Bulking Diet: Meal Planning For Bodybuilders

Written by Taisiia Dobrozorova

Written by Taisiia Dobrozorova

Taisiia Dobrozorova is a nutrition and fitness writer at Unimeal and a healthy lifestyle devotee. She has accomplished several courses on health, nutrition, dietology.

on March 22, 2022

Medically reviewed by Dr. Olena Avdiievska, MD, RDN

Medically reviewed by Dr. Olena Avdiievska, MD, RDN

Dr. Olena Avdiievska is a nutritional and medical expert at Unimeal. She is an MD and RDN in Dietology and nutrition and a university professor with 76 scientific publications. 

Unimeal provides articles with trustworthy and experts-proved information. Our health content is reviewed by professional nutritionists and trainers to extract for users the most verified and medically checked data.

Read the article about meal planning for bodybuilders to pick up nutritionally adequate food for your bulking stage and get a one-week sample menu for muscle gain.

Disclaimer: please, consult your doctor or a dietician before following any diet associated with a sharp change in the number of calories consumed. Your body may not be ready for this process.

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What is a bulking diet?

Presumably, every athlete and bodybuilder has heard about bulking up. The bulk phase is the part of the bodybuilding routine designed to increase mass with protein-rich food¹L. Mitchell, G. Slater, D. Hackett, et al. (2018, June 18). Physiological Implications of Preparing for a Natural Male Bodybuilding Competition. European Journal of Sport Science. DOI:10.1080/17461391.2018.1444095. So, a bulking diet is a diet aimed at increasing body weight without excess fat and with building muscle.

More proteins - more muscle growth, right? It’s quite a common assumption, but not the ultimate truth. The thing is that your body needs not only proteins to feed your mussels. For pumping up, you should include nutrient-dense foods²A. Melse-Boonstra. (2020, July 24). Bioavailability of Micronutrients From Nutrient-Dense Whole Foods: Zooming in on Dairy, Vegetables, and Fruits. Frontiers in Nutrition. DOI:10.3389/fnut.2020.00101 with a reasonable ratio of proteins, carbs, and fats. A bulking diet is comprehensive, which means it can work then and only if you mix products from different food groups.

Calorie intake on a bulk

You'll need additional calories - up to 15-20% of the norm to increase body weight. Men usually need at least 3000 kcal per day for muscle growth; women - about 2500 kcal.

Of course, these numbers may depend. Before starting the diet process, it's better to find out your macronutrient ratio³C. P. Lambert, L. L. Frank, W. J. Evans. (2004). Macronutrient Considerations for the Sport of Bodybuilding. Sports Medicine. DOI:10.2165/00007256-200434050-00004 that is exactly what we were talking about: carbs, proteins, and fats. 

The ratio between these three is not changing during the cutting and bulking phases. What changes is the calorie need.

However, to correctly distribute the calories consumed and create a quality nutrition plan, we recommend sticking to the following scientifically derived ratio⁴E. R. Helms, A. A. Aragon, P. J. Fitschen. (2014, May). Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. DOI:10.1186/1550-2783-11-20:

You can use it to make an approximate calculation. In order to create a personalized diet plan, consider your goals and parameters, and consult with a nutritionist if possible.

What to eat to build lean muscle

The main nutrition rule for gaining muscle mass is an increased daily calorie intake. The next important point is the glycemic index⁵F. S. Atkinson, K. Foster-Powell, J. C. Brand-Miller. (2008, December). International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values: 2008. Diabetes Care. DOI:10.2337/dc08-1239 of the carbs consumed and the time they are taken: you should consume fast carbs immediately after the gym and slow carbs (various vegetables) - for dinner.

Thus, bulking diet can be simple and consist of regular and inexpensive foods:

• Breakfast - more of the right carbs. To ensure muscle performance in the morning, you should consume a significant amount of carbs - however, not just bread and jam, but rather oatmeal with a moderate amount of honey added or pieces of fruit.
• Lunch is the main meal of the day. You should eat the largest amount of carbs, proteins, and fats - this minimizes the deposition of excess calories (and without an excess of calories, muscles simply will not grow) into fat reserves but will help for weight gain.
• Dinner - light protein foods. When bulking up, the basis of dinner should be lean meat (or fish) with as many seasonal vegetables as possible, stewed in vegetable oil (preferably olive oil). Buckwheat, the basis of an athlete's nutrition, should become a source of carbs.

