As I’m sure you’re very much aware, eating like a bodybuilder ain’t cheap. You need to consume large amounts of high quality fresh food every day. High quality fresh food is generally the most expensive so bodybuilders tend to have ‘scary’ grocery bills.

Follow these 5 tips to help to maintain your desired high level of food quality & quantity whilst not breaking the bank.

#1 Pounce On The Supermarket Deals

Generally speaking buying a larger quantity of an item usually means you get more for your money, i.e. the price per item is lower the more you buy. Bulk buying is particularly suited to bodybuilders as we tend to eat large quantities of the same food (chicken, tuna, rice etc).

Supermarkets are always running deals on selected items, it’s a common strategy to keep customers coming back, looking for the bargains. The offers are rotated regularly so pretty much every item will be on offer at some point.

Next time you’re in the supermarket, take time to look for the special offers & deals such as “BOGOF” (Buy One Get One Free, you’ve got love supermarket sales spiel) and “buy 2 and get 3^rd free” etc. Also keeps you eyes peeled for items being sold in the largest quantities and multi packs.

These offers and deals can often be a real bargain so take full advantage when you see your usual items on sale. Buy as much as you can affordstore as the offersdeals typically only last for a few weeks.

But be aware, just because an item is on offer doesn’t mean that it really is the best deal – don’t take the sales banner as gospel. It may actually be cheaper to buy several single items than say the ‘6 pack’ offer.

Here’s an example for you that happened to me a few weeks back.

I was looking to buy my usual tinned tuna (in brine) at my local supermarket and there was 3 different ways I could buy, as below:

Now you’d normally assume the larger multi pack (3x185g) to be the best offer but as you can see, it’s actually the smaller (3x80g) which turns out to be the better deal.

The largest buying option isn’t necessarily always the best offer, you’ll need to do some mental arithmetic to calculate the cheapest way to buy a particular item. If maths isn’t your strong point then do what I do, use a calculator. You’re mobile will almost certainly have at least a simple calculator installed or you can download a free one if you own a smart phone. I use mine whenever I go grocery shopping so when I spot a deal, I can quickly and accurately calculate the very best offer available.

By making the best choice in tuna from the example above, I saved myself 7p/100g. Not a huge amount of cash I know but given that I usually go through at least 1kg of tuna per week, that works out to be over £36/year. That’s a very welcome saving on just one item and all just by taking a little time to determine the real best offer.

To finish off my story, I was in the supermarket the following week, I wasn’t actually shopping for tuna but I noticed that the 1 x185g tins were on a “2 for 1” offer which works out as 51p/100g tuna. That’s a whopping saving of 37p/100g over the previously cheapest offer.

Needless to say, I bought in bulk, in fact 3 months worth!, (got some funny looks at the till I can tell you), and saved  myself some £42 on 3 months supplies – bargain!

Buying your regular food items in bulk may only save you pennies in the pound but given how much you spend on groceries, this saving can work out be quite significant. Although not a regular occurrence, offers such as BOGOF can present a considerable saving and are something you should be looking out for and taking advantage of.

#2 Strike a Deal with Your Local Butcher/Greengrocer

As good as the special offers from you local supermarket can be, they are only fleeting with any individual promotion lasting only a few weeks. I do advise you take advantage of these offers when they appear and buy as much as you can affordstore but these deals aren’t always around.

There’s generally no room for negotiating with the supermarkets, especially the larger chains. I’ve neither tried nor witnessed haggling a bulk purchase discount at the checkouts, chances are any such behaviour would only be met with disbelief!  The price you see is the price you pay, if what you want isn’t on offer – tough luck.

There is however, room for negotiating on price with your local family run butcher/greengrocer.

Sadly, independent local butcher/greengrocer stores are shrinking in number day by day, (mostly thanks to the aforementioned supermarkets). However, the good news for you is that these stores are usually are very keen for your business, especially if you’re buying in bulk.

First thing you need to do is sit down and work out just exactly how much of a particular item you generally go through in a given period (week, fortnight, month). Next, visit your local butcher/greengrocer and ask to speak to the owner/manager. Briefly explain your situation (bodybuilder, strict diet etc.)

