Mass Gaining Meal Plans: How to Build a Diet for Muscle Growth
To build muscle, training alone isn’t enough—your diet plays a crucial role. The right balance of calories, macronutrients, meal timing, and food quality will determine how effectively you gain lean mass.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
✔ How many calories you need to bulk
✔ Optimal macronutrient ratios (protein, fats, carbs)
✔ Best foods for muscle growth
✔ Meal timing and frequency
✔ Example mass-gaining meal plans
1. How Many Calories Do You Need to Build Muscle?
Muscle growth requires a caloric surplus—eating more calories than you burn.
💡 Basic Formula for Bulking Calories:
- Maintenance Calories = Body weight (kg) × 30–35
- Bulking Calories = Maintenance + 250–500 kcal
📌 Example for an 80 kg (176 lb) male:
- Maintenance: 80 × 32 = ~2560 kcal
- Lean Bulk: 2560 + 300 = ~2860 kcal/day
- Aggressive Bulk: 2560 + 500 = ~3060 kcal/day
🚫 Mistakes to Avoid:
❌ Excessive surplus (+1000 kcal/day) → Leads to fat gain
❌ Too small a surplus (+100 kcal/day) → Minimal muscle growth
2. Macronutrient Ratios for Muscle Growth
🔹 Protein (Muscle Builder)
✔ Recommended intake: 1.6–2.2g per kg body weight
✔ Sources: Chicken, beef, fish, eggs, dairy, whey protein, tofu
📌 Example: An 80 kg male should eat 130–180g protein/day
🔹 Carbohydrates (Energy & Recovery)
✔ Recommended intake: 4–6g per kg body weight
✔ Sources: Rice, oats, potatoes, pasta, whole grains, fruits
📌 Example: 80 kg × 5g = 400g carbs/day
🔹 Fats (Hormone Production & Overall Health)
✔ Recommended intake: 20–30% of total calories
✔ Sources: Nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil, fatty fish
📌 Example: 2800 kcal × 25% ÷ 9 kcal/g = ~78g fats/day
3. Best Foods for Mass Gaining
🔸 High-Protein Foods
✔ Chicken breast, turkey, lean beef
✔ Eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese
✔ Salmon, tuna, shrimp
✔ Plant proteins: Tofu, tempeh, lentils
🔸 Carb Sources for Energy
✔ Rice, oats, quinoa, whole wheat pasta
✔ Sweet potatoes, white potatoes
✔ Fruits (bananas, berries, apples)
✔ Vegetables (broccoli, spinach, carrots)
🔸 Healthy Fats for Hormones
✔ Nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews)
✔ Avocados, olives, coconut oil
✔ Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel)
4. Meal Timing & Frequency
💡 How Often Should You Eat?
- 4–6 meals per day → Keeps energy high & prevents bloating
- Pre & post-workout meals → Optimize recovery
- Casein protein before bed → Prevents muscle breakdown
📌 Pre-Workout Meal (1–2 hours before training)
✔ Protein + Carbs (chicken + rice, oats + whey, eggs + toast)
📌 Post-Workout Meal (30–60 min after training)
✔ High-protein, moderate-carb meal (salmon + sweet potato, whey + banana)
5. Sample Mass-Gaining Meal Plan (3000 kcal)
🥣 Breakfast (700 kcal)
✔ Scrambled eggs (3 eggs) + oats (50g) + peanut butter (1 tbsp)
✔ Banana + whey protein shake
🥪 Snack (500 kcal)
✔ Whole wheat sandwich with turkey, avocado & cheese
✔ Handful of almonds
🍗 Lunch (750 kcal)
✔ Grilled chicken (150g) + rice (100g) + steamed broccoli
✔ Olive oil dressing (1 tbsp)
🍎 Pre-Workout Snack (400 kcal)
✔ Greek yogurt + granola + honey
🏋️ Post-Workout Meal (600 kcal)
✔ Whey protein + banana + rice cakes
✔ Peanut butter (1 tbsp)
🥩 Dinner (750 kcal)
✔ Beef steak (150g) + mashed potatoes + green beans
✔ Dark chocolate (10g)
6. Key Takeaways for Effective Bulking
✔ Eat in a caloric surplus (+300–500 kcal/day)
✔ Prioritize protein (1.6–2.2g per kg BW)
✔ Fuel with carbs (4–6g per kg BW)
✔ Include healthy fats (20–30% of total calories)
✔ Spread meals throughout the day for steady energy
✔ Optimize pre- and post-workout nutrition
Follow these principles, and you’ll build muscle while minimizing fat gain! 💪🔥