Also, if you want to have snacks between main meals, it can be either fresh and dried fruits or dairy products. The best sources of healthy fats in a training menu are nuts or avocados. 

7-day meal plan for muscle gain

We've put together a weekly meal plan with easy-to-cook recipes to make things easier for you. It's possible to take the dishes we offer as a basis. These are simple recipes that you can supplement with other high-calorie ingredients. 

But do remember one more important rule - keep the junk food down. Exclude all the harmful fats.

Between main meals, be sure to add hearty snacks to reach your desired number of calories.

Monday

Breakfast: Protein oatmeal with yogurt and banana

Ingredients:

• 60 g of oat groats
• 150 g of yogurt
• protein powder (15 g)
• bananas (50 g)
• peanut butter (13 g)
• chia seeds (10 g)
• honey (5 g)
• cinnamon (to your taste)
• fresh mint (to your taste)

Preparation process:

• Mix oatmeal, yogurt, and protein in a deep bowl, cup, or jar, and stir (add a little water if necessary).
• Add peanut butter, honey, and chia seeds (you can replace them with flax seeds) and mix well.
• Cover and let it sit for at least 15 minutes (preferably 30 minutes or more). Also, this breakfast can be cooked in the evening and left in the refrigerator overnight.
• Peel and cut a banana into cubes/circles and add to the dish before serving.
• Optionally, add some cinnamon and/or garnish with fresh mint.

Calories: 540.7 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 23.4 / 30.0 / 46.4

Lunch: Chicken & cheese burrito

Ingredients:

• thin lavash (100 g)
• chicken breast (50 g)
• cheddar cheese (25 g)
• bell peppers (100 g)
• onions (40 g)
• avocado (40 g)
• butter (3 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• fresh mint (to your taste)

Preparation process:

• Heat a pan with butter and sauté the diced peppers and onions for about 2-3 minutes until tender.
• Then add the chicken breast cut into small cubes (about 1.5 cm) and fry everything together, occasionally stirring until the chicken is tender (about 10 minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Divide the lavash into 2 identical sheets. Put one sheet of lavash on another preheated pan and brown it a little (1 minute should be enough). After that, add half of the cheddar cheese.
• Place the second sheet of lavash on top and keep it on the stove until the cheese begins to melt (2-3 minutes).
• Turn the lavash to the other side (so that the top sheet of pita bread is now at the bottom) and hold it on the stove for literally another minute (you can do it with the lid closed).
• Peel and slice an avocado. Mash it with a fork or blender.
• Transfer the lavash and cheese sandwich to a plate and spread the avocado on it.
• Top the avocado with vegetables and chicken.
• Wrap lavash into a burrito and enjoy!

Calories: 511.3 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 21.5 / 32.3 / 46.0

Dinner: Salmon steak with quinoa

Ingredients:

• salmon (80 g)
• oregano (to your taste)
• lemon juice (5 g)
• quinoa or any groats (80 g)
• butter (5 g)
• cucumber (160 g)
• sesame seeds (2 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• soy sauce (15 g)

Preparation process:

• Put the grains in a pot, cover them with cold water. The proportion should be 1:3. Cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. You can cook any whole grain of your choice – rice, bulgur, oats, corn grits, pearl barley, buckwheat, instead of quinoa. Add salt to taste.
• Preheat a pan.
• Cut the salmon into equal slices (1.5-2 cm).
• Put the fish in a frying pan, fry for 10-12 minutes on all sides until golden brown. You can sprinkle lightly with lemon juice. Season with salt and spices to taste.
• When the quinoa (or porridge of your choice) is ready, season with butter and soy sauce, stir.
• Serve porridge, fish, and cucumber slices on one plate. Garnish with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Calories: 470.4 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 25.7 / 29.0 / 45.1

Tuesday

Breakfast: Baked shrimp stuffed avocados

Ingredients:

• avocado (100 g)
• shrimp (50 g)
• feta cheese (25 g)
• yogurt (20 g)
• tomatoes (50 g)
• dill (5 g)
• Buckwheat or corn/rice bread (40 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• parsley (5 g)

