Blog: How to Eat Like a Bodybuilder & Not Spend Hours in the Kitchen

Why Bodybuilders Meal Prep

Bodybuilders eat multiple meals per day to fuel their muscles with the right nutrients. But without a plan, it’s easy to fall off track. Meal prepping helps:

• Ensure consistent protein intake for muscle repair.

• Control portion sizes to support bulking or cutting phases.

• Save time and reduce stress over what to eat next.

• Avoid unhealthy, last-minute food choices.

If you're short on time, meal prepping doesn’t have to be complicated. Let’s break it down step by step.

The Bodybuilding Diet Struggle is Real

Ever met that guy who brings his own chicken and rice to a restaurant? Or the one carrying a backpack full of Tupperware?

If you're serious about building muscle, you know nutrition is half the battle. But the problem isn’t knowing what to eat—it’s actually making the food.

Cooking, portioning, and tracking everything? That’s a full-time job. And let’s be honest, after a long day, the last thing you want to do is stand in the kitchen weighing chicken breasts.

But what if I told you there’s a way to eat like a bodybuilder without sacrificing your entire Sunday to meal prep? You don’t need to be a personal chef, and you definitely don’t need to eat dry chicken six times a day.

This guide will show you how to make high-protein, muscle-building meals in less time, so you can focus on lifting instead of cooking.

Why Most People Fail at Bodybuilding Meal Prep

Most people struggle with meal prep because they make one of these mistakes:

• They try to cook gourmet meals every day – Bodybuilding meals don’t need to be fancy. Keep it simple.

• They don’t prep in bulk – If you cook every meal from scratch, you’re wasting hours every week.

• They don’t have a plan – No plan = last-minute drive-thru decisions.

• They get bored – Eating the same thing every day is a fast track to burnout.

Let’s fix that.

Step 1: Keep It Stupid Simple

The less time you spend cooking, the more time you have to train, recover, and actually enjoy life.

Here’s the formula:

Pick 3 protein sources (Chicken, lean beef, eggs)Pick 3 carb sources (Rice, potatoes, oats)Pick 3 fat sources (Avocados, nuts, olive oil)

Cook them in bulk, mix and match throughout the week, and you’re set.

Example Meal Combos

You don’t need fancy recipes—just swap ingredients to keep it interesting.

Step 2: The “90/10” Rule (Meal Prep Without Prepping)

You don’t have to meal prep everything to eat like a bodybuilder. The 90/10 rule helps you stay consistent without spending hours in the kitchen:

• 90% of your meals come from simple, pre-prepped foods.

• 10% can be flexible or pre-made options.

That means prepping some basics (like chicken, rice, and veggies) while allowing yourself some grab-and-go optionslike:

• Rotisserie chicken instead of cooking chicken from scratch

• Microwave rice packets instead of boiling rice

• Frozen mixed vegetables instead of chopping fresh ones

Time saved: Hours. Gains kept: All of them.

Step 3: The “Lazy Lifter’s” Meal Prep Strategy

Hate cooking? This is for you.

Instead of spending an entire Sunday in the kitchen, break it up into two quick 30-minute sessions:

Sunday (30 min): Cook 3-4 days’ worth of food.Wednesday (30 min): Cook another batch.

This keeps meals fresh, avoids burnout, and saves you HOURS compared to full-week meal prep.

Bonus: Get a slow cooker or air fryer—it’s like meal prepping on autopilot.

Step 4: Meal Prep “Hacks” That Make Life Easier

Want to spend even LESS time in the kitchen? Try these game-changing meal prep hacks:

Sheet Pan Meals – Toss chicken, potatoes, and veggies on a baking tray, bake everything at once.One-Pan Stir Fry – Throw everything in a pan, cook in under 10 minutes.Overnight Oats – No cooking. Just mix oats, protein, and almond milk, let it sit overnight.Blender Scrambled Eggs – Blend eggs with spinach, pour into a pan, cook in seconds.

Time spent cooking: Minimal.Protein intake: Maximized.

What If You Hate Cooking?

Not everyone wants to cook—even for 30 minutes.

That’s where meal delivery services come in. Instead of spending hours in the kitchen, you can get high-protein bodybuilding meals delivered straight to your door.

If you're looking for a ready-to-go solution, check out our Bodybuilding Meal Delivery.

We do the prep, so you can focus on training.

Best Foods for Muscle Growth (A Quick Reference Guide)

Want to build muscle without overthinking your diet? Stick to these staple foods:

Pro Tip: Keep your meals 80% whole foods, 20% flexible for sustainability.

Still Not Sure What to Eat? Here’s a Sample Day

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs + oats + peanut butterLunch: Chicken + rice + broccoliDinner: Ground turkey + sweet potatoes + avocadoSnack: Greek yogurt + almonds

This is simple, effective, and easy to prep in minutes.

Want to Go Deeper? More Bodybuilding Nutrition Resources

For expert-backed bodybuilding nutrition tips, check out these sources:

 Bodybuilding.com – Muscle-Building Meal Plans

 Healthline – Best Foods for Muscle Growth

 Wellness - Bodybuilding Meal Delivery Service

And for more meal prep ideas, visit our ProMeals blog.

Final Thoughts: Eat Smart, Train Hard, Stress Less

Eating like a bodybuilder doesn’t have to be a full-time job.

• Keep it simple

• Prep in bulk

• Use shortcuts to save time

• Consider meal delivery if cooking isn’t your thing

Need an easier way to stay on track? ProMeals has you covered.