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18/07/2024
Johan Vesters
Nutrition

Free Meal Plans for Muscle Gain and Fat Loss

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Because most other meal plan and recipe blogs contain so much clutter, ads, and unnecessary life stories, we’ll keep this introduction short.

You’re looking for a meal plan that helps you reach your goals.

You want something enjoyable enough to keep you sticking with your plan for more than a handful of days. It should also cover your macronutrients, contain lots of fiber and micronutrients, and keep you full.

In this mini-article, you’ll get four free example meal plans at different caloric intakes that check those boxes. One for fat loss and one for muscle gain.

Let’s dive in.

Macros for Fat Loss or Muscle Gain

First, please remember that we can’t assume other people’s caloric intake and macro targets apply to us. Your targets will ebb and flow depending on your goals and the phase you’re in, and they need to be based solely on you as an individual.

But! You should have a decent starting point with the fat loss and muscle gain meal plans below.

You can then tweak the plans based on YOUR caloric needs and macro targets. You can use our free online calorie and macro calculator (click here) to find your targets.

Fat Loss Meal Plan 1800 calories

Female, 26, 65kg,166cm, highly active lifestyle, moderate exercise activity.
Moderate (20%) calorie deficit: 1805kcal, 150g protein, 200g carbs, 45g fats

Breakfast (31g P, 51g C, 14g F):
1x scoop Whey protein powder
40g Oats
50g Blueberries
35g Chia seeds

Lunch (27g P, 50g C, 15g F):
8x large Shrimps
1x Whole wheat tortilla
30g Corn
30g Black beans
50g Lettuce
0.5x Avocado

Post workout (44g P, 52g C, 10g F):
400g (about 1 container) 2% fat Cottage cheese
25g Rice puffs
1x Kiwi

Dinner (46g P, 48g C, 6g F):
200g Cod
250g Boiled Potatoes
0.5x medium Zucchini
5g Extra virgin olive oil

Fat Loss Meal Plan 2400 calories

Male, 32, 90kg,184cm. Moderately active lifestyle, moderate exercise activity.
Moderate 20% calorie deficit: 2405kcal, 200g Protein, 255g Carbs, 65g Fats.

Breakfast (50g P, 52g C, 15g F):
2x scoop Whey protein powder
40g Oats
50g Blueberries
35g Chia seeds

Lunch (50g P, 86g C, 30g F):
16x large Shrimps
2x Whole wheat tortilla
30g Corn
30g Black beans
50g Lettuce
1x Avocado

Post workout (56g P, 70g C, 12g F):
500g (about 1 container) 2% fat Cottage cheese
40g Rice puffs
1x Kiwi

Dinner (46g P, 48g C, 6g F):
200g Cod
250g Boiled Potatoes
0.5x medium Zucchini
5g Extra virgin olive oil

Muscle Gain Meal Plan 2500kcal

Female, 26, 65kg,166cm, highly active lifestyle, moderate exercise activity.
Slight (10%) calorie surplus: 2485kcal, 155g protein, 320g carbs, 65g fats

Breakfast (38g P, 93g C, 9g F):
300g Skyr non-fat yogurt
80g Quaker Simply Granola Oats
1x Kiwi

Lunch (31g P, 40g C, 19g F):
200g Scrambled tofu
40g Quinoa
1 medium Bell pepper
5g Extra virgin olive oil

Post-workout (40g P, 114g C, 15g F):
40g Protein powder
90g Fruit loops
1x Banana
20g Peanut butter

Dinner (46g P, 72g C, 22g F):
150g Salmon
300g Sweet potato
200g Mixed vegetables
10g Extra virgin olive oil

Muscle Gain Meal Plan 3200kcal

Male, 32, 90kg, 184cm. Moderately active lifestyle, moderate exercise activity.
Slight (10%) calorie surplus: 3235kcal, 240g protein, 400g carbs, 75g fats

Breakfast (57g P, 108g C, 19g F):
300g Skyr non-fat yogurt
80g Quaker Simply Granola Oats
1x Kiwi

Lunch (71g P, 92g C, 20g F):
200g Chicken breast
300g White rice
1 medium Bell pepper
10g Extra virgin olive oil

Post-workout (53g P, 104g C, 10g F):
60g Protein powder
90g Fruit loops
1x Banana
20g Peanut butter

Dinner (61g P, 92g C, 27g F):
150g Salmon
300g Sweet potato
200g Mixed vegetables
10g Extra virgin olive oil

How to Add More Variety to Your Meal Plans

Don’t limit yourself to these plans, though!

I’d much rather see you tweak this to fit your preferences while keeping it simple and whole-food-based, like the plans above.

None of the foods or meals mentioned are special in any way. You can always swap your protein, carb, and fat sources and include different fruits and veggies (variety is key).

Neither should you feel limited to a meal plan.

Most of our online nutrition coaching clients don’t even get a meal plan but are instead taught how to create their own nutrition plans. We educate them on what foods to include, help them dial in their meal schedule, and give them the tools needed to be in full control of their own food.

The example meal plans in this mini blog are basic but effective. They’re whole-food-based, but you can also introduce some (minimally) processed foods.

Feel free to use these plans as a starting point and experiment with them until you find YOUR best meal plan.