Preparation process:

• Preheat the oven to 220°C / 428°F.
• Finely chop cheese and herbs.
• Peel and boil the shrimp (place in boiling water for 5 minutes).
• Rinse avocados and cut in half (lengthwise). Carefully remove the contents of each half with a teaspoon (do not throw the peel away).
• Finely chop the pulp and combine with cheese and herbs.
• Dice a tomato, cut the shrimp with a knife, mix all the ingredients, add salt, pepper, and yogurt.
• Fill the empty avocado halves with the filling and put it in the oven for 15 minutes.
• We recommend serving them hot with a slice of whole grain bread.

Calories: 404 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 21.1 / 49.2 / 29.5

Lunch: Pork steak with potato

Ingredients:

• pork (80 g)
• garlic (3 g)
• dried rosemary (to your taste)
• potatoes (300 g)
• grated parmesan (10 g)
• butter (5 g)
• soy sauce (15 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• olive oil (3 g)

Preparation process:

• Heat the oven to 180°C / 356°F.
• Cut a piece of foil 3-4 times larger than a piece of meat and grease it with vegetable oil.
• Pepper the meat on all sides, grate garlic on it, sprinkle with rosemary (or other spices), put it on the foil, and cover with soy sauce.
• Carefully wrap the meat in several layers of foil so that the juice does not leak out during baking. Place it on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes. If you want the meat to turn golden brown, open the foil about 7 minutes before the end of cooking.
• While the meat is cooking, peel the potatoes and cut into small pieces. Pour water into a saucepan and add potatoes. Cook for 20 minutes over medium heat until tender.
• Add butter, dried basil, and salt to the finished potatoes, stir. Place the potatoes on a plate and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
• Serve the finished baked steak on a plate next to the potatoes.

Calories: 456.8 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 24.5 / 30.7 / 44.7

Dinner: Spaghetti with minced turkey

Ingredients:

• turkey (150 g)
• spaghetti or gluten-free spaghetti (50 g)
• grated parmesan (15 g)
• cream 10% (20 g)
• spinach (50 g)
• olive oil (3 g)
• oregano (to your taste)
• spices (to your taste)
• cocktail tomatoes (40 g)
• black pepper (to your taste)

Preparation process:

• If you use frozen spinach, defrost it first. If you use turkey filets and not ready-made minced meat, then finely chop it or grind it in a blender.
• Boil water and cook spaghetti according to package directions (or place in boiling salted water and cook for about 10 minutes until al dente).
• Preheat the skillet. Fry the turkey in olive oil until golden brown (stirring for about 5 minutes), add the spinach, stir and continue cooking until the excess liquid evaporates (about 5 minutes more).
• Add cream, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook over low heat, occasionally stirring, for another 2-3 minutes.
• Add boiled pasta to the pan with turkey and spinach, stir, heat for 2-3 minutes.
• Put the finished dish on a plate, sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
• Cut cocktail tomatoes in half or quarters and serve next to the pasta. Bon appétit!

Calories: 523.7 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 30.4 / 36.4 / 33.0

Wednesday

Breakfast: Peanut butter and cottage cheese toast

Ingredients:

• whole grain bread (60 g)
• peanut butter (60 g)
• cottage cheese (90 g)
• bananas (100 g)
• cinnamon (to your taste)

Preparation process:

• Fry bread on both sides in a pan without oil (1 minute on each side) or use a toaster.
• Mix peanut butter and cottage cheese, add cinnamon to taste, and stir.
• Spread this on the bread.
• Cut a banana into circles and put on top. Enjoy with your favorite tea or coffee.

