Best Meal Plans for Building Muscle: Sample Plans and Recipes

Bodybuilders know – food is necessary to gain muscle. To obtain defined muscles you need to eat lean proteins complemented with healthy fats and complex carbohydrates. When it comes to making a healthy diet plan, it can be really difficult to know where to begin and how to get that lean muscle.

Don’t skip meals. If you don’t eat the right way it will be harder to get ripped. Plan your workout and post workout menu with us. Find out what foods can help you to build muscle. Try our speedy diet plans and post-workout recipes and build your muscle today.

Meal plan for 2 days

Having a ripped body is a dream that many men have. No matter, how hard you train in the gym, without proper dietary regimen you will not achieve good results. The key is to eat the right things at the right times. Below there are the main components of the good diet plan.

To get ripped you need to:

• Get protein food to keep your metabolism high and maintain your muscle mass.
• Limit carbohydrate intake to only high quality sources.
• Include an adequate level of healthy fats through nuts, oils and lean meats to deliver healthy nutrients and enhance satiety.
• Introduce a variety of vegetables containing crucial minerals and vitamins and additional fiber.
• Load up with sufficient fiber to increase fat burning and satiety.

Day 1

• Breakfast: 3 whole eggs, one cup of oats with cinnamon.
• Snack: 2 scoops protein, 2-3 tbsp. natural peanut butter.
• Lunch: 1 cup brown rice, 6 oz chicken or fish, 2 tbsp. natural peanut butter.
• Snack: one cup non-fat Greek yogurt, 2 oz sliced almonds.
• Dinner: 4 oz. chicken with 2 servings of whole wheat pasta.
• Snack: 2 scoops whei protein, 1 tbsp. protein.

Day 2

• Breakfast: ½ cup oatmeal, 3 whole eggs, ½ cup skim milk.
• Snack: 2 scoops whei protein, two tablespoons natural peanut butter, ½ cup skim milk.
• Lunch: whole wheat bread (2 slices), slices of deli turkey (6 oz), lettuce, tomato.
• Snack: one can white tuna with two slices whole-wheat bread.
• Dinner: 1 cup broccoli, 6 oz. lean sirloin steak, two cups mixed green salad, one medium sweet potato.
• Snack: 1 medium banana.

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Sample plans and best foods to eat: Your Best Diet Plan

Those who want to get ripped must have well-defined muscles and low amount of body fat. Have extra fat to lose? Then you need to cut the calories. Remember, 1 pound is 3,500 calories. If you will reduce your daily intake by 500 calories you will lose 1 pound a week.

How to build a meal program that you can enjoy while still getting yourself healthier and leaner? How to build the program that can help you to get ripped and control calories? The answer is as simple as that: Consume a wide variety of low-calorie density and high nutrient density foods.

Here is a list of best foods to eat. Include them into your diet plan and get ripped in no time.

Top 10 natural whole grain and starchy carbs

1. Oatmeal,
2. Brown rice,
3. Beans,
4. Yams,
5. Sweet potatoes,
6. 100% whole wheat bread,
7. Multi grain hot cereal,
8. White potatoes,
9. Cream of rice hot cereal,
10. 100% whole wheat pasta.

Top 10 lean proteins

1. Chicken Breast,
2. Egg whites,
3. Turkey Breast,
4. Whey or Casein protein,
5. Salmon (wild Alaskan),
6. Top round steak,
7. Lean Ground Turkey,
8. Trout,
9. Flank Steak,
10. Bison/Buffalo.

Top 10 vegetables

1. Asparagus,
2. Broccoli,
3. Salad greens,
4. Spinach,
5. Onions,
6. Mushrooms,
7. Cucumbers,
8. Peppers,
9. Tomatoes,
10. Zucchini.

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Top 10 fruits

1. Apples,
2. Grapefruit,
3. Oranges,
4. Peaches,
5. Grapes,
6. Blueberries,
7. Cantaloupe,
8. Bananas,
9. Strawberries,
10. Pineapple,

So what a diet for getting ripped must include? If you think there is 1 single diet that is going to get you marvelous results, then you are wrong. However, there are a great number of good diet setups out that anyone can follow to achieve the goals.

Each week of effective diet plan must schedule a carb and calorie slash. When it comes to a protein it should stay steady, so you don’t risk sacrificing your muscle. Here is our sample diet plan that includes the best products for getting ripped.

