 | When it comes to bulking your diet is not to be overlooked. Read on for a breakdown of the protein, carbohydrate, and fat sources that should be included in a well rounded bulking diet in order to get maximum results! |
By: Roger Lockridge| Article Summary: |
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The Muscle Building Food Stack To Get You Jacked
Anyone who is successful in bodybuilding from the local big dude in the gym to former Mr. Olympia's normally get asked about their "stack". People who are just starting out or who want to take their physique to the next level want to know what supplements they are taking. What kind of protein, multivitamin, creatine, NO product are you on? Do you take glutamine, fish oil, BCAA's, or anything else? Obviously this information can be helpful and will help beginners out, but it is not the supplement stack that people should be concerned with starting out or even if you are an intermediate lifter. You should be wondering about the food stack that the greats take daily.
Click To Enlarge.What kind of Protein, Multivitamin, Creatine, NO Product Are You On?
Food Stack?
You may have never heard of it mentioned like that, but yes, food stack. As important as supplements may be, they are only a piece of the puzzle and they are not the biggest piece you should be concerned with. Without proper nutrition, those supplements are not going to be as effective as they can be. It is that simple. Look at the word itself. Dietary supplements are supposed to "supplement" your diet and training. If you want to be the jacked up stud that everyone admires and stares at, you better figure out your food stack and do it quick.
So how do you make up your food stack? I prefer to keep it simple personally. You are supposed to eat six times a day at least. The three major meals of the day are breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In between are meals where you will more than likely have a protein shake or two. That leaves one meal for a snack. You are also supposed to have a source of protein and a source of carbohydrates in each meal. So my particular food stack will look like this.
- Breakfast: Protein, Carbs
- Lunch: Protein, Carbs
- Dinner: Protein, Carbs
- Snack: Protein, Carbs
Click To Enlarge.If You Want To Be The Jacked Up Stud That Everyone Admires And Stares At, You Better Figure Out Your Food Stack.
Breakfast Stack
Protein Source: Egg Whites
Nutrition Facts For 1 Large Egg White:
16 Calories
3g of Protein
.5g of Carbs
0g of Fat
Egg whites are your best bet first thing in the morning. You only want the egg white because the yolk has the fat of the egg and you want to build lean mass, not fat mass. Since you need protein, 10-12 egg whites a day will suffice for a meal. That means you will have 160-192 calories and 30-36 grams of protein first thing in the morning. That may seem like a lot to you, but it really is not that expensive, especially if you buy your eggs in bulk.
Click To Enlarge.Egg Whites Are Your Best Bet First Thing In The Morning.
Carbohydrate Source: Oats
Nutrition Facts For 1 Cups Of Dry Oats:
120 Calories
3g of Protein
25g of Carbohydrates
1.5g of Fat
Oatmeal is a great idea for a carbohydrate source in the morning because it is a complex carbohydrate that will help you get your energy levels up for the day. It is low in fat and also high in fiber. Like eggs, if you buy your oats in the bigger containers instead of the ten packet boxes you will save money. Also, the carbs in oatmeal are low glycemic so they will slowly be absorbed by the body over time. The energy you get from the oats will last a while which helps later in the day. Now that breakfast is covered, let's move on to lunch.
Click To Enlarge.The Carbs In Oatmeal Are Low Glycemic So They Will Slowly Be Absorbed By The Body Over Time.
Lunch Stack
Protein Source: Tuna
Nutrition Facts For 1 Cup Of Tuna In Water, Drained:
180 Calories
39g of Protein
0g of Carbs
1.25g of Fat
Tuna is one of the best sources of protein that bodybuilders can possibly have in their food arsenal. It is rich in protein, it requires little or no effort to fix depending on how you like to eat it and the best part is that it is cheap. You can get tuna for less than 75 cents a can in most places. Make sure you get the tuna that is stored in water.
Click To Enlarge.Tuna Is One Of The Best Sources Of Protein That Bodybuilders
Can Possibly Have In Their Food Arsenal.
Carbohydrate Source: Brown Rice
Nutrition Facts For 1 Cup Of Brown Rice, cooked:
220 Calories
4.5g of Protein
45g of Carbohydrates
1.5g of Fat
Just like your oatmeal at breakfast, Brown Rice is a complex carbohydrate that is rated low on the glycemic index scale. Whether you workout in the morning or afternoon to early evening, taking rice at this point in the day is smart because if you trained in the morning, you will recover better. If you are training later then your energy will be high despite what all you have planned in your day and you can still give it your all in the gym. So now lunch is taken care of and at this point in your day you should be running on all cylinders. Let's go ahead and focus on dinner because after a long day, you want to make sure you get what you need before going to bed.
Click To Enlarge.Whether You Workout In The Morning Or Afternoon To Early Evening, Taking Rice At This Point In The Day Is Smart.
Dinner Stack
Protein Source: Chicken
Nutrition Facts for 1 cup of Roasted Diced Chicken:
215 Calories
38g of Protein
0g of Carbs
6g of Fat
Chicken is a bodybuilder's best friend. They provide your protein for breakfast in the eggs and they are the protein source for dinner at the end of the day. There are different ways to prepare your bird so having this variety will be good if you need to break the monotony of having it every day. The only thing that may not be a good idea is frying it. However you choose to fix it, it is very affordable and awesome to have to ensure your protein needs for the evening are met.