Calories: 426.7 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 22.6 / 30.1 / 47.2

Lunch: Tender chicken pasta

Ingredients:

• chicken breast (60 g)
• yogurt (50 g)
• arugula (30 g)
• cocktail tomatoes (120 g)
• spaghetti or couscous (55 g)
• bell peppers or carrots (60 g)
• feta cheese (20 g)
• olive oil (6 g)
• curry (to your taste)
• turmeric (to your taste)
• coriander (to your taste)
• marjoram (to your taste)
• spices (to your taste)

Preparation process:

• Cut the chicken breast into small pieces (2 cm). Heat the pan with half the indicated amount of vegetable oil and fry the chicken for 5 minutes.
• Then add white yogurt, salt, pepper, and spices to taste (we recommend adding curry, turmeric, coriander, or marjoram, but you can choose any dried herbs and/or spices) and simmer the chicken with the lid closed for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, dip the spaghetti in boiling water and cook for 5-7 minutes over high heat until al dente. You can cook couscous instead of spaghetti (pour hot water over the couscous. The proportions should be 1:2. Leave for 7-10 minutes).
• While the spaghetti is boiling, pour the remaining vegetable oil into a clean skillet and fry the chopped bell pepper (or grated carrot) for 3-5 minutes over high heat.
• When the spaghetti (or couscous) is ready, put it on a plate and add the bell peppers (or carrots).
• Place cooked chicken in yogurt sauce on top of the pasta.
• Cut the feta into small pieces and also add to the spaghetti (or couscous).
• Add the tomato and arugula, cut in half.

Calories: 443.6 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 25.1 / 27.7 / 47.1

Dinner: Baked mackerel with wild rice and vegetables

Ingredients:

• mackerel filet (100 g)
• wild rice or any groats (30 g)
• beets (70 g)
• carrots (70 g)
• butter (2 g)
• oregano (to your taste)
• lemon juice (to your taste)
• spices (to your taste)
• curry (to your taste)
• turmeric (to your taste)

Preparation process:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C / 356°F.
• We recommend soaking wild rice in cold water for at least 30 minutes to soften it. After soaking, rinse the rice under running water, place in a saucepan with cold water, and cook for about 20-25 minutes after bringing to a boil (during the cooking process, salt the rice to taste; you can also add your favorite spices, for example, curry or turmeric).
• While the rice is cooking, clean and rinse the mackerel (if you are using a whole fish instead of filets, remove the head and entrails). Place the fish on foil (it is better to pre-grease it with a drop of vegetable oil) or parchment, sprinkle with oregano or other dried herbs, wrap tightly and put it in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
• At this time, grate the beets and carrots (or cut into thin strips). Place vegetables in a preheated skillet with butter, add salt and pepper to taste, stir and cook over medium heat with the lid closed (stirring occasionally) for about 10 minutes.
• Add cooked rice to the vegetables (if necessary, drain excess liquid from it beforehand), stir, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• Sprinkle the cooked mackerel with lemon juice (optional) and serve on the same plate with rice and vegetables.

Calories: 378.2 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 25.7 / 39.0 / 35.1

Thursday

Breakfast: Quinoa bowl

Ingredients:

• quinoa or any groats (80 g)
• eggs (60 g)
• avocado or olives (20 g)
• mushrooms or eggplants (100 g)
• spinach (100 g)
• cocktail tomatoes (150 g)
• olive oil (2 g)
• pumpkin seeds (2 g)
• sesame seeds (2 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• black pepper (to your taste)
• dried basil (to your taste)

Preparation process:

• Rinse quinoa thoroughly under cold running water. Put into a pot and cover with clean water. Proportions should be 1:3. Put on medium heat. Instead of quinoa, you can cook any whole grains of your choice (bulgur, rice, corn, buckwheat, etc.).
• After boiling, cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until done, stirring occasionally.
• While the quinoa (or another porridge) is cooking, boil eggs (put it in boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes).
• Meanwhile, heat a pan and fry mushrooms cut in slices (or eggplants cut in cubes) for 5 minutes over medium heat with vegetable oil, stirring occasionally.
• Then add fresh spinach leaves to the mushrooms (or eggplants), cover the pan with a lid, and leave for another 1-2 minutes.
• Put the boiled quinoa into a deep plate, add mushrooms (or eggplants) with spinach, add salt, peppers, and dried herbs (e.g., basil), and mix.
• Cut boiled eggs and cocktail tomatoes into quarters, peel and slice avocado (or just take olives instead of avocado), and arrange it all on top of the porridge.
• Sprinkle your dish with pumpkin and sesame seeds. Enjoy your breakfast!