Sample Plan 1

• Breakfast: 4 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, one cup Kashi Go Lean Cereal, one cup low fat milk.
• Snack: 1 scoop whei protein, one tbsp. peanut butter, one medium banana.
• Lunch: two slices of whole-wheat bread, one can white tuna, one tablespoon fat free mayonnaise.
• Snack: 3 hard-boiled eggs, ¼ cup oatmeal, 10 oz. fresh spinach, 2 tbsp. olive oil.
• Dinner: 10 oz. green beans, 1 cup brown rice, 9 oz. Tilapia.
• Night-time snack: one scoop casein protein.

Sample Plan 2

• Breakfast: 3 egg whites, 3 whole eggs, 1 cup oatmeal, one cup strawberries.
• Snack: one oz. nuts, mixed, 1 scoop whei protein.
• Lunch: two slices whole-wheat bread, six oz. turkey deli meat, 1 tbsp. mustard.
• Snack: 6 whole-wheat crackers, one can sardines in oil, 2 scoops whei protein.
• Dinner: 1 cup broccoli, eight oz. top sirloin steak, two cups mixed green salad, two tablespoons vinegar dressing.
• Snack: one scoop casein protein, one tablespoon peanut butter.

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Excellent, mass-gaining diet plan for men

Try one of these excellent diet plans to maximize your gains. And follow our post-workout recipes.

Mass Gaining diet Plan

• Breakfast: 120g. old fashioned oatmeal – ½ cups, uncooked; two omega-3 whole eggs, one cup egg whites, one tablespoon all-natural peanut butter.
• Snack: one cup blueberries or strawberries, two cups cottage cheese, low-fat.
• Lunch: two slices of whole-wheat bread, one small sweet potato – 150 g, measured, uncooked, 6 oz. turkey breast, ½ tomato, medium; large leaf spinach, unlimited; mustard.
• Pre-workout snack: one scoop whei isolate protein of choice, 4 small strawberries, ½ large banana.
• Post-workout snack: 1 ½ scoops whei isolate protein of choice, 50g fast-digesting carb.
• Dinner: eight oz. lean-fat trimmed pork chop, 400g acorn squash, one tablespoon organic virgin coconut oil, 340g green veggie of choice.
• Snack: 10 almonds, crushed; 1 tablespoon sugar-free chocolate syrup, 8 oz. non-fat Oikos Greek yogurt, plain; one tablespoon all-natural peanut butter.

Nutrient Breakdown: 3,040 Cal. 60g fiber, 271g. protein, 323g. carbs.

Rest Day Diet Plan

• Breakfast: ¾ cup egg whites, one cup (80 g.) old-fashioned oatmeal, measured; four omega-3 whole eggs, one tablespoon virgin coconut oil.
• Snack: one scoop whey protein isolate of choice, 4 tbsp. salsa, two cups low-fat cottage cheese.
• Lunch: 2 slices of whole-wheat bread, large leaf spinach, unlimited, 6 oz. turkey breast (not packaged), mustard, ½ tomato, medium.
  Protein effectively helps to repair and build muscle
• Snack: 6 oz. deli chicken breast – sliced – wrapped around cheese, two mozzarella sticks.
• Dinner: eight oz. salmon (filet), 75g. sweet potato, uncooked, 16 oz. California Medley Mix, one; one tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil.
• Snack: 10 oz. non-fat Greek yogurt, one tablespoon sugar-free chocolate syrup, ten almonds, crushed; one tablespoon all-natural peanut butter.

Excellent post-workout meals

Those who want to start the muscle building process should know the process requires a quick dose of the right carbohydrates and protein. You cannot always rely on rice, chicken and plain protein shakes. We recommend choosing a wide variety of nutrient-dense foods. To get results to try these excellent post-workout meals.

1. Protein pancakes

   Ingredients:

   • 4 egg whites,
   • ½ cup cottage cheese,
   • ½ cup rolled oats,
   • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract,
   • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder.

   How to do: Mix all ingredients. Cook – on medium to low heat – until it bubbles, then flip and cool. Top protein pancakes with fresh banana or berries slices.

   Important
   Those who want to get ripped must eat quality post-workout food. This is crucial if you desire to make gains. To optimize your training results, replace glycogen and amino acids lost during your workout.

2. Tuna and Crackers

   Ingredients:

   • a can of yellow fin tuna,
   • ½ cup whole grain crackers, crushed up.

   How to do: Mix the ingredients. For flavor, add a dab of extra virgin oil, pepper, mustard and pickles, chopped up.

