Food choices for lean muscle gains
Food choices matter more during a bulk than many people care to admit. Once you have set your daily calorie intake, you need to consider where those calories come from, how many times a day you eat and how protein, carbohydrates and fat are balanced on your plate.
Translated by Janar Rückenberg
Food choices and why a calorie is not just a calorie
The first part of this article discussed what an optimal calorie intake for lean muscle gains might look like. But the number alone is not enough. Your body does not use all nutrients in the same way.
Here is a simple example: 3200 kcal from ice cream, pizza, doughnuts, potato chips and soft drinks will not produce the same results as 3200 kcal from egg whites, lean cuts of meat, fruit, vegetables, rice, potatoes and whole grains. The calories may match on paper, but your body responds differently.
If your goal is to build muscle rather than simply gain weight, your food choices, meals and nutrient ratios need to be fairly precise. That does not mean panicking over every gram at every meal. It means having a system.
Food choices, protein, carbohydrates and fat
Once you have calculated the calorie intake you need to gain mass, the next question is how to divide those calories between protein, carbohydrates and fat.
A frequently recommended split during a bulk is 30% protein, 55% carbohydrates and 15% fat. A 5% variation for each nutrient is acceptable, because people do not all respond in exactly the same way. These ratios naturally change considerably during contest preparation, particularly for carbohydrates.
If your goal is to gain weight primarily as muscle, 2/3 of your total calorie intake should come from unrefined complex carbohydrates. This applies to every meal, not just your daily total.
Complex carbohydrates give your body a steadier supply of energy. This matters during intense training for muscle mass, because low energy levels undermine both training and recovery. An adequate carbohydrate intake also helps spare protein so your body does not simply use it as fuel.
Roughly a third, or 30%, of your calorie intake should come from protein. A bodybuilder who trains hard should not follow the general recommendation of 12 – 15%, because it does not account for the greater demands of training for strength and muscle mass.
Fat intake should stay below 20%, ideally around 15%. However, cutting fat out of your diet completely is not sensible. Not all fats are bad. If fat drops below 10 – 15% of your intake, your strength, energy levels and muscle development may all suffer.
Flaxseed oil is a good example of a healthy fat. 1 – 2 tsp. of flaxseed oil a day provides 130 – 260 kcal and supports energy levels, joints and strength. The point is not to fear fat, but to keep your intake under control.
How do you calculate the actual amounts?
The easiest way is to keep a food diary. Yes, that means weighing your food too. Not forever, but at least until you can judge portions by eye and understand what is actually on your plate.
For example, if your calorie intake for gaining mass is 3200 kcal, with a nutrient split of 30% protein, 55% carbohydrates and 15% fat, calculating your daily amounts in grams is fairly straightforward.
- Carbohydrates: 55% (0.55) X 3200 = 1760 kcal from carbohydrates. 1760 carbohydrate kcal/4 kcal (1g = 4 kcal) = 440 grams of carbohydrates.
- Protein: 30% (0.30) X 3200 = 960 kcal from protein. 960 protein kcal/4 kcal (1 g = 4 kcal) = 240 grams of protein.
- Fat: 15% (0.15) X 2000 = 480 kcal from fat. 480 fat kcal/9 kcal (1 g of fat = 9 kcal) = 53.3 grams of fat.
A simpler rule for your plate is to make 2/3 of your portion complex carbohydrates and 1/3 protein. There is no need to panic about the 15% fat separately, because many carbohydrate and protein sources also contain small amounts of fat.
An important detail: the ratio of 2/3 carbohydrates to 1/3 protein does not apply only to your daily total. Every meal should contain both. Eating only carbohydrates, especially refined and simple carbohydrates, can cause blood sugar and insulin levels to rise rapidly. This creates more favorable conditions for fat storage.
Continuing with the same example, 55% of 3200 kcal = 440 grams of carbohydrates. 440 grams divided across 6 meals = 73 grams of carbohydrates per meal. For protein: 30% of 3200 kcal = 240 grams of protein. 240 grams of protein divided across 6 meals = 40 grams of protein per meal. For fat: 15% of 3200 kcal = 52 grams of fat. 52 grams divided across 6 meals = 8.6 grams per meal.
Food choices and meal frequency
The challenge of building quality muscle mass is easy to put into words: how do you build muscle without gaining excess fat? This is where a regular meal schedule helps.
The golden rule is 5 – 6 meals a day, every 2.5 – 3 hours. If you divide 3200 kcal between just three meals, that works out to 1066 kcal per meal. That is a lot in one sitting. Even the biggest bodybuilders usually do not need more than 700 – 800 kcal at a time, except for their post-workout meal.
Smaller, more frequent portions help keep your energy levels more consistent. The same principle supports muscle growth: steadier insulin levels help nutrients enter muscle cells, where they can be used for recovery and building muscle.
Amino acids cannot be stored for later use in the same way as some other energy reserves. They remain in the body for about three hours. That is why bodybuilders need to get 30 – 40 grams of protein every three hours.
If your daily protein intake is 240 grams, dividing it between 5 – 6 meals gives you 40 – 48 grams of protein per meal. Eating much more at once offers little extra benefit, because the excess is converted to fat or simply goes unused.
Some people need 4000 kcal or more to grow. Getting all of that from real food can be difficult, especially if your working day does not allow you to sit down and eat 5 – 6 times. Meal replacements can help in these situations, often providing carbohydrates and protein in a 2 : 1 ratio. For example, 60 g of carbohydrates and 30 g of protein.
But there is an important limit here: you should not live on meal replacements. They are useful when you are short on time or cannot have a regular meal. Nutritious food remains the foundation.
Practical food choices during a bulking phase
A bulking phase does not mean you can eat anything and everything. Sweets and junk food may add calories, but they do not guarantee quality muscle gains. Frankly, this is where many people undermine their results.
You should pay attention to the quality of your calories as well as the quantity. A good bulking diet includes grains, starchy foods, root vegetables, fruit, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, and clean, high-quality protein sources.
Choose foods that are as natural and minimally processed as possible. Good carbohydrate sources include rice, potatoes, yams, beans, peas, whole-grain products, pasta, rolled oats, buckwheat, fruit and vegetables. Good protein sources include egg whites, fat-free dairy products, chicken, turkey, fish, red meat and various fillets.
- Determine your daily energy expenditure.
- To achieve a positive nitrogen balance and support muscle growth, add 4 – 4.5 kcal for every kilogram of body weight.
- Use your total calorie intake to calculate how much of your diet each nutrient should account for: protein 30%, carbohydrates 55% and fat 15%.
- Divide your calorie intake between 5 – 6 meals.
- Calculate the calories and food quantities for each meal individually as well. Each meal should consist of 2/3 carbohydrates and 1/3 protein.
- Eat natural, unprocessed foods whenever possible.
FAQ: food choices and muscle building
Can you eat whatever you want during a bulking phase?
No. A calorie surplus is necessary, but a surplus from junk food can easily increase body fat. Quality muscle gains require good carbohydrate sources, enough protein and moderate amounts of fat.
Are 5 – 6 meals a day always essential?
This is a practical rule, not magic. If your daily calorie intake is high, eating 5 – 6 meals helps keep portions manageable and spreads your protein intake more evenly.
Should you eliminate fat from your diet?
No. It is worth limiting fat, but not cutting it out completely. A sensible amount of fat supports your energy levels and overall bodily function, while a diet too high in fat can easily turn a bulking phase into simple weight gain.
Author: Janar Rückenberg
The best restaurant food for muscle building ARMUDU
Source: WHO – physical activity.
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