Calories: 517.9 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 22.0 / 33.5 / 44.4

Lunch: Baked white fish and potato

Ingredients:

• white fish (100 g)
• potatoes (300 g)
• tomatoes (150 g)
• onions (50 g)
• mozzarella (40 g)
• yogurt (70 g)
• lemon juice (5 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• oregano (to your taste)
• seed oil (10 g)

Preparation process:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C / 392°F.
• Cut the fish filet into pieces (2-3 cm). Add lemon juice, yogurt, salt, pepper, and oregano, or your favorite spices to taste, to the chopped filets. Mix everything well and leave the fish to marinate for 30 minutes.
• Peel the potatoes, cut into slices up to 0.5 cm thick.
• Grease a baking dish with oil and line the sliced ​​potatoes in an even layer. Salt and sprinkle potatoes with spices.
• Spread onion chopped with thin slices on top.
• Now cut tomatoes into small cubes, add to the fish, and stir.
• Place a layer of pickled fish and tomatoes on top of the onion. Sprinkle everything with grated cheese.
• Bake in a preheated oven for about 40 minutes. Done!

Calories: 643.8 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 23.1 / 37.2 / 39.6

Dinner: Roast chicken with rice and broccoli

Ingredients:

• chicken breast (100 g)
• eggs (55 g)
• wild rice (35 g)
• cucumber (50 g)
• broccoli (100 g)
• bell peppers (100 g)
• soy sauce (15 g)
• sunflower oil (3 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• dried basil (to your taste)
• marjoram (to your taste)
• sesame seeds (10 g)

Preparation process:

• We recommend that you pre-soak unpolished rice in cold water for at least 30 minutes to soften it. Then rinse it under running water and place in a saucepan with cold salted water. Boil over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, wash the chicken breast filet, pat dry with a paper towel, and cut it into strips. Divide the broccoli into florets. Cut the cucumber into thin slices (semicircles).
• Wash bell peppers, remove seeds and cut into strips.
• Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan, put chicken, broccoli, and cucumbers in it and stir fry for 4-5 minutes. Pour in soy sauce, add dried herbs, pepper, and salt (if necessary), mix and simmer for another 5 minutes over low heat.
• In a separate dry frying pan, fry the sesame seeds until golden brown (1-2 minutes, stir).
• Add the finished rice to the chicken pan, add an egg, mix everything well, and then cook for about 5 minutes more (under a closed lid).
• Put the finished dish on a plate (pour the sauce left over from the frying pan on top of it), sprinkle with fried sesame seeds. Bon appétit!

Calories: 483.1 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 36.0 / 31.7 / 32.1

Friday

Breakfast: High protein oat pancakes

Ingredients:

• flattened oatmeal (50 g)
• protein powder (10 g)
• eggs (55 g)
• milk (60 g)
• yogurt (50 g)
• honey (15 g)
• fresh berries (100 g)
• almond flakes (5 g)

Preparation process:

• Prepare oat flour from oatmeal flakes using a blender (or use ready oat flour). Mix oat flour, egg, protein powder, and milk (you can also use any vegetable milk with no sugar), add cinnamon or your other favorite spices, beat with a fork until sour cream consistency.
• Preheat a non-stick pan over medium heat, grease the surface with oil and pour in a small amount of batter, about 2 tablespoons per pancake.
• Fry pancakes for 1-2 minutes on each side.
• Put yogurt and honey on top of your pancake and decorate it with berries and almond flakes (or any nuts).

Calories: 474.3 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 23.3 / 29.6 / 46.9

Lunch: Bulgur with chicken and feta

Ingredients:

• bulgur (80 g)
• chicken breast (150 g)
• cabbage (100 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• black pepper (to your taste)
• dried cranberries (25 g)
• olive oil (5 g)
• parsley (to your taste)
• turmeric (to your taste)
• feta cheese (30 g)
• dried barberries (to your taste)
• onions (30 g)

Preparation process:

• Cut the chicken breast into medium cubes (1.5 cm).
• Place the breast in a pot with cold water and cook for 25 minutes over medium heat.
• Finely chop the onion and cabbage, cut the feta into 1*1 cm cubes, while the breast is boiling.
• Add cereals, onions, and cabbage to the meat. If necessary, add a little more water (water should cover the contents of the pan by 1-1.5 cm). Cook covered for 15 minutes.
• Add barberries and cranberries, plus salt and spices to taste, stir, and cook for 3 more minutes.
• Add chopped parsley, feta and butter, mix. Turn off the stove.
• Transfer the finished dish to a plate and serve!

