Basic Bodybuilding Nutrition Program – Part 2

In part 1 of the Basic Bodybuilding Nutrition Program I covered proper nutrient intake of protein, carbohydrates, fat, and water. And the amounts of each that you should be consuming daily based on your individual needs and fitness goals. In part 2 I’m going to outline some practical ways that you can fit a healthy eating plan into your busy lifestyle. The whole idea of eating 6 well-balanced meals per day is by no means a new concept. Most of you who are reading this already have a good idea of how you should be eating. But for the majority of people the main excuse is they don't have the time to eat properly. But this is just not the case. Eating a “junk-food” diet probably takes just as much or more time then it does to eat a healthy diet. At lunch time getting in your car and heading on over to the fast food joint, waiting in line at the drive through, and then heading back to work takes a lot more time then if you had your food prepared in advance and ready to eat.

The key to successfully following a healthy bodybuilding nutrition program is planning ahead. When you cook your food always prepare for several meals. It doesn’t take any more time to cook larger quantities of food then it does to cook smaller amounts of food for just one meal. Purposely plan to have left overs that you can re-heat in the microwave, this saves time and makes it easier to have quick nutritious meals on hand. I'll often grill several steaks at a time, cook several chicken breasts at a time, bake several potatoes at a time, cook up a large pot of rice, etc.

A Well Stocked Kitchen

In order to prepare and eat healthy nutritious meals you need to have the necessary kitchen supplies. Get yourself a good set of pots, non-stick frying pans, measuring cups and spoons, food scale, a good set of kitchen knives, blender, kitchen grill (such as the George Foreman grill), electric kettle, good spatulas and other cooking utensils like tongs, ladel spoons, etc. These are the basic tools that you’ll need to prepare your meals.

For packing and storing your food you will also need to get some plastic food storage containers. Get a half dozen smaller sized containers for packing individual meals. And also get a few bigger containers that you can use for storing left overs in the refrigerator. Make sure to get good containers with tight fitting lids so they will not pop open easily.

Get a couple shaker bottles for mixing up protein drinks and also get an insulated lunch bag or small hand held cooler for taking your food with you to work. You will be able to get all of these kitchen supplies at places like Wal-Mart for a fair price.

A Typical Days Eating

I’m going to outline a typical days eating that I follow pretty consistently on a daily basis. You can take the tips and suggestions that are outlined here and modify them to fit your schedule so you can quickly and easily prepare your meals for the day.

A quick and tasty high protein breakfast favorite of mine is oatmeal and egg whites. To start I’ll spray a non-stick frying pan with PAM spray and then pour in a cup of liquid egg whites and let them cook on the stove.
(You can get liquid egg whites online at: http://www.leehayward.com/eggwhites/index.htm)

I’ll boil water in the electric kettle for my oatmeal. Then in a large bowl I’ll add a cup of dry oats, when the water is boiled I’ll add it to the oatmeal and place a lid on the bowl to let the oatmeal steam and cook.

When the egg whites are cooked I’ll then mix them in with my oatmeal, add a scoop of vanilla flavored protein powder, and I’ll also add some cinnamon and low calorie sweetener such as splenda. This is very tasty and satisfying meal and it takes less then 10 minutes to prepare. Before I sit down to eat my oatmeal and egg whites I’ll quickly toss 5-6 frozen chicken breasts on the Foreman Grill, add some spices and seasonings, set the timer, close the lid and just let them cook.

I’ll also bake 5-6 sweet potatoes in the microwave. Just wash them off with water, poke them a few times with a fork to let the steam out, and put them on for about 10 minutes.

By the time I’m finished eating breakfast, the chicken and sweet potatoes are cooked.

Then I’ll get 3 small plastic food containers and put a chicken breast and sweet potato in each one. I’ll also add some veggies such as pre-washed salad, baby carrots, or what ever I have on hand. Now I have 3 of my daily meals prepared. I’ll put these in my lunch bag along with a big bottle of water.

For my morning break I’ll eat a meal, have another one for lunch, and then another one for my afternoon break.

Note: I don’t always eat chicken and sweet potatoes. The foods will vary. I may have beef, pork, different kinds of fish, etc. for protein. And I may have rice, pasta, pita wraps, bread, etc. as my carbs. And I’ll vary the veggies and fruit that I eat. But the key is to prepare and pack the individual meals in advance so they are ready to eat when you need them. I always make sure to have a serving or protein, starchy carbohydrates, and veggies or fruit with each meal.

I go to the gym after work. So on my workout days I’ll mix up a post workout drink and take this with me in a shaker cup. I’ll mix up a couple scoops of protein powder and a couple scoops of carbohydrate powder (usually Gatorade) in 16 oz. of water and drink this right after my workouts.

When I get home from the gym I’ll have my supper. Depending on what I’m in the mood for I may just re-heat left overs that I have in the refrigerator, or I’ll cook up something like steak on the BBQ, or make a nice stir-fry meat and veggies dish.

Most people do not have much of a problem eating well for supper, as this is typically the biggest meal of the day for the average person. The main thing is to make sure to have generous portions of protein foods like beef, chicken, turkey, fish, etc. Wholesome complex carbohydrates such as potatoes, yams, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, etc. And also include some green veggies like a garden salad, steamed, or stir fried veggies.

Before bed I’ll usually have a cup of cottage cheese mixed with some fresh berries or a tablespoonful of fruit spread. Cottage cheese contains casein protein which is slow digesting and good to have before bed to help provide a steady release of protein throughout the night.

By eating frequently during the day I tend to not have a lot of hunger pains or food cravings, but if I am hungry and want to snack on something I’ll have things such as raw almonds, olives, low fat beef jerky, or a protein bar.

I try not to eat out all that often as it is hard to control what you eat in a restaurant. But if I do have to eat on the run I’ll try to go some place healthy such as Subway and have a meat and veggie sandwich on whole wheat bread. Or if I go to a restaurant I’ll try and order things like grilled steak or chicken, baked potato, and garden salad. The main thing is to avoid deep fried foods and foods that are cooked in thick sauces, creams, etc. as they are just loaded with excess fat and sugar.

Well there you have it, a typical days eating right from breakfast to bed. As you can see it is not that time consuming. The main thing is to plan ahead and prepare and pack your meals for the day. Don’t be like most people and wait until you are hungry before you think about what you are going to eat. This is what leads people to the vending machines and drive through windows where they load up on junk foods.

Avoid the temptations by being prepared. The rewards of feeling better, looking better, and making better progress in the gym are well worth the bit of discipline that it takes to plan your meals in advance.