Nutrition Plan for Muscle Growth – For Those Who Want It Simple! | Hardworkout Magazine
Key takeaways
- The meal plan provides around 2400 calories a day, split across three main meals and one snack, and is intended for both women and men.
- People who train regularly need more protein than the general recommendation of 10-20 E%, with 1.2-2 g per kilogram of body weight commonly advised; this plan targets 1.6-2.2 g/kg.
- Eating more than 2.2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight does not build more muscle, because the body can only absorb a limited amount at a time.
- A surplus of 300-500 calories above your daily requirement is enough to support muscle growth, and the same reduction applies if the goal is weight loss.
- Daily calorie needs are found by calculating BMR with the Mifflin formula and multiplying by an activity factor (PAL) between 1.2 and 2.4.
If you train regularly and aim to get in better shape and build more muscle, it is important to consume enough nutritious food. Not everyone enjoys spending so much time in the kitchen, or thinks it can take up too much time. This meal plan is for those who want healthy and nutritious food, without spending hours in the kitchen every day.
The meal plan consists of simple, yet varied recipes that ensure a good intake of proteins, healthy fats, and filling, fiber-rich carbohydrates. The meal plan also ensures a good intake of vitamins and minerals, which provide optimal absorption of nutrients and a steady energy level.
How much protein do you need to build muscle?
The general recommendations for macronutrients state that we should consume 10-20 E% protein, 25-40 E% fat, and 45-60 E% carbohydrates.
However, a person who trains a lot will need more protein than this, and the recommendations vary between 1.2-2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight.
In this nutrition plan, calories and the amount of various macronutrients are listed for each day. You can adjust this based on your needs.
All recipes include nutritional content for the entire recipe and per food item.
- Protein: 1.6-2.2 g/kg body weight
- Fat: 20-35 E% of total calorie intake
- Carbohydrates: The remaining calories of total intake
Can you eat too much protein?
Eating significantly more than 2.2 g of protein/kg body weight will not result in larger muscles, as there is a limit to how much the body can absorb at one time.
A balanced meal with proteins, carbohydrates, and fats will cause the protein to be absorbed a bit slower. Dinner typically contains a bit more protein.
It is also wise to consume a mix of fast and slow proteins. Therefore, choose various high-quality protein sources such as eggs, fish, meat, and low-fat dairy products.
Low-fat dairy products contain both whey (fast) and casein (slow) proteins. It is therefore ideal to eat some of this as the last meal in the evening.
How big a calorie surplus do you need to build muscle?
When you train and want to increase muscle mass, you also need to be in a slight caloric surplus to ensure sufficient nutrition for muscle growth.
A surplus of 300-500 calories above your caloric needs is sufficient. Likewise, you can reduce the same amount of calories if the goal is to lose weight.
Read more about how to calculate your caloric needs further down in the article.
A meal plan makes it easier to plan
It is wise to plan what you will eat to ensure you get enough of the various nutrients.
By having a ready-made weekly menu, you will be able to shop for a whole week at a time, and avoid small shopping trips during the week, which can often result in poor food choices.
This weekly menu has been made as simple as possible, so that cooking does not take up too much time. It is still well composed of plenty of proteins, fiber-rich and slow carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.
The meal plan is designed to make it easier for you to plan, and you can prepare lunch for 2-3 days at a time, so you don’t have to do so much cooking every day.
How many meals does the plan include each day?
The meal plan has 2400 calories per day and is suitable for both women and men.
There are 3 main meals + 1 snack each day.
Lunch can be divided into two meals if you prefer more smaller meals throughout the day.
The snack can be consumed after training, so you can have dinner within a couple of hours after training.
Monday
For breakfast, there will be a simple and nutritious oatmeal with fiber, extra proteins from eggs, and healthy fats from seeds and nut butter.
Lunch will be marinated chicken rich in proteins, filling carbohydrates from rice and vegetables, and healthy fats from avocado.
For dinner, there will be tasty and nutritious wraps, rich in proteins from both eggs, chicken, and dairy products.
The snack will be a protein-rich yogurt and a fiber-rich banana, which also contributes calcium and magnesium, and is perfect to consume after training.
- Breakfast: [Protein porridge with nut butter and raspberries](https://hardworkout.no/muskelmat-proteingrot-med-nottesmor-og-bringebaer/)
- Lunch: [Grilled chicken breast with rice and avocado salad](https://hardworkout.no/muskelmat-grillet-kyllingfilet-med-ris-og-avokadosalat/)
- Dinner: [Wraps with eggs, cheese, and chicken](https://hardworkout.no/muskelmat-sunne-og-proteinrike-wraps-med-egg-ost-og-kalkun/)
- Snack: 1 yogurt (Skyr or Greek) + 1 large banana
Total: 2395 calories. (167 g proteins, 221 g carbohydrates, 88 g fats.)
Tuesday
For breakfast, there will be a simple and nutritious oatmeal with fiber, extra proteins from eggs, and healthy fats from seeds and nut butter.
Lunch will be marinated chicken rich in proteins, filling carbohydrates from rice and vegetables, and healthy fats from avocado.
For dinner, there will be a healthy and flavorful fish dish with proteins and healthy fats from fish, and filling and nutritious carbohydrates from sweet potatoes, rich in good flavors.
The snack will be a simple protein shake, with a handful of nuts on the side.
- Breakfast: [Protein porridge with nut butter and raspberries](https://hardworkout.no/muskelmat-proteingrot-med-nottesmor-og-bringebaer/)
- Lunch: [Grilled chicken breast with rice and avocado salad](https://hardworkout.no/muskelmat-grillet-kyllingfilet-med-ris-og-avokadosalat/)
- Dinner: [Fried trout with sweet potato and cucumber salad](https://hardworkout.no/muskelmat-stekt-orret-med-sotpotet-og-agurksalat/)
- Snack: Protein shake (30 g protein powder + 2 dl water) + 30 g cashew nuts
Total: 2413 calories. (156 g proteins, 246 g carbohydrates, 87 g fats.)
Wednesday
For breakfast, there will be a simple and nutritious oatmeal with fiber, extra proteins from eggs, and healthy fats from seeds and nut butter.