Calories: 705.9 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 29.4 / 19.9 / 50.5

Dinner: White fish with lentil and veggies

Ingredients:

• white fish (200 g)
• lentils (60 g)
• avocado (50 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• oregano (to your taste)
• tomatoes (100 g)
• iceberg Lettuce (20 g)
• lemon juice (to your taste)

Preparation process:

• We recommend pre-soaking lentils in cold water (for 2 hours or overnight).
• Boil lentils (place in a saucepan with cold water in a 1:3 ratio and simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes after boiling). Season with salt to taste and add dried basil (optional).
• While the lentils are being cooked, preheat the oven to 200°C / 392°F.
• Sprinkle white fish filets on all sides with spices (salt, pepper, and dried oregano to taste), wrap in foil, and bake in a preheated oven for 15-17 minutes.
• Cut the tomato and peeled avocado into slices.
• When the fish and lentils are ready, serve the dish: put the lettuce on a plate and top with the cooked fish and sprinkle with lemon juice. Serve lentils, tomatoes, and avocados next to it. Bon appétit!

Calories: 549.6 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 40.3 / 33.6 / 25.9

Saturday

Breakfast: Omelet with ham and veggies

Ingredients:

• ham (25 g)
• eggs (110 g)
• buckwheat or corn/rice bread (80 g)
• zucchini (70 g)
• eggplant (70 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• black pepper (to your taste)
• onions or leeks (10 g)
• seed oil (3 g)
• herbs (3 g)

Preparation process:

• Preheat a pan with oil. Slice eggplant and zucchini. Dice an onion (or leek) and put it in the pan with the vegetables.
• Fry for 3-5 minutes on medium heat until golden.
• Add eggs and sliced ham, stir, reduce heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Cover the pan and fry for 3-5 more minutes; add herbs. Enjoy your dish with whole grain bread.

Calories: 524.2 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 22.6 / 34.7 / 42.5

Lunch: Classic burger

Ingredients:

• minced veal (110 g)
• eggs (55 g)
• tomato sauce (40 g)
• butter (5 g)
• yogurt (40 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• Italian herbs mix (to your taste)
• tomatoes (100 g)
• pickled cucumber (40 g)
• cheddar cheese (40 g)
• seed oil (4 g)
• lettuce (30 g)
• burger bun (70 g)

Preparation process:

• Combine minced meat and egg in one bowl, add salt, pepper, and dried herbs (for example, a mixture of Italian herbs) to taste, stir well.
• From the resulting mass, form a round burger patty (about 1-1.5 cm thick).
• Preheat a frying pan with vegetable oil and fry the cutlet for 5 minutes on each side over medium heat.
• Melt the butter (you can put it in a cup and melt in a microwave oven for 10-15 seconds), then add yogurt, Italian herbs, salt, and pepper to taste, stir until the consistency of a sauce.
• Now take a bun and cut it in half. On one side, put half of the cooked creamy sauce, top with the lettuce, then the cooked cutlet. Smear the cutlet with tomato sauce and lay out a slice of cheese, and then thin sliced tomato and cucumber.
• Now take the other half of the bun, spread the remaining cream sauce over it, and cover the burger. Done! Have a nice meal!

Calories: 792.2 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 23.9 / 48.3 / 27.6

Dinner: Protein beans salad

Ingredients:

• canned beans (80 g)
• eggs (110 g)
• potatoes (50 g)
• red onions (20 g)
• yogurt (50 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• cucumber (80 g)
• cheddar cheese (25 g)

Preparation process:

• Boil the jacket potatoes (put the potatoes in a pot of cold water and cook until tender for about 30 minutes).
• Hard-boil the eggs (place in a saucepan with cold water, put on the stove, and cook for about 5 minutes after the water boils).
• Cut cucumbers, cooked eggs, and potatoes into small cubes, add canned beans, chopped red onions, and grated cheese.
• Season the salad with yogurt, salt, and pepper to taste, stir. Done!

