A Dietitian's 7-Day Meal Plan To Build Bigger Muscles
If building bigger muscles is your goal, there are a few key factors to consider. First, your exercise routine is crucial; you need to challenge your muscles to make them grow stronger. Second, a balanced diet rich in protein is essential for muscle recovery. Additionally, you need to consume enough calories to support your muscle-building efforts. If you're unsure how to achieve this on your own, our 7-day meal plan to build muscle will guide you in the right direction.
Following a structured plan offers several benefits. It helps maintain consistency with your diet, removes the guesswork, and adds variety to prevent the monotony of eating the same foods daily. While the typical bodybuilding diet of chicken, rice, and broccoli is effective for muscle growth, eating the same meals repeatedly can become tedious.
This plan was designed to complement a resistance training routine for muscle growth. Each meal provides a high-quality protein source to help you meet your daily goals. Remember, building muscle takes time, results typically become visible after weeks or months, and consistency is essential for success.
Now, let's explore the delicious recipes that make up our best 7-day meal plan to build muscle.
Day 1
- Breakfast: Breakfast Tacos with Bacon and Spinach
- Lunch: Ultimate Grilled Chicken and Avocado Salad
- Snack: Tuna and Whole Wheat Crackers
- Dinner: Italian Meatball Soup
Breakfast: Breakfast Tacos with Bacon and Spinach
Start your day off right with these delicious breakfast tacos. They're a breeze to make and they're packed with protein from eggs, bacon, and cheese, keeping you full and your muscles fueled. Adding spinach, mushrooms, and onion provides a dose of vitamin D and magnesium, making this meal not just tasty but also balanced and nutritious.
Lunch: Ultimate Grilled Chicken and Avocado Salad
This salad is a flavor sensation with sweet dried cranberries, crunchy walnuts, and creamy goat cheese. The grilled chicken is the star, offering plenty of protein to help build muscle, while the avocado and walnuts offer heart-healthy unsaturated fats. You can choose a store-bought dressing or whip up your own using minimal ingredients.
Snack: Tuna and Whole Wheat Crackers
Tuna is a fantastic source of protein. Enjoy it on its own, or mix it up with a bit of mayo and relish for a flavorful tuna salad. For added crunch, add in diced celery or carrots. This snack will keep you satisfied throughout your afternoon and support your muscle-building goals.
Dinner: Italian Meatball Soup
Dinner doesn't have to be heavy. This simple yet hearty meatball soup features protein-rich meatballs and is packed with veggies like celery, onions, and carrots. A touch of pasta adds just the right amount of carbohydrates, making this a quick and satisfying meal that's perfect for a lighter evening option.
Day 2
- Breakfast: Sunrise Sandwich with Turkey, Cheddar, and Guacamole
- Lunch: Grilled Salmon with Ginger Soy Butter
- Snack: Whipped Cottage Cheese with Berries and Pistachios
- Dinner: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos
Breakfast: Sunrise Sandwich with Turkey, Cheddar, and Guacamole
Think of this as the ultimate McMuffin but with heart-healthy fats from guacamole and antioxidants from tomatoes. This handheld powerhouse combines gooey cheddar, smoked turkey, and egg to create a crave-able, high-protein breakfast to fuel your muscles for the day ahead.
Lunch: Grilled Salmon with Ginger Soy Butter
Salmon is a fantastic lunch choice, packed with heart-healthy omega-3s and roughly 25 grams of protein in a 4-oz filet. If you can, try to include it in your meals a few times per week. This grilled salmon recipe has a delicious flavor and goes perfectly with fluffy brown rice and steamed broccoli, making it a well-rounded meal.
Snack: Whipped Cottage Cheese with Berries and Pistachios
If you haven't tried cottage cheese as a sweet snack, you're in for a treat! Sweetened with a bit of maple syrup and combined with your favorite berries and crunchy pistachios, this snack is full of fiber from the fruit and nuts, plus protein from the cottage cheese. It's also rich in calcium, which supports bone health.
Dinner: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos
You can definitely meet your protein goals without meat. Black beans are a great protein source, and combined with sweet potatoes, they make a tasty and filling meatless meal. These tacos are high in fiber and a smart way to use up any leftover tortillas.
Day 3
- Breakfast: Berry Cauliflower Smoothie
- Lunch: Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Chimichurri Sauce
- Snack: Baby Carrots and Hummus
- Dinner: Spicy Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Spicy Red Pepper Sauce
Breakfast: Berry Cauliflower Smoothie
Start your day with this quick smoothie, packed with protein from protein powder and carbs from berries. The frozen cauliflower adds creaminess and extra fiber without much sugar. Peanut butter and chia seeds provide healthy fats, keeping you full until lunch.
Lunch: Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Chimichurri Sauce
This isn't your typical chicken sandwich. With a flavorful chimichurri sauce, this lean protein lunch option is a healthier twist on fried or breaded chicken sandwiches. It's more nutritious thanks to the mixed greens, peppers, and the Argentinian-based chimichurri sauce itself. If you're not a fan of chicken thighs, feel free to substitute thinly sliced chicken breasts.
Snack: Baby Carrots and Hummus
This snack is as simple as they come and can transform into an on-the-go post-workout option with snack-sized bags of baby carrots and single-serving containers of hummus. Carrots are high in vitamin A, and the hummus provides a good mix of protein for your muscles and fiber.
Dinner: Spicy Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Spicy Red Pepper Sauce
Switch up your usual protein sources with this flavorful white fish. If you can't find mahi-mahi, cod or tilapia are great substitutes. Building muscle requires more than protein, so be sure to serve this dish alongside your favorite steamed veggie and a scoop of whole grains, like brown rice.
