Diet Plan for Muscle Gain: Full Days of Eating
Knowing your numbers is step one. Turning them into actual meals is where most guys get stuck. Here are three complete days of eating for building muscle, at 2,500, 3,000 and 3,500 calories, with every gram counted.
Which plan is yours?
Get your daily calorie target from the free Fit Gorillas Macro Calculator, then pick the meal plan that's closest to it.
How to use these plans
- Pick the closest plan to your calorie target. As a rough guide, 2,500 suits many guys around 65–75 kg, 3,000 around 75–85 kg and 3,500 around 85–95 kg or very active guys, but your own number from the calculator is what counts.
- Weigh your food. All amounts are in grams, using USDA FoodData Central values. See how to count macros if you're new to this.
- Swap foods freely using the swaps table below, as long as you swap like for like.
- Check the scales weekly and adjust (see "Adjusting the plan" below).
2,500 calorie meal plan
About 2,490 calories, 172 g protein, 282 g carbs, 62 g fat.
| Meal | What to eat | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Rolled oats: 90 g Milk, light: 300 ml Banana: 120 g (1 medium) | 574 | 23 g | 91 g | 9 g |
| Lunch | Rotisserie chicken breast, skin off: 150 g Flour wraps: 90 g (2 wraps) Avocado: 80 g (1/2 avocado) Salad leaves: 50 g | 627 | 52 g | 44 g | 24 g |
| Snack | Greek yoghurt, plain, low fat: 200 g Blueberries: 75 g | 161 | 21 g | 16 g | 1 g |
| Dinner | Lean beef mince, 5% fat (raw weight): 180 g Pasta (cooked weight): 300 g Tomato pasta sauce (jar): 125 g Olive oil: 10 g (2 tsp, for cooking) | 872 | 58 g | 94 g | 24 g |
| Evening | Cottage cheese, reduced fat: 150 g Rice cakes: 18 g (2 cakes) Honey: 20 g (1 tbsp) | 256 | 18 g | 37 g | 4 g |
| Day total | 2,490 | 172 g | 282 g | 62 g |
3,000 calorie meal plan
About 2,994 calories, 193 g protein, 319 g carbs, 92 g fat. This is the same structure with bigger portions, plus peanut butter and nuts for easy extra calories.
| Meal | What to eat | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Rolled oats: 110 g Milk, light: 350 ml Banana: 120 g (1 medium) Peanut butter: 20 g | 790 | 32 g | 109 g | 21 g |
| Lunch | Rotisserie chicken breast, skin off: 150 g Flour wraps: 90 g (2 wraps) Avocado: 80 g (1/2 avocado) Salad leaves: 50 g | 627 | 52 g | 44 g | 24 g |
| Snack | Greek yoghurt, plain, low fat: 200 g Blueberries: 75 g Mixed nuts: 30 g | 343 | 27 g | 21 g | 17 g |
| Dinner | Lean beef mince, 5% fat (raw weight): 200 g Pasta (cooked weight): 350 g Tomato pasta sauce (jar): 125 g Olive oil: 10 g (2 tsp, for cooking) | 978 | 65 g | 109 g | 25 g |
| Evening | Cottage cheese, reduced fat: 150 g Rice cakes: 18 g (2 cakes) Honey: 20 g (1 tbsp) | 256 | 18 g | 37 g | 4 g |
| Day total | 2,994 | 193 g | 319 g | 92 g |
3,500 calorie meal plan
About 3,544 calories, 220 g protein, 384 g carbs, 110 g fat. An extra morning snack makes the numbers easier to hit without huge meals. If you struggle to eat this much, see the skinny guy's guide to gaining weight.
| Meal | What to eat | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Rolled oats: 110 g Milk, light: 300 ml Banana: 120 g (1 medium) Peanut butter: 30 g | 829 | 33 g | 108 g | 26 g |
| Morning snack | Eggs, whole: 100 g (2 eggs) Bread, wholemeal: 70 g (2 slices) Orange juice: 250 ml | 432 | 23 g | 52 g | 12 g |
| Lunch | Rotisserie chicken breast, skin off: 150 g Flour wraps: 90 g (2 wraps) Avocado: 80 g (1/2 avocado) Salad leaves: 50 g | 627 | 52 g | 44 g | 24 g |
| Afternoon snack | Greek yoghurt, plain, low fat: 200 g Blueberries: 75 g Mixed nuts: 30 g | 343 | 27 g | 21 g | 17 g |
| Dinner | Lean beef mince, 5% fat (raw weight): 200 g Pasta (cooked weight): 400 g Tomato pasta sauce (jar): 125 g Olive oil: 10 g (2 tsp, for cooking) | 1057 | 68 g | 123 g | 26 g |
| Evening | Cottage cheese, reduced fat: 150 g Rice cakes: 18 g (2 cakes) Honey: 20 g (1 tbsp) | 256 | 18 g | 37 g | 4 g |
| Day total | 3,544 | 220 g | 384 g | 110 g |
Carbs are listed without fibre (Australian, UK and EU label style). Totals are rounded, so meal figures may not add up exactly to the day total.
