Muscle-building On A Budget: Meal Prep Guide For College Students

Being a college student isn’t easy, and it makes it even harder to get proper nutrition to fuel muscle growth, especially with the busy schedule, late-night studying, and classes. Even getting to the gym could become difficult at times!

But the most important thing to focus on while planning your diet for building muscles is to increase your calorie intake i.e. to be in a calorie surplus. The basic calorie requirement for males is within the range of 2200-2500, but since the goal is to build muscles, the diet schedule explained in the video would have 500 surplus calories, meaning the entire day’s diet would total 3000 calories.

Even as a student, you may fuel muscular growth and eat healthily. Follow this simple plan for your college meals and supercharge your gains.

MEAL 1 - 7:00 AM (280 cal.)

200ml milk + 1 banana + 10 almonds

MEAL 2 - 8-8:30 AM (590 cal.)

50gm Oats (raw weight) + 120gm Paneer

How to make oats?

• In a pan add 500 grams of oats, and roast it slightly for 30-40 secs.
• Now add a glass of water and salt and pepper according to your taste.
• Boil the oats for 3-4 mins; they are ready to eat!

You can consume the 120gm paneer in its raw form or make paneer bhurji if you have time.

MEAL 3 - 11:30 AM (480 cal.)

50gm roasted gram + 50gm raw peanuts

MEAL 4 - 2-2:30 PM (314 cal.)

1 scoop whey protein + 1 apple + 2 bread slices

MEAL 5 - 4-4:30 PM (390 cal.) – PRE-WORKOUT MEAL

6 egg whites or 75gm chickpeas (raw weight) + 250gm white rice (cooked) + 1 bowl green vegetables + 1 quarter cucumber salad

How to make scrambled eggs?

• In a mixing bowl crack 6 egg whites all while separating the yolk.
• Now add salt and black pepper according to your taste and give it a good whisk.
• Heat a pan and add half a teaspoon oil; now gently pour the egg white mix into the pan.
• Keep stirring the egg mix until they become scrambled.

MEAL 6 – 8 PM (190 cal.) – POST WORKOUT MEAL

1 Scoop whey protein + 250gm boiled potato (cooked weight)

MEAL 7 - 10 PM (530 cal.)

250gm chicken / 50gm soya chunks / 2 bowls green moong dal + 1 bowl green vegetables + 3-4 chapatis

MEAL 8 – 11 PM (150 cal.)

200ml milk with 1 tablespoon honey

Remember that muscle gain comes from lifting weights, and nutrition augments it. To grow muscle, it takes time. Therefore, I advise you to train progressively each week and to concentrate more on motions involving multiple joints than just one. Get 6 to 8 hours of sleep every day, and don't worry if things don't go as planned.