Please don’t feel embarrassed about doing this, you’re not being ‘cheeky’ or ‘tight-fisted’. You’re offering to put a fair amount of business their way (at least compared to their average customer) and you’re simply looking for the best price.

Striking such a deal should easily result in shaving £50+ off your monthly grocery bill.

In my case, I was able to strike a good deal with my local butcher for the regular purchasing of some 15Kg of chicken per month. After explaining my situation to the owner and my expected monthly quantity, he immediately offered me a reduction of £1.50/Kg for chicken. So there was a saving of over £22 per month on chicken alone.

When I pop in every month, my butcher is always very pleased to see, serves me himself and usually throws in an extra chicken breast or two.

Now you’re unlikely to be able to haggle the same sort of bargain that you can find on offer at the supermarkets. The latter’s buying power give them huge negotiation advantage with the suppliers. But, if you cut a deal with your local butchergreengrocer, then hopefully it will be in place a lot longer than the fleeting supermarket offers.

Personally, I still prefer to source most of my bulk purchases from my local butcher and greengrocer.  The offers at the supermarket may be the best on price but I like knowing my produce is locally grown and should also be fresher (hopefully with fewer pesticides as it travels for less).

In part 2 of this article  we’ll talk about 3 more great tips including how to minimize the amount of food you waste.

Correct nutrition in bodybuilding is critical but preparing  numerous nutritious meals takes time & effort.  Bodybuilders also tend to eat 6+meals a day and so struggle to come up with healthy recipes that are quick & easy to prepare. 

Let’s take a look at how we can minimize the effort required in preparing meals whilst maintaining the desired levels of nutrition.

Let’s be honest, lifting weights is no fun, it’s the anticipated results that gives us the buzz. These ‘results’ don’t happen whilst we’re in the gym, it’s the days following when repair and growth takes place (hopefully). To fuel this repair and growth, you need to provide your body with sufficient nutrients.

If you don’t get enough of the required nutrients inside of you then all that sweat and tears in the gym is gonna be partially if not completely wasted. Whilst many bodybuilders appreciate this fact and few refute it, preparing nutritious meals takes time. The convince of junk food is not available to the bodybuilder.

First, we need to establish how many times we’ll be eating a day. No brainer here for bodybuilders, we all know we should be eating at least six meals per day. There are many reasons why this meal pattern is best suited to bodybuilders but I won’t go into right now.

Suffice to say, that if you’re serious about bodybuilding, the traditional three square meals per just isn’t gonna cut it.

Variety Is The Spice Of Life – But It’s Hard Work

So, six plus meals per day is called for. Easier said than done, have you tired cooking six times per day, seven days per week? Even if I did have that amount of spare time on my hands, I could think of a lot more worthwhile activities to occupy it other than slaving in the kitchen.

If you look at most bodybuilding diet plans you find on-line and they usually look something like this:

Meal 1 (06:00)
8 egg whites, 1 yolk, scrambled
Half cup oatmeal
1 orange

Meal 2 (09:00)
6oz chicken breast, grilled
1 medium baked potato
1 mixed salad with low fat dressing

Meal 3 (12:00)
6oz lean steak, grilled
1 cup brown rice
3oz steamed vegetables

Meal 4 (15:00)
6oz tuna
1 cup brown rice
3oz steamed vegetables

Meal 5 (18:00)
6oz salmon, baked
1 sweet potato
3oz steamed vegetables

Meal 6 (21:00)
6oz chicken breast, grilled
3oz steamed vegetables

Ready, Steady, Not So Much Cooking

Now if you have the time (and patience) to prepare all these meals then good luck to you. I don’t know many bodybuilders that have enough time to follow a meal plan like the one above, I certainly don’t. That’s six different meals to prepare each and every day. It won’t be long before the kitchen becomes a place you begin to despise.

Even if you prepared all these meals the day before, that’s still six different meals to prepare. Doubling up so you cook two day’s worth in one batch is going to help a little but it’s still a awful lot of work.

Ok, let’s see if we can trim things down a little. We could substitute a cooked breakfast for oats and replace the mid morning snack for something that also doesn’t require much preparation like peanut butter & rice cakes or similar.