Calories: 434.2 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 26.2 / 46.5 / 27.1

Sunday

Breakfast: Spinach cheese pancakes

Ingredients:

• spinach (100 g)
• corn flour (90 g)
• seed oil (2 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• black pepper (to your taste)
• eggs (55 g)
• sour cream 10% (30 g)
• cottage cheese 9% (100 g)

Preparation process:

• Place cottage cheese, spinach, egg in a blender and process until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Add flour to the cottage cheese mass.
• Knead the dough and use your hands to shape the cheesecakes.
• Preheat a skillet with oil.
• Fry the pancakes over low heat on 2 sides while covered for 3-5 minutes on each side.
• Put the prepared cheesecakes on a plate and serve with sour cream. Breakfast is ready!

Calories: 618.5 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 22.8 / 32.0 / 45.1

Lunch: Beef and vegetable rice noodles

Ingredients:

• beef (120 g)
• rice noodles (70 g)
• bell peppers (100 g)
• onions (30 g)
• carrots (50 g)
• soy sauce (40 g)
• teriyaki sauce (40 g)
• sesame seeds (10 g)
• seed oil (10 g)
• garlic (to your taste)

Preparation process:

• Cut onions, carrots, and bell peppers into thin strips.
• Heat a skillet with vegetable oil (use only half of the oil specified in the recipe at this time), place the chopped vegetables on it, and fry for 5 minutes, then transfer the vegetables to a plate.
• Cut beef into thin strips, put it in a small container, add soy sauce and chopped garlic, mix thoroughly and let it marinate for 5 minutes.
• Put the remaining vegetable oil into the preheated pan where the vegetables were cooked, put the marinated meat there and fry it for 5 minutes over medium heat.
• Pour boiling water over the rice noodles and leave for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the vegetables to the beef in the pan and cook for about 4 more minutes.
• Add the rice noodles and teriyaki sauce to the skillet, stir well and remove from the heat.
• Transfer the finished dish to a plate and sprinkle it with sesame seeds on top. Bon appétit!

Calories: 551.9 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 25.6 / 46.9 / 27.4

Dinner: Casserole with broccoli and salmon

Ingredients:

• wild rice (40 g)
• salmon (90 g)
• eggs (55 g)
• broccoli (50 g)
• cream 10% (20 g)
• sour cream 10% (20 g)
• cheddar cheese (25 g)
• butter (2 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• oregano (to your taste)

Preparation process:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C / 356°F.
• Rinse the rice, place in a saucepan with cold water, and boil until half-cooked (about 15 minutes after the water begins boiling).
• While the rice is cooking, wash the broccoli, divide it into florets and cook in boiling salted water for about 3-5 minutes (the vegetable should not become too soft).
• Grease a baking dish with butter, place the boiled rice in it and flatten. Top with diced (or stripped) salmon filets (rinse the filets first!). Place broccoli florets in between the salmon.
• Prepare the filling. Lightly beat an egg, add cream, sour cream, and grated cheese. Season with a little salt and pepper, add oregano or other dried herbs to taste. Mix well.
• Pour the filling over the casserole. Bake in a preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Done!

Calories: 520 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 30.1 / 45.6 / 24.2

Additional tips to remember

• Make a menu for the week ahead. Pre-cooked and frozen meals will not let you disrupt the established schedule.
• Be sure to supplement proper nutrition with strength training, in which you use basic exercises with kettlebells and dumbbells. Muscles will not appear on their own, even with the most healthy diet.
• Stick to an exercise regimen. Muscles do not grow during pumping, but during the recovery period, so it's crucial to give them rest: three days for newcomers and a day and a half for experienced athletes.
• During intense training, do not follow a diet with severe restrictions, if you do not want to lose muscle mass - the body under stress will seek to save energy.

Summary

A bulking diet refers to a balanced diet with increased calorie intake (15-20%). Its main goal is adding extra mass and building muscles. For this aim, athletes combine it with regular weight workouts.

A set of muscle masses occurs when the energy level received with food is higher than that spent during the day. The diet should include all nutrients in the right proportions (proteins, fats, and carbs).

A bulk-up period alternates with the lean-out stage. Therefore, it's essential to prepare a balanced nutrition plan so that the cutting phase does not cause severe damage to the body.