3. High-Protein Oats On-the-Go

   Ingredients:

   • 1 or 2 scoops of whei protein powder,
   • ½ cup of rolled oats,
   • ½ cup of fruit, dried or frozen and slivered almonds.

   How to do: Mix the ingredients. Add ½ cup of skim milk and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator. To add more flavors add cinnamon.

Know When to Eat

Knowing when to eat is just as important as knowing what to eat to get ripped. Planning your meals around your workout schedule will help you maximize your food’s potential allowing your body to use as much of the nutrients as possible with little to no waste. On your days away from the gym, eating smaller meals that are spaced throughout the day will allow you to burn your calories efficiently, even when you aren’t working out.

Schedule Your Meals Appropriately

On your off days, schedule your meals two to three hours apart. You can always stretch them further and include a snack or two. By eating smaller meals more frequently you don’t overload your digestive system. It works more efficiently allowing the maximum amount of nutrients to be utilized by the body and less goes to waste. This also gives your body a chance to use the calories you take in when they are first available. Fewer are allowed to be converted to fat.

On workout days, you can still eat smaller meals more frequently, but eat your biggest meal about 90 minutes before your workout. This allows your food to be digested and the calories available when you need them the most. This time frame is subjective and will depend on the intensity of your workout and what type of exercises you will be doing. If your workout is going to be intense, you may want to eat a full two hours before you hit the gym just to make sure your body is primed and ready to go.

Why When You Eat Is So Important

When you eat is extremely important if you are trying to lose weight or improve your performance in the gym or on the playing field. Smaller meals spaced throughout the day provide a sustained level of energy.

Not only does this allow you to keep going through the toughest parts of your day, but it also allows your body to utilize more nutrients without working harder to digest your food.

Your daily meal schedule can include:

• Breakfast,
• Small snack,
• First lunch,
• Second lunch,
• Snack,
• Afternoon Meal,
• Big Meal,
• Small meal,
• Bedtime snack.

On the days you workout, meal timing is essential. You don’t want to eat too close to your workout time simply because your digestive tract is still processing your food. Allowing enough time between your workout meal and when you hit the gym gives your digestive tract a chance to do its job and your body to start processing the calories you’ve taken in. Your energy level will be high and you will be ready to take on any workout plan you choose.

Maximizing Your Food’s Potential While Burning Your Calories Efficiently

The foods you eat and when you eat them both play vital roles in how efficiently your body burns calories. Timing your meals and eating the right foods at the right time will turn your body into a muscle building machine that will allow you to achieve and maintain the level of fitness and definition you want.

Dividing Up Your Calories

Dividing up your calories is a great way to make sure you get the most out of them. Your first meal of the day and the meal prior to your workout should have the most calories. The meal or snacks you consume after 6 P.M. should contain the least. You don’t want to overload your stomach right before bed. These calories won’t be utilized efficiently and will end up being stored as fat while you sleep.

Knowing when to eat certain foods is also important:

• Proteins – Breakfast, lunch snack, big meal, late night snack.
• Carbohydrates – Breakfast, lunch, daytime snacks, big meal.
• Fats – Breakfast, lunch, daytime snacks, big meal.

On your off days, divide your calories up evenly between all your smaller meals. Sustained levels of energy and continuous intake will mean fewer cravings and less stress on your digestive tract. Your body will be able to assimilate the nutrients you take in and calories will be used as soon as they are available. This keeps your energy level steady with fewer fluctuations that would otherwise lead you to snack or binge eat.

Know How Many Calories You Need Every Day

The number of calories you consume on a daily basis will change from day to day. On days where you have very few activities planned, a 1400 calorie meal plan will work fine. It gives you what you need to function throughout the day and will allow you to burn off any extra they may have been left over from the day before.

The days you have an intense workout planned, using a 2500 calorie meal plan is the best choice. The goal is to plan meals throughout the day that will give you what you need when you need it without a lot of excess calories. You will have to learn how your body functions and how many calories you need to maximize your workout and burn off the calories you consume each day. Once you know those things, you can create your own meal plan that will help you get ripped and maximize the efficiency of every workout.

There are hundreds of excellent foods to build muscle. To get ripped, choose foods that can help cover different nutritional needs. Remember a diet high in protein and lower in carbs is a reliable method to get ripped. Plan your meal around fruits, vegetables and lean sources of protein.

In such a way you will improve muscle tone and keep that sculpted body.

You can find further details of Get Ripped here.