3 Sample Meal Plans for the Perfect Bodybuilding Diet

The perfect bodybuilding diet consists of 5 or 6 meals every day. That means you should eat every 2-3 hours. At the end of the day you should have consumed nutrients from each of the food groups and choose foods that build muscle. To help you out, here are some sample meal plans to get you started. Remember that you should consume 3 grams of carbohydrates and 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily.

Sample Meal Plan #1

Meal 1:
Vegetable Omelette (3 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 1 cup vegetables) You can also add some chicken or lean beef if you like.

Meal 2:
A cup of yogurt or a protein shake.

Meal 3:
6 ounces of chicken,
Small salad of raw vegetables,
1 roll

Meal 4:
1 piece of fruit,
3-4 ounces chicken

Meal 5:
6 ounces of fish,
1 – Cup of grilled vegetables,
1 – Cup of brown rice

Sample Meal Plan #2

Meal 1:
3 packages of instant oats,
1 banana,
1 cup of yogurt,
1 cup cottage cheese

Meal 2:
Protein shake,
1 large baked potato

Meal 3:
8 ounces of chicken breast,
2 cups of pasta,
1 apple,
1 cup yogurt

Meal 4:
1 can of tuna,
1 – 2 cups of broccoli

Meal 5:
Protein shake,
1 cup brown rice

Meal 6:
8 ounces of grilled fish,
1 cup of vegetables,
2 cups of rice

Meal Plan Example #4

Meal 1:
Breakfast Burrito (3 egg whites, 1 whole egg scrambled, 1 cup green pepper-onion mix, salsa),
1 cup of cottage cheese,
1 cup of berries,

Meal 2:
Protein shake,
1 cup raw vegetables

Meal 3:
Salmon Burger on Whole Grain Bread (canned salmon, 1 egg white, onions cooked in a nonstick skillet),
1 large potato, cut into strips, brushed with olive oil and baked until crisp,
1 garden salad drizzled with olive oil and red wine vinegar,

Meal 4:
Protein shake,
1 cup yogurt

Meal 5:
8 ounces chicken breast, cut into pieces, fried in olive oil and seasoned with oregano, garlic salt and basil,
1 cup of cooked tomatoes,
2 cups of pasta,
1 cup broccoli/cauliflower mix

Meal 6:
Protein shake,
1 cup of melon,
1 cup yogurt

There’s really no need to carefully measure the suggested servings. This is not an exact science! Look at your servings and consider the table below:

Portion size:
1 ounce. meat = box of matches,
3 oz. meat = deck of cards,
8 oz. meat = thin paperback,
3 oz. fish = checkbook,
1 ounce. cheese = four dice,
1 potato medicine = computer mouse,
2 tbsp. peanut butter = ping pong ball,
1 cup of pasta = tennis ball,
1 bagel = hockey puck

Of course, these are just suggested eating plans. You can mix it however you want. It’s a good idea to plan ahead and pre-cook your meals. Keep cut vegetables in the fridge so you don’t have to work too hard at mealtimes.