Quinn the Mighty

In my 7 Nutrition Tips to Build Muscle and Burn Fat article, I explain how to set up a healthy diet.  One problem many people encounter is that eating healthy can often be more expensive than eating fast food and junk food. Below, I present ten tips to help you eat healthy on a budget.

1. Buy bulk. Buying in bulk is any easy way to cut costs. Stores such as Costco offer bulk items at reduced prices. I buy as much as I can in bulk and freeze or store any extra items until I need them.
2. Buy frozen. Frozen vegetables are often cheaper than fresh produce and contain the same nutrients. Frozen vegetables can also be stored and last longer in your freezer



3. Shop locally. Try purchasing fresh meat and produce at a local produce stand or a farmers market. The products sold are usually organic and often the prices are competitive with or better than any organic products you can find at the supermarket.
4. Buy generic. Generic brands or store brand products are often cheaper than brand name products. The quality and nutritional value of the food is the same.
5. Buy sale items. If you take some time and look around your local supermarket, you will be able to find which items and brands are on sale. Each week you will need to purchase different items, but you can save some money by purchasing the brands and items that are currently on sale.
6. Buy produce in-season. Purchasing fresh produce when it is in-season will save money. Out of season items typically cost much more than when they are available in-season. Produce also tastes better when purchased in-season.
7. Grocery list. Make a grocery list and stick with it. Many people will make impulsive purchases when they are at the supermarket and will spend more money than they planned to.
8. Buy calorie dense food. Some foods will give your more calories for each dollar you spend. Foods such as milk, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and eggs contain a lot of calories and are very filling.
9. Avoid eating out. Eating out is expensive and you cannot control the nutritional content of the food. Instead, try preparing your food at home each week and cooking all your meals. For some tips on how to save time and still prepare your meals each day see my article: How to Eat 5-6 Small Meals per Day.



10. Grow your own food. Although not everyone has the resources, growing your own food is a great way to save money. You can choose how much of each fruit or vegetable to grow and many people find gardening to be fun and relaxing. If you do not have a the room to grow your own food, you may still be able to rent a garden plot. Check with your city to see if they offer garden plots or community gardens.

In my How Many Calories to Eat to Build Muscle and Burn Fat article, I recommend eating at least 20 times your body weight in calories each day to gain weight. Some people – such as those who have a fast metabolism or those who are naturally skinny – will need to eat even more calories.

It can be difficult to eat so many calories and so much food each day. Here’s a list of a few tips that can make it easier to eat more calories.

1. Eat more meals. In my 7 Nutrition Tips to Build Muscle and Burn Fat article, I recommend eating 5-6 meals per day. If you are trying to gain weight, you may need to add more meals. Eating 6-8 meals per day allows each meal to be smaller and thus easier to eat.
2. Track your calories. Most people who struggle to gain weight think they are eating enough calories, but actually are not. Use a food log or web sites such as Fitday and Nutrition Data, which are free resources to track the number of calories you are eating each day.
3. Eat calorie dense food. Some foods are more calorically dense than others. For example, one cup of spinach contains 7 calories while one cup of almonds provides 815 calories. Here are some healthy, calorically dense food choices:
   • Nuts. Nuts are good sources of healthy fats and protein. They are also easy to take with you and eat as a snack.
   • Brown rice and whole wheat pasta. Both brown rice and whole wheat pasta are calorically dense and are healthy sources of complex carbohydrates.
   • Avocados. Avocados are a great source of healthy fats and each avocado is almost 300 calories.
   • Olive oil. Olive oil is another healthy fat and can be used while cooking or added to salads and vegetables. One tablespoon of olive oil is 120 calories.
4. Plan. You can make it easier to eat more calories by planning ahead.
   • Grocery list. Prepare a grocery list of all the foods you need for the week before you go to the supermarket. Make sure you always have food available at home.
   • Cook your food in advance. Choose a day or two each week to cook most of your food. I usually cook all my food on Sundays and Wednesdays. I will prepare all the chicken breast, rice, pasta, and hard boiled eggs I need for the next few days.
   • Carry food with you. When you go to work or school, you will need to take food with you. Also, make sure you have at least one backup food item in case a meeting runs long or you get stuck at school.
5. Eat protein. In my 7 Nutrition Tips to Build Muscle and Burn Fat article, I recommend eating 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. So if you weight 185 lbs, you should aim for 185 grams of protein per day. Good sources of protein include ground beef, steak, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, and cottage cheese.



