottage cheese
- Fat-free milk
- Eggs and egg whites
- Protein powder
- Protein bar
Carbohydrate Sources:
Plan to dedicate your daily carbs to whole grains, quick digesting carbs for pre-workout meals, and plenty of produce.
Bread:
- Whole-grain bread
- Bagels
- English muffins
- Oatmeal
- Cereal
- Pancakes
- Whole-grain pasta
- Rice cakes
- Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Fruits
- Vegetables
Fat Sources:
?You'll notice a few of the foods on this list were also on the protein list we covered above. That's because foods like egg yolks and salmon are high in both protein and fat. Remember, good fat sources are not the enemy!
Dairy:
- Butter
- Egg yolks
- Cream cheese
Produce:
Pantry Items:
- Nuts or nut butter
- Olive oil
Extras:
These beverages, spices, and sauces can take your meals from drab to fab, so make sure to include a few on your list each week!
Beverages:
- Coffee
- Sparkling water
- Diet soda
- Condiments
- Spices
- Marinades
- Sweetener
Sample 7-Day Diet Plan for Muscle Gain
The following is a complete sample meal plan for Monday through Sunday. Keep in mind that this is just a guide. You will need to alter it slightly to create a calorie surplus based on your TDEE. Each day is roughly 2500 calories. If you're following a muscle-building plan, like this clean bulk workout and diet plan, you can incorporate a lot of these meal ideas directly into it.
This would be perfect for a moderately active 150-160 pound individual. If you're a big guy trying to follow a bodybuilding diet, you may want to bump up your daily calories. On the other hand, if you weigh less than 150 pounds, eat fewer calories than what is listed.
Daily macro goals:
- Calories: 2500
- Protein: 150-160g
- Carbohydrates: 310-320g
- Fat: 65-75g
All foods are listed in grams or ounces instead of cups and tablespoons. When weighing and measuring, a food scale is more accurate than volumetric measuring. With your food choices, some items don't have a listing with their weight on the nutrition label.
In this case, it will probably be listed by volume (cup, tbs, etc.) or by item. Regardless, weigh it out. For example, a cup of oats is supposed to be 80 grams, but many times a cup is more or less when put in a measuring cup.
A common question is whether you should weigh raw or cooked foods. The simple answer is it doesn't matter as long as you track it correctly. If you measure chicken after it is cooked, make sure you track it as cooked chicken, not raw chicken.
Everything is weighed and tracked as cooked in the meal plan, except for oats. This allows you to make everything up in advance and divide it up as needed for each meal.
All of the macros listed are approximate. Remember, these are suggestions, so you can either use them as is, or use them as inspiration for other healthy ideas. For example, if one day calls for a protein bar, feel free to substitute it for a tasty protein coffee and banana instead.
Monday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 158g protein, 310g carbohydrates, 74g fat
Breakfast:
- 4 eggs
- 80g oats
- 1 medium apple
Lunch:
- 4oz chicken breast
- 290g cooked white rice
- 100g broccoli
- 1oz almonds
Dinner:
- 5oz lean ground beef
- 10oz sweet potato
- 100g asparagus
Snack:
- 1 scoop protein powder for protein shake
- 1 medium banana
- 32g peanut butter
- 3 rice cakes
Tuesday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 151g protein, 312g carbohydrates, 70g fat
Breakfast:
- 2 whole eggs
- 8oz fat-free milk
- 80g multigrain Cheerios
- 1 medium apple
Lunch:
- 1 can of tuna
- 20g light mayonnaise
- 2 slices of whole-grain bread
- 14 baby carrots
- 1oz almonds
- 1 medium banana
Dinner:
- 8oz salmon
- 12oz russet potato
- Large green salad
- 30g low-fat dressing
Snack:
Wednesday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 150g protein, 312g carbohydrates, 68g fat
Breakfast:
- 1 scoop protein powder
- 8oz fat-free milk
- 3 large pancakes
- 2 turkey sausage links
Lunch:
- 3oz ham
- 2 slices of whole-grain bread
- Lettuce
- Low-fat cheese
- 1 medium banana
Dinner:
- 6oz chicken thighs
- 290g cooked brown rice
- 100g green beans
Snack:
- 2oz beef jerky
- 1 apple
- 1oz almonds
Thursday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 160g protein, 310g carbohydrates, 70g fat
Breakfast:
- 3 eggs
- 4 slices bacon
- 80g oats
Lunch:
- 32g peanut butter
- 20g jelly
- 2 slices of whole-grain bread
- 200g vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 medium banana
Dinner:
- 4oz chicken breast
- 300g pasta
- 150g red sauce
- 150g green peppers/onions
