Bodybuilding Nutrition Guide – Full Essentials

Introduction

So far on my site I have covered a lot about training and exercises for bodybuilding. In this article I will be giving a bodybuilding nutrition guide. Nutrition is just as important if not moreso than actual time spent in the gym. As they say “you can’t out-train a bad diet”. In the gym you are breaking down muscle tissue and if you don’t supply your body with the optimum nutrients that it needs to recover and grow then your efforts in the gym will be in vain. I will be going over all the full essentials you need in your diet to compliment your bodybuilding training and maximise your efforts.

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Eggs

Eggs are one of the best whole foods out there. Eggs contain around 6 grams of very high quality protein. They are also a source of vitamin A,E,K as well as vitamin B12. In addition they contain all 8 essential amino acids that your body requires for bodybuilding. As such eggs should be a staple of any good bodybuilding diet.

I personally prefer my eggs scrambled and sometimes served with a bagel. One egg meal a day is usually what I aim for and around 4 eggs each day. How many eggs you choose to consume is up to you and your individual dietary needs. Liquid egg whites are also very useful and I like to buy a couple cartons of these a week for convenience. You can find these in most supermarkets now. Scot Mendelson for example is a big proponent of liquid egg whites and he eats a lot like a bodybuilder.

Meat And Rice With Veggies

This is another great meal for bodybuilding purposes and it is very simple. Rice is one of the best sources of carbohydrates and helps to fuel your workouts. The quantity of rice that you consume can be manipulated if your goal is to gain weight or lose weight. To gain weight you would increase carb intake and slighlty reduce protein intake. For weight loss or cutting you would increase protein and lower carbs.

As for the meat source, I generally go with lean ground beef or boneless skinless chicken breasts. These are great sources of animal protein. Ground beef contains around 27g of protein per 100g serving and is loaded with iron, zinc and vitamin B. Zinc is great for boosting testosterone levels naturally which is great for bodybuilding. Boneless skinless chicken breast is another amazing protein source and isn’t going to break the bank either. 

I also like to add black beans into this meal for an additional protein source. They are also packed with antioxidants and high in fibre making them a great food choice. For veggies I like to have baby spinach, carrots and red peppers in this meal. Baby spinach is a good source of magnesium. Magnesium aids in your sleep and recovery thus maximising your bodybuilding efforts. Baby carrots are high in fibre, anti-estrogenic and they are also good for the skin and eyes. The red bell peppers are a good source of vitamin C which also helps to improve your recovery and reduce inflammation. 

Literally, even if you ate this meal once a day it would yield massive benefits. It is healthy, nutritious and has you covered on all bases. If you wanted to switch it up and not always have your meat with rice, then you could substitute rice for a sweet potato or yam.

Greek Yoghurt And Fruit

Another simple meal that is very nutritious and suits the bodybuilding lifestyle is simply a bowl of greek yoghurt mixed with fruit. You can buy greek yoghurt unflavoured in any supermarket. Greek yoghurt has all the essential amino acids. Not only is it high in protein but a good source for healthy carbs and fat. It also has a great taste and is very good for gut health. I like to mix some fruit into my bowl of greek yoghurt for an even better taste. My fruit of choice is a peach, but you could use pears, apples or any other fruit that you like. This is the perfect healthy snack which will help to fuel your muscles.

Banana Oatmeal

Another good source of carbohydrates are oats. They are digested at a slow pace so helps to release the energy slower into the body. They are also packed full of essential vitamins and minerals. I like to cook up my oatmeal and then slice a banana and add it in at the end. I prefer to cook my oatmeal with milk for better taste and additional protein from the milk. It is very simple to cook and is delicious. Add some cinammon at the end for even better flavour! Bananas are a good addition as they are a fabulous source of potassium, an electrolyte necessary for achieving a proper muscular contraction. 

Flavouring Your Food

Flavouring your food is very important to improve the taste and make you want to eat it. There is nothing worse than shovelling down bland food for weeks on end, this becomes a chore. Eating should be an enjoyable activity, just because you are eating healthy it doesn’t mean you should be sacrificing your enjoyment. 

To add flavour to the rice, I add grass fed butter into the rice when cooking it for a much better taste. Grass fed butter is a good source of vitamin K. I also add salt with iodine into my rice meal for extra flavour. A good example of this salt is Himalayan pink salt. It helps to keep your thyroid functioning effectively which is important. I also like to add spicy salsa to my rice meal to make it more enjoyable for me. I am a big fan of spices and therefore enjoy food that has a kick! 

Conclusion

In this article I have outlined a bodybuilding nutrition guide. Just following this guide for your food choices regularly will do wonders for your progress inside the gym as well as making you feel and look healthier. Health is of paramount importance and nutrition plays a massive role in having better health. A bodybuilder eating two Big Macs a day from McDonald’s is not going to have anywhere near the same results as another bodybuilder following a great diet. The Big Macs will likely cause you a heart attack later on down the road.

If you have any comments or questions on anything I have written in this article please leave them below. I would love to know more about any recipes that you like for bodybuilding purposes. As always, enjoy your training!