Meal planning for muscle gain: eat enough, eat smart

Building muscle takes two things: training that challenges your muscles, and enough food to build new tissue. Many people get the training right and the eating wrong, often by simply not eating enough.

Eat a small surplus

To gain muscle efficiently, most people do best eating slightly more than they burn. A surplus of around 200 to 300 calories a day supports muscle growth while limiting fat gain. Bigger surpluses mostly add fat, not extra muscle.

Prioritise protein

Research commonly suggests around 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for people building muscle, with some benefit up to about 2.2 grams. For a 75 kg person, that's roughly 120 to 165 grams a day.

Spreading protein across three or four meals, with around 20 to 40 grams each, is an easy way to get there.

Don't skip carbs

Carbohydrates fuel hard training sessions and help you recover. Rice, oats, potatoes, pasta, bread and fruit all have a place in a muscle-building plan, especially around workouts.

High-protein meal ideas

• Breakfast: Greek yoghurt with oats, berries and nuts, or eggs on wholegrain toast
• Lunch: chicken, rice and roasted vegetable bowl
• Snack: cottage cheese with fruit, or a protein shake with a banana
• Dinner: salmon or tofu with potatoes and greens
• Before bed: a glass of milk or a pot of skyr

Plan, then adjust

Weigh yourself a few times a week and watch the weekly average. A gain of roughly 0.5 to 1% of body weight per month is a common target for lean gains, with beginners often gaining a little faster. If you're not gaining, add a little food; if you're gaining fast, pull back slightly.

In Mealful, set a calorie goal above maintenance and sort recipes by most protein to build plans that hit your numbers. The macro breakdown for each day shows instantly whether you're getting enough protein.