Snack:
- 1 scoop of protein powder
- 8oz fat-free milk
- 2 rice cakes
Friday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 160g protein, 315g carbohydrates, 75g fat
Breakfast:
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 slice of low-fat cheese
- 3 pieces of Canadian bacon
- 1 bagel
- 30g cream cheese
- 1 medium apple
Lunch:
- 5oz white fish
- 10oz potato
- 100g green veggies
- 14g olive oil
Dinner:
- 4oz lean ground beef
- 3 whole-grain tortillas
- ½ avocado
- 145g rice
- 75g black beans
- lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Peppers
Snack:
- 230g low-fat cottage cheese
- 150g pineapple
Saturday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 150g protein, 305g carbohydrates, 72g fat
Breakfast:
- 4 egg whites
- 2 English muffins
- 32g peanut butter
- 8oz fat-free milk
Lunch:
- 1 can tuna
- 290g rice
- 11g butter
- 100g green beans
Dinner:
- 6oz pork loin
- 12oz sweet potato
- Large green salad
- 20g salad dressing
Snack:
- 1 scoop of protein powder
- 150g plain fat-free Greek Yogurt
- 75g frozen blueberries
- 1 granola bar
- 1oz almonds
Sunday
Daily nutrition breakdown: 160g protein, 300g carbohydrates, 70g fat
Breakfast:
- 4 egg whites
- 2 whole eggs
- 80g oats
- 1 medium apple
Lunch:
- 5oz chicken breast
- 220g rice
- 100g green veggies
- 11g butter
Dinner:
- 5oz shrimp
- 220g rice
- 100g stir fry vegetables
- 30g teriyaki sauce
- 14g olive oil
Snack:
- 1 scoop protein powder
- 3 rice cakes
- 1 banana
- 32g peanut butter
What to do after the seven days?
Use the seven-day meal plan's structure for as long as you still want to gain muscle. If it's not broken, don't fix it. That doesn't mean you have to eat the same foods every day. You can, if that is easier for you, but it's not necessary.
Each meal and snack is set up with the same basic structure. Each time you eat, aim for a protein, carbohydrate, and fat source with some fruits and veggies thrown in. Maintaining this structure over the long term should be pretty straightforward. If you get tired of certain foods or food combinations, mix and match food options within the same food group.
Calorie-free spices, marinades, and condiments are your best friend. Simply changing how a meal is seasoned can make a big difference. Eating healthy doesn't mean all your meals must be bland and boring.
When to Start Cutting?
After following a muscle-building diet for an extended period, the natural question becomes, when is it a good time to start a cut?
Generally, when discussing bulking vs. cutting, we want to spend considerably more time building muscle than fat loss. You have to earn the right to cut. The muscle-building process takes time; it is a long-term process. Cutting too soon or frequently will slow or even prevent you from maximizing muscle.
The best way to determine when it's time to start a cut is by analyzing your body composition. Continue building muscle until your body fat gets higher than you are comfortable with. The specific body fat percentage will be different for everyone. Once your body fat reaches the point where you are no longer happy with your physique, it makes sense to start a fat loss phase.
Use Your Meal Plan for Maximum Muscle Gains
Building muscle is a challenging pursuit. If it were easy, everyone would be stacked. However, one thing that can make the process easier is following a well-structured muscle-building meal plan.
Whether you want to lose weight, improve lean muscle mass, reduce body fat, or bulk, nutrition is all about consistency. To make real progress, you need to have your nutrition dialed in for the long term. Become best friends with high protein low fat foods, eat your fruits and veggies, and remember some fat is necessary. Although this is only a seven-day meal plan, our hope is you can take the principles outlined above and use them for the rest of your life.
Author: Kyle Hunt, Hunt Fitness
More Meal Inspiration: 7 Best Bulking Breakfast Ideas to Maximize Your Gains
References:
[*]Morton, R. W., Murphy, K. T., McKellar, S. R., Schoenfeld, B. J., Henselmans, M., Helms, E., … Phillips, S. M. (2017). A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(6), 376–384. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608
[*]Schoenfeld, Brad Jon, and Alan Albert Aragon. "How Much Protein Can the Body Use in a Single Meal for Muscle-Building? Implications for Daily Protein Distribution." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 15, no. 1, 27 Feb. 2018, 10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1
Click here to view the article.