Easy food swaps
Don't like something in the plan? Swap it for a food with similar macros:
| Instead of | Swap in | Protein | Carbs | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lean beef mince, 200 g raw | Cooked chicken breast, 140 g | 43 g → 43 g | 0 g → 0 g | 274 → 231 |
| Lean beef mince, 200 g raw | Lean sirloin steak, 190 g raw | 43 g → 42 g | 0 g → 0 g | 274 → 249 |
| Cooked pasta, 300 g | Cooked white rice, 310 g | 17 g → 8 g | 87 g → 86 g | 474 → 403 |
| Cooked pasta, 300 g | Potato, 550 g raw | 17 g → 11 g | 87 g → 85 g | 474 → 424 |
| 2 flour wraps (90 g) | 3 slices wholemeal bread (105 g) | 7 g → 13 g | 41 g → 39 g | 275 → 265 |
| Rotisserie chicken, 150 g | Tuna in springwater, 2 small cans (165 g) | 42 g → 42 g | 0 g → 0 g | 216 → 191 |
Need more protein ideas? See the high-protein foods list.
Adjusting the plan
Any calorie target is an estimate, so let your body tell you if it's right. Weigh yourself a few mornings a week and compare the weekly average:
- Gaining about 0.25–0.5% of your bodyweight a week: perfect, keep going.
- No change after 2 weeks: add 100–200 calories a day (an extra 30 g of oats or 100 g of cooked rice or pasta).
- Gaining faster than about 0.5% a week: pull back by 100–200 calories a day to limit fat gain.
Learn more in how many calories you need to build muscle.
Tips to make it stick
- Plan tomorrow today. Decide your meals the night before so you're never guessing.
- Cook protein in bulk. Mince, chicken and rice keep well in the fridge for a few days.
- Drink some calories. Milk, juice and smoothies are the easiest way to add calories if you struggle to eat.
- Hit protein first. If a day goes off track, make sure you still hit your protein target.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories should I eat to build muscle?
Most guys build muscle well eating about 200 to 500 calories above their maintenance calories (TDEE). Use the free Fit Gorillas Macro Calculator to get your number, then pick the meal plan closest to it.
How many meals a day should I eat to build muscle?
Total calories and protein matter most, so eat the number of meals that suits you. Most guys find 4 to 6 meals with 25 to 50 g of protein each makes their targets easier to hit.
What if I'm not gaining weight on this plan?
Weigh yourself a few mornings a week and look at the weekly average. If it hasn't moved in two weeks, add 100 to 200 calories a day, for example a bigger serve of oats, rice or pasta.
Can I swap foods in the meal plan?
Yes. Swap like for like: a protein for a protein, a carb for a carb. Check the swaps table in this article, or plan your own swaps in grams with the Fit Gorillas Macro Tracker.
Can I build muscle without gaining much fat?
Yes, with a lean bulk: a small surplus of about 200 to 300 calories a day and plenty of protein. Aim to gain around 0.25 to 0.5% of your bodyweight a week.
Does this diet plan work for vegetarians?
Swap the meat for tofu, eggs, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, lentils and beans. You may need slightly larger portions to hit the same protein, because plant foods have less protein per calorie.
Know your numbers. Hit them every day.
Two steps to stop guessing and start growing.
Macro Calculator
Get your TDEE and your daily calories, protein, carbs and fats for your goal.
Calculate my macros →Macro Tracker
Build your own day like the plans above: pick foods, type the grams and see your calories and macros against your targets instantly.
Get the Macro Tracker →Want the full training and eating plan too? See the Muscle-Building Gorilla Guide
Not Born. It's Built.
This article is general information for healthy adults and isn't medical advice. Food values: USDA FoodData Central, per 100 g; brands vary, so check your packet. Protein range: Morton et al. (2018), British Journal of Sports Medicine. Protein per meal: Schoenfeld & Aragon (2018), Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Related reading: How many calories to build muscle · High-protein foods list · How to count macros