6. A gallon of milk per day. If you are having trouble eating enough calories and gaining weight, try drinking a gallon of whole milk per day. A gallon of whole milk has over 2300 calories and is easier to consume than the same amount of calories in whole food.
7. Monitor your progress. Weigh yourself each week in order to make sure you are gaining weight. If you are have not gained any weight, try increasing your daily intake by 200-500 calories. Wait another week and see if you have gained weight. If not, continue increasing your calories until you gain weight.

One of the most common nutrition questions people ask is “how many calories should I eat?”.  The answer is based on what your current goals are.  Someone looking to build strength and muscle mass will need to eat more than someone looking to burn fat.

Take a look at the three goals below and determine which one is your current goal:

1. Building strength and muscle mass.  When building strength and muscle mass, you will need to be eating more calories than you are burning.  Often, with this goal, you will want to be gaining weight.
2. Re-composition.  During re-composition, you attempt to lower your body fat percentage while still building muscle and burning fat.  You will not be able to lose fat as quickly as if that were your main goal; nor can you build strength and muscle mass as fast as if it were your main goal.  During a re-composition phase, people typically maintain their current weight.
3. Losing fat.  If your goal is to burn fat, then you will need to be burning more calories than you are eating.  During a fat lose phase, most people end up losing weight.

Formulas.  Once you determine your goal, you can calculate the number of calories you need to eat each day using the simple formulas below.  In each formula, you will multiply your current body weight (BW) by the given number to determine the number of calories to eat each day.

Remember, these formulas are just estimates for the number of calories you should be eating.  Start with whatever result you get with the formula.  Try this for a week or two and see if are making progress toward your goals.  If you are, continue with the current number of calories.  If you are not making progress towards your goals, add or subtract 200-500 calories and try again for another week or two.  It may take a few weeks to find the correct number of calories.

In the formulas below, BW stands for your current body weight.

Gain weight with BWx20. For example, if you weigh 185 lbs and are trying to build muscle mass, you will want to eat 185×20 = 3700 calories each day.

Maintain weight with BWx18.  If you wish to maintain your weight of 185 lbs, you will want to eat 185×18 = 3330 calories each day.

Lose weight with BWx16.  In order to lose weight at a body weight of 185 lbs, you will need to eat 185×16 = 2960 calories each day.

Making adjustments.  As you progress towards your goal, you will need to adjust your calories every so often.  For example, if you are working towards losing fat, you may plateau or reach a point where you are no longer making progress.  After a week or two of no progress, you will need to readjust your caloric intake by 200-500 calories.

Tracking calories.  Now that you know how many calories to eat, you need an easy way to keep track of how many calories you are eating each day.  The best approach is to keep a food journal of everything that you eat.  There are several websites that can help with this. Both Fitday and Nutrition Data are free resources to track the number of calories you are eating each day.

Several readers have contacted me and asked for a list of healthy foods to build muscle and burn fat.  Although I gave several tips in my 7 Nutrition Tips to Build Muscle and Burn Fat article, I do not list many specific foods.  So I decided to write this article to list most of the healthy foods I keep in my kitchen.

When you go to the supermarket, there are two things you should keep in mind:

1. The healthiest foods are typically found along the perimeter of the store.  For example, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, eggs, meat, and fish all appear along the perimeter of my local supermarket.
2. If a food is brought into your house, you will eventually eat it.  This means that in order to eat healthy, you should only bring healthy foods into your household.

Fruits and Vegetables.  With fruits and vegetables, I like to purchase whatever is in season.  Right now I have the following fruits in my kitchen:

• Oranges
• Clementines
• Apples
• Bananas
• Tomatoes
• Apricots
• Peaches
• Blueberries
• Strawberries

I also keep the following vegetables:

• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Sweet potatoes

Meat, poultry, and fish.  There are plenty of other meat options besides chicken breast when eating healthy.  Here are a few I purchase:

• Lean ground beef
• Eye of round roast
• Bison
• Chicken breast
• Salmon
• Tilapia
• Tuna
• Shrimp

Dairy and eggs.  When purchasing dairy products, you will notice several versions available based on the amount of fat.  I purchase non-fat and low-fat versions when my goal is to burn fat and I buy the higher fat versions when I am building muscle and need more calories.  Here are a few dairy and egg products I keep in my refrigerator:

• Milk
• Cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Omega-3 Cage free eggs
• Egg whites

Grains, breads, and oats.  I only keep grains, breads, and oats that are complex carbohydrates.  I avoid products that contain added sugar and high fructose corn syrup.  Here is what I keep in my cabinets:

• Brown rice
• Lentils