Sure you could replace a meal or two with some protein/ meal replacement powder but that’s not something I’d recommend. If you’re cutting then you’re gonna be hungry enough without resorting to liquid meals. If you’re looking to add muscle then the old adage ‘food first’ couldn’t be truer. Protein powders are a god send when it comes to pre & post workout nutrition and a life saver when it comes to convenience but don’t get into the habit of relying on liquid meals.

That still leaves us with the need to cook four different meals per day.

Four Is The Magic Number

But  who said that each meal needs to be different?, why can’t you just eat the same meal four times per day?

Now I’m sure non gym folk would curse at having to eat the same meal four times in a day but us bodybuilders are different – our eating habits are dictated more by our training goals than our palate. Tha’ts not to say that we’re happy  with boiled chicken and veg for each and every meal, we still desire food that tastes good with some variety – we sure eat enough of it!

Eating the same meal four times in a day is no real hardship for the bodybuilder, especially if these meals actually taste half decent. The big payoff is that preparing your meals for the day much easier and quicker. Another bonus is that it’s also far easier to calculate your macro-nutrients.

So, hopefully you’re on-board with the idea of eating the same meal four times in a day.

Obviously you don’t want to be eating the same four meals each and every day. Besides the boredom and dullness that would quickly set in, the lack of variety in nutrients could also become a problem. You need to find yourself  at least seven different recipes so you’re at least you’re eating different meals each day of the week. That should give you enough variety and should prevent you becoming bored with the same meals.

I’d recommend more but if you’re stuck then seven is the bare minimum you could get away with.

Each bodybuilding recipe needs to  fit a number of criteria:

• High in protein (minimum of 40g per serving)
• Low in carbs, preferably < 15g
• Relatively quick & easy to prepare
• Doesn’t require a long list of  ingredients
• Tastes good

Now that’s not asking a lot is it?

Probably the best recipe book out there for bodybuilders right now is Anabolic Cooking by Dave Ruel. The book has  over 200 recipes, well laid out &  easy to follow.

Be Prepared

One last tip for you to help make preparing your meals easier – be prepared

A good habit to get into is to prepare at least two days worth of meals on a Sunday, i.e. Monday’s & Tuesday’s. If you’ve time then prepare Wednesday’s or even Thursday’s meals . Three days in advance is about the limit (unless you freeze your meals) you want any meal sitting around  in the fridge for.

For the rest of the week, a good routine is to prepare 4-5 meals for the next day. This means cooking late in the evenings – hence the criteria for being relatively easy to prepare. Most of your meals will probably be centered around chicken (occasionally turkey), lean beef (steak & minced) fish. Once or maybe twice a week, chuck in an egg based meal, depending on your goals (putting on mass or shedding fat).

So, in reality, you only need to source seven tasty, relatively easy to prepare high protein recipes. 8,9  or more would be be nicer, for variety, but if you can find seven that you can stick with, that should see you through a good couple of months before boredom sets in.

Ready to cook, boneless, skinless chicken are a main stay of muscle building diets as they are low in fat and high in protein, and also simple to prepare. Chicken is also very versatile and can be prepared in a variety of ways without being boring. The chicken can take on a very smooth texture when marinated and grilled in this spicy yoghurt.

With its relatively small preparation and cooking time, this recipe is good for dinner or lunch situations.

Ingredients:

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup plain yoghurt
• 1 tbsp. chilli powder
• 1 tbsp. curry powder
• 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger root
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Preparation:

1. Pierce chicken breasts several times with the tines of a fork and set aside.
2. In large bowl combine yogurt and all of the spices and mix well.
3.  Add the chicken to the mixture and turn so all the chicken pieces are coated. Cover and chill for at least one hour, or overnight.
4. When ready to cook, prepare and preheat grill.
5. Remove chicken from marinade and cook on grill for about 15 minutes until thoroughly cooked, turning once during cooking time. You can also cook the chicken on a dual contact indoor grill, for 5-7 minutes until thoroughly cooked.
6. If you want to bake the chicken, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
7.  Place the chicken on a foil-lined jelly roll pan (you need the sides to catch the juice) and bake for 30-35 minutes until chicken registers 160 degrees F.
8.  Let stand 5 minutes and serve.

Nutrition (per serving):

• Kcal: 370
• Protein: 32g
• Carbs: 35g
• Fat: 1g

Serves: 3

You can serve with rice or corn, if preferred. Make a salad to top it off, or steam some vegetables to make this dish the perfectly balanced meal.

