Exclusive: The Ideal Bodybuilding Shopping List Revealed

It’s been said that bodybuilding is 80% nutrition. That seems a little steep but there’s no denying the fact that what you eat is every bit as important as your training and supplementation. After all, your body uses the calories you provide to fuel your training, grow new muscle and provides all the daily requirements your body must meet just to stay alive. We need essential amino acids from protein in our diet to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and our bodies are dependent on this macronutrient for survival and muscle growth. When broken down, you can start to identify the critical importance of what foods you are feeding your body.

So, what foods should be bought for optimal and effective results? This article will outline the best foods from each macronutrient group, so you’ll have an idea on what should be included on your next shopping run and to include in your grocery list.

High Protein Foods

Protein without a doubt is the most essential macro-nutrient as far as muscle growth is concerned and without this important macronutrient your gym efforts will go to waste. You should be aiming to take in at least 1 to 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight evenly divided throughout the day consisting of mostly whole food sources along with some quality whey protein shakes like LA Whey. Protein contains 4 calories per gram.

Protein Sources to include in your shopping basket

• Salmon
• Tuna
  
• Cod
• Skinless Chicken Breasts
• Skinless Turkey Breasts
• Eggs
• Egg whites
• Cottage Cheese
• Walnuts
• Brazil Nuts
• Peanut Butter
• Skinless Turkey Breasts
• Low-fat Greek yoghurt
  
• Lean Beef

• Steak

Carbohydrates

The two key points to remember when it comes to carbs are that you want simple, fast digesting carbs in the morning and also post workout and primarily you want slow digesting carbs at all other times during the day.

Carb intake should be based on food quality, digestion speed and how active you are. The average bodybuilder trains hard enough to cover these needs, as long as you monitor your body fat levels, carbs are important to success. Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram.

Carbohydrate Sources to include in your shopping basket

• Oatmeal
• Sweet Potatoes
• Potatoes
• Bread
• Bagel
• Pasta
• Rice
• Banana
• Dextrose (post workout)
• Simple sugars (post workout)
• Fruits (breakfast or post workout)
• Cereals
• Bran Muffins
• Raisins

• Cream of rice

Fats

Often considered the ‘enemy’ when it comes to body fat storage, the truth is that it’s the combination of excess intake of unhealthy fats and excess sugar that contributes to fat storage in the body. However Monounsaturated fats/Polyunsaturated fats (including Omega-3s) – Unsaturated fats are considered “good” fats. Eating foods that are rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat has positive health benefits, such as improving blood cholesterol levels and lowering your risk of heart disease. Fats contain 9 calories per gram but remember healthy fats are essential for the body and every day health. So quality is what needs to be implemented.

Let’s look at the sources of Healthy Fats which should be included in your diet.

• Avocados
• Almonds
• Pecans
• Cashews
• Natural/Organic peanut butter (containing just peanuts and low salt)
• Salmon
  
• Tuna (not canned)
• Trout
• Walnuts
• Flaxseed
• Walnuts
• Brazil Nuts
• Egg Yolks
• Olives

• Mackerels

So there you have it. When it comes time to shop again, pick several foods from each list, this will give you the ability to make up interesting and varied meals, rather than simply eating chicken and rice, or canned tuna, or worse yet, something less than healthy because you aren’t sure what you should be eating. You can find a ton of healthy recipe ideas by clicking here.