How to Eat for Muscle: Protein, Calories and Simple Meals

I keep nutrition simple and number-driven. Here is what I tell clients, and where the research agrees and disagrees.

How much protein do you need to build muscle?

About 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight a day, a good proxy that's easy to follow. A 180 pound lifter, for example, aims for about 180 grams a day. On a fat-loss diet, protein also helps you hold onto muscle and keeps you full longer, which makes the diet easier to follow.

The research gives a slightly lower number. A 2018 meta-analysis of 49 trials found that extra protein stopped adding muscle past about 1.6 g per kg of body weight a day, which is roughly 0.73 g per pound (Morton et al., 2018). The International Society of Sports Nutrition's position is 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg a day, about 0.64 to 0.9 g per pound (Jäger et al., 2017). My 1 g per pound sits just above that range: an easy round number with some headroom, not a threshold you must hit to grow.

How much protein is that at your body weight?

All three land in the same neighborhood. If you are heavier or carry a lot of body fat, the simple pound-based number can run high, which is one more reason I call it a proxy, not a threshold.

How many calories do you need to build muscle?

Estimate maintenance calories, then increase by 300 to 500. If your maintenance is about 2,800 calories, that means eating roughly 3,100 to 3,300.

Does protein timing matter?

No. My answer on the post-workout window is blunt: it doesn't matter. The research broadly agrees: a 2013 meta-analysis found total daily protein was the strongest predictor of muscle gains, and a 2017 follow-up reported that the apparent timing effect largely disappeared once total protein was matched (Schoenfeld et al., 2013; Schoenfeld et al., 2017). In practice that means hitting your daily total matters more than rushing a shake.

How do you find your maintenance calories?

Track what you eat and your body weight for two weeks: if your weight stays about the same, the average of what you ate is close to your maintenance. An online calculator gives an estimate, but that check is more reliable. From there my rule is to add 300 to 500 calories. Over a week that is 2,100 to 3,500 extra calories, which is why small, steady changes are enough.

A day of eating for a 180 pound lifter

Here is how the numbers fit together. With 180 g of protein as the target, four meals of about 45 g each (4 x 45 = 180) reach it. If maintenance is 2,800 calories, the day's target is about 3,100 to 3,300. A day built on my staples might use beef, chicken or bison with rice or potatoes at three or four meals, so each plate carries roughly a quarter of the protein. This is an illustration of the arithmetic, not a meal plan.

How do you lose fat without losing muscle?

Eat less than you burn and keep protein high. Everything above is for gaining. When the goal is fat loss, my rule is that energy out has to be greater than energy in, and I keep protein high to hold onto muscle and to stay full longer. See how to choose a workout program for how the goal changes the plan.

What are the best protein sources for muscle?

Complete proteins: that is my one specific food recommendation. All animal-derived proteins are complete, with all essential and non-essential amino acids. The body can make some amino acids but not all, so you need complete sources (or the aminos on their own), but the body does better when they come together.

What is a quick high-protein meal?

My go-to is beef, chicken or bison with rice or potatoes. It's protein plus a simple carbohydrate, and it takes minutes.

Meal prep, the way I do it

I don't meal prep that often. When I do, I cook and season proteins so they're quick to reheat, since protein takes time to cook, and I use rice that can be microwaved quickly.

Have food at home that you know you're eating that day.

My reasoning: if busy clients are unprepared and hungry at the end of the day, they grab the closest thing, often comfort food or fast food. Whey can help when protein is hard to hit, but you shouldn't be reliant on shakes; see supplements for lifters.

Mistakes that get in the way

• Relying on shakes. Whey is useful when protein is hard to reach, but you should not be reliant on it. Food comes first.
• Having nothing ready. When a busy day ends with you hungry and unprepared, you grab the closest thing, often comfort food or fast food. My fix is to have food at home that you know you are eating that day.
• Skipping complete proteins. If most of your protein comes from incomplete sources, the body does better when the full set of amino acids arrives together.
• Treating timing as urgent. Racing to drink a shake right after training is not necessary. Hit your daily total instead.

A three-step way to start

1. Set the protein number. Use 1 gram per pound of body weight, or the lower research range if you prefer.
2. Set the calorie number. Estimate maintenance, then add 300 to 500.
3. Make the easy meal easy. Cook and season a protein ahead of time and keep microwaveable rice or potatoes on hand, so the 10-minute meal is always available.

Does eating enough help you sleep?

It can. Eating enough calories and protein during the day also helps sleep, because it keeps hunger pangs from showing up at night. See sleep for lifters.

Sources

1. Morton RW et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(6):376-384. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608
2. Jäger R et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8
3. Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA, Krieger JW. The effect of protein timing on muscle strength and hypertrophy: a meta-analysis. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013;10:53. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-10-53
4. Schoenfeld BJ et al. Pre- versus post-exercise protein intake has similar effects on muscular adaptations. PeerJ. 2017;5:e2825. doi:10.7717/peerj.2825