This chili is good for the vegetarian body builders out there who are looking to spice up their post workout meal. The main ingredients is tofu, a light protein packed food made from coagulated soybean milk. It is fairly tasteless itself, but takes on the flavors of the foods that it is cooked with.

Tofu provides many of the essential minerals needed by the body and has been shown to improve serum cholesterol (the good kind of cholesterol) in the body.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. tofu burger mix
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper
• ½ cup sliced carrot
• 3 minced cloves garlic
• 16 ounces can of crushed tomatoes
• 16 ounces tomato sauce
• 16 ounces canned kidney beans
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• ¾ tsp. cumin seed
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Use 1 package of the vegetarian burger mix. This is enough to make four burgers
2. Cook the four burgers according to the package instructions.
3. Chop the onions, green peppers and the garlic.
4. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large pot.
5. Crumble the burgers with your fingers and add to the chili sauce.
6. Simmer for 30 minutes.
7. Serve with fresh fruit juice.

Nutrition (per serving):

• Kcal: 360
• Protein: 30g
• Carbs: 62g
• Fat: 3g

Serves: 4

There’s no getting away from it, chicken is probably the #1 source of protein for bodybuilders. It’s versatile, relatively cheap and with a little imagination & effort, you can use chicken in just about any recipe.

So here’s another classic chicken recipe, packed with protein & carbs. You can probably tell I’m bulking at the moment so the last 3-4 recipes have all been loaded with carbs. I’ll be back cutting soon so I’ll be posting more low carb recipes.

In the meantime, enjoy this delicious loaded chicken recipe!

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless/boneless chicken breasts
• 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
• 1/3 cup of orange juice
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/3 teaspoon ginger
• ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ cup broccoli florets
• 1 can sliced water chestnuts
• ½ cup rice

Preparation:

1. Cut chicken breasts into ¼ “ pieces and set them aside
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine teriyaki sauce, orange juice, cornstarch and ginger, and set aside.
3. In a large skillet heat oil over high heat. Add the chicken pieces and stir fry until they are lightly browned, for about 4-7 minutes.
4. Using a slotted spoon (or something similar), transfer the chicken pieces to a bowl. Leave the drippings in the skillet.
5. Reduce the heat to moderate.
6. Add broccoli to the skillet and stir fry for 3-5 minutes.
7. Stir the teriyaki mixture and add to the broccoli in the skillet.
8. Cook the mixture, stirring until it thickens and is bubbly for about 2-4 minutes.
9. Add water chestnuts and the cooked chicken pieces.
10. Continue cooking until heated through.
11. Serve with cooked rice.

Nutrition (per serving):

• Kcal:636
• Proteins: 48g
• Carbs: 76g
• Fat: 13g

Serves: 3

This is a staple body building recipe in for when your’e not cutting. Loaded with carbs and proteins, this is a lunchtime or evening meal best served at least 3 hours pre any workout, depending on your metabolism.

Ingredients:

• 2 whole potatoes
• 1 cup (250 ml)of corn
• 4 ounces of top sirloin lean steak
• Mrs. dash seasoning
• Dash of salt and pepper
• 1 tsp. of margarine- light
• ½ tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup of mushrooms

Preparation:

1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place potatoes on two separate pieces of foil. Cut potatoes lengthwise but do not cut through.
3.  Add half a tsp. of butter to each potato and add a dash of salt and pepper.
4.  Fold the potatoes in the foil wrap.
5. Set timer for 40 minutes. Place potatoes in the oven.
6. Cook potatoes until the timer is complete or until the potatoes are soft all the way through.
7. Meanwhile, wash and clean steak and mushrooms.
8. Season steak with Mrs. Dash seasoning.
9.  Heat oil in a medium sized frying pan.
10. Place steak in the pan and pan fry for 5-10 minutes each side.
11.  Meanwhile, heat a non-stick skillet and sauté mushrooms. Once mushrooms are soft, set aside.
12. Once potatoes are done, take out and set aside for 3-5 minutes. Take steak out of frying pan and top with mushrooms.
13. Serve with potatoes.

Nutrition (per serving):

• Kcal: 626
• Protein: 44g
• Carbs: 79g
• Fat: 15g

Serves: 4