Day 4
- Breakfast: Protein-Packed Waffles
- Lunch: Mexican Quinoa and Chicken Salad
- Snack: Apple Slices and Beef Jerky
- Dinner: Turkey Sloppy Joes
Breakfast: Protein Packed Waffles
Move over, eggs, because protein-packed waffles are here! Top them with sliced bananas, berries, and a peanut butter drizzle for a satisfying and protein-rich breakfast.
Lunch: Mexican Quinoa and Chicken Salad
This salad is packed with fiber and protein. Black beans and quinoa provide fiber and protein, while the chicken boosts the protein content even more, helping you build and repair muscle.
Snack: Apple Slices and Beef Jerky
This snack pairs 1 oz of beef jerky, which has around 10 grams of protein, with apple slices for a sweet and savory treat. When choosing a jerky, look for an original flavor to cut down on the sugar.
Dinner: Turkey Sloppy Joes
Use those leftover hamburger buns from a few days ago to create this simple and delicious one-pot meal. Lean ground turkey helps to cut down on calories while still providing plenty of protein. This version has extra veggies for a more balanced, muscle-supporting meal.
Day 5
- Breakfast: Icelandic Yogurt with Pecan-Cherry Granola and Berries
- Lunch: Healthier Grilled Caesar Salad
- Snack: Edamame
- Dinner: Grilled Pizza Burger
Breakfast: Icelandic Yogurt with Cherry Pecan Granola and Berries
For a quick and easy breakfast, try a bowl of creamy icelandic yogurt topped with homemade crunchy granola and fresh berries. This combo is not only tasty but also packed with vitamin C from the berries to boost your immune system. While store-bought granola works, nothing beats the crunch and flavor of this homemade version loaded with healthy fats and fiber.
Lunch: Healthier Grilled Caesar Salad
Caesar salads can be heavy with calories and saturated fat, but this lighter version uses just a small amount of mayo and olive oil for heart healthy fats. Enjoy it with romaine lettuce, and feel free to add spinach or mixed greens for extra variety. Don't forget to add chicken breast to make sure you get enough protein.
Snack: Edamame
Find these green peapods in the freezer section of your grocery store for a protein-rich snack that'll hold you over until your next meal. You can steam edamame on the stovetop or find a microwaveable option. You can even buy them shelled for convenience. The best part is 1 cup of peapods provides roughly 10 grams of protein!
Dinner: Grilled Pizza Burger
This pizza-burger hybrid might just be your new favorite dinner. By topping a protein-rich turkey burger with marinara sauce, cheese, and veggies like peppers and mushrooms, you get the best of both pizza and burgers. It's a tasty way to enjoy more protein while indulging in classic pizza flavors.
Day 6
- Breakfast: Easy Broccoli-Cheese Eggs in a Mug
- Lunch: Chicken Pot Stickers
- Snack: Turkey and Cheese Roll-ups
- Dinner: Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri
Breakfast: Easy Broccoli-Cheese Eggs in a Mug
Enjoy a quick and satisfying breakfast with this mug recipe featuring eggs and cheese. Packed with veggies like red peppers and broccoli, you can swap in any veggies you like. It's perfect alongside some fruit or a small bowl of oatmeal for carbohydrates to fuel your workout.
Lunch: Chicken Pot Stickers
These potstickers aren't homemade, but they sure taste like it. Sauteed with sesame oil, shiitake mushrooms, and snap peas, they're a speedy meal that's sure to hit the spot.
Snack: Turkey and Cheddar Cheese Roll-ups
For a protein boost, try rolling up 1 oz of deli turkey with 1 oz of cheddar cheese. This snack provides roughly 12 grams of protein. Since it's lower in carbohydrates, consider adding a piece of fruit or some crackers if you're exercising often to balance it out.
Dinner: Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri
Bring back that chimichurri from lunch a few days ago for this grilled flank steak dish. Topped with a parsley and olive oil sauce, this dish brings the protein from red meat plus antioxidants from the herbs and olive oil. Serve this dish alongside a helping of pinto beans, tortillas, and a veggie of choice.
Day 7
- Breakfast: Smoked Salmon Sandwich
- Lunch: Tuna Veggie Melt
- Snack: Avocado-Berry Smoothie
- Dinner: Healthy Crispy Chicken
Breakfast: Smoked Salmon Sandwich
Kickstart your day with this omega-3-rich breakfast. Salmon offers benefits galore, boasting cardiovascular, muscle, and brain health, and whole wheat bread adds more fiber than white bread. Swapping the bread out for a bagel adds calories if your muscle-building plan calls for extra.
Lunch: Tuna Veggie Melt
A sandwich for lunch is always a good idea, especially when it's packed with approximately 21 grams of protein. Plus, this isn't your average tuna melt. It's made with garbanzo beans for extra fiber and protein, and Greek yogurt in place of mayo to lighten it up a bit.
Snack: Avocado Berry Smoothie
This smoothie is an ideal choice for a refreshing post-workout treat. With vanilla protein powder added, it provides a complete blend of nutrients: fiber from the avocado and berries, heart-healthy fats from the avocado and chia seeds, and protein from the protein powder.
Dinner: Healthy Crispy Chicken
If you're craving fried chicken, this healthier option is a great alternative. Each serving packs over 40 grams of protein, helping you meet your muscle growth goals. For a well-rounded recovery meal, pair the chicken with a grain like quinoa and a vegetable of your choice.
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