Click To Enlarge.Chicken Is Very Affordable And Awesome To Have To Ensure Your Protein Needs.
Carbohydrate Source: Black Beans
Nutrition Facts For 1 Cup Black Beans, Dried:
225 Calories
15g of Protein
41g of Carbs
Less than 1g of Fat
Although it is high in protein as well, Black Beans are awesome carbs for the end of the day. Combined with your chicken, this is a tremendous muscle building meal to cap off your muscle building nutrition stack. Now if you are more focused on fat loss, then you will not have a carbohydrate source at the end of the day. You don't want any extra calories that may go unprocessed and be stored as bodyfat while you are sleeping. So there are your three basic meals covered. Let's look at what you may want for in between your major meals.
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Snack Stack
Protein Source: Cottage Cheese
Nutrition Facts For 1 Cup Of Nonfat, Uncreamed Cottage Cheese:
125 Calories
25g of Protein
2.5g of Carbs
.5g of Fat
Cottage Cheese is definitely what you need for your final meal before bed. Cottage cheese has casein protein which is a slower digesting protein than whey and will keep your body from going into starvation mode in the middle of the night. This serves as a BIG advantage to you whether you are a hardgainer or are dieting to lose bodyfat. I suggest taking your whey protein during the day in between your big meals and having cottage cheese for your post dinner meal.
Carbohydrate Source: Pineapple
Nutrition Facts For 1 Cup Of Pineapple Canned In It's Own Juices:
140 Calories
less than 1 gram of protein
34 grams of carbohydrates
less than 1 gram of fat
You probably weren't expecting a fruit but hear me out. Pineapples are good to have as a snack with your whey protein in the morning because of the digestive enzymes that are in it. Those digestive enzymes will help you break down all the other food you take in throughout the course of the day. I would suggest having pineapple in between your breakfast and lunch. If you are dieting you may want to do half a serving of pineapple or pass it up completely.
Click To Enlarge.I Would Suggest Having Pineapple In Between Your Breakfast And Lunch.
Don't Forget The Fats
I bet you thought I wasn't going to cover that. I am covering this separately so you know that fats must be included if you want to be as successful as possible. Too many people take fats lightly and you just can't do that. No food stack is complete without including healthy fats. I am going to give you a fat to use as an "add on" to each of your parts to your current stack.
Breakfast Fat: Flax Seeds
Nutrition Facts For 1 Tablespoon Of Flax Seeds:
55 Calories
2g of Protein
3g of Carbohydrates
4g of Fat
This is low in sodium and cholesterol and is also a great source offiber, thiamin, and manganese. Add them to your oatmeal to make sure you get the fats you need to start the day.
 | Flax Seed Products: Sorted By Top Sellers. Flax seeds are an excellent source of fiber. They contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. They also contain a special fiber called mucilage. Mucilage helps stabilize blood sugar levels, and is a natural laxative. [ Find Flax Seed Products Sorted By Top Sellers ] |
Lunch or Snack Fat: Almonds
Nutrition Facts For 1oz Of Almonds:
164 Calories
6g of Protein
5g of Carbs
14g of FatAlmonds are a good source of Vitamin E, magnesium, potassium,zinc, iron, fiber and are a good source of healthy monounsaturated fat. They also have more calcium than any other nut.
Click To Enlarge.Almonds Have More Calcium Than Any Other Nut.
Dinner Fat: Olive Oil
Nutrition Facts For 1 Tablespoon Of Olive Oil:
120 Calories
0g of Protein
0g of Carbohydrates
13.5g of Fat
Whether you add it to a salad at dinner or cook with it, this one is great to end the day with. So you combine your food stack with your protein shakes you have in the day, your nutrition plan may look like this.
Click To Enlarge.Whether You Add It To A Salad At Dinner Or Cook With It,
This One Is Great To End The Day With.
Recap of the "Get Jacked" Food Stack
- Breakfast: Egg Whites, Oatmeal, Flax Seeds
- Snack: Whey Protein, Pineapple
- Lunch: Tuna, Brown Rice, Almonds
- Snack: Whey Protein
- Dinner: Chicken, Beans, Olive Oil
- Snack Before Bed: Cottage Cheese
Alternatives
Ok, I understand I may have included something you may be allergic to or just can't stand the thought of eating so I am going to include some alternatives for you to replace what I put in. You can also occasionally switch one source for another and see if that particular source will help you better.
| Sources of Protein | Sources of Carbohydrates | Sources of Fats |
| Skim Milk | Sweet Potatoes | Pistachios |
| Turkey | Whole Wheat Bread | Macadamia Nuts |
| Halibut | Quinoa | Salmon |
| Bass | Perogies | Fish Oils |
| Catfish | Barley | Cashews |
| 93/7 Ground Beef | Bananas | Herring |
| Steak | Whole Wheat Pasta | Mackerel |
Conclusion
The stack I covered is, in my opinion, the ultimate muscle building stack to get you moving forward to reaching your muscle building goals and to become the jacked dude moving the heavy iron and capturing the attention of all of those around you. Whether you follow my recommendation or substitute one of them for another choice, you must be consistent with your diet to accomplish your goals and build that awesome physique you work so hard in the gym for and dream of having day in and day out. Without consistency, you will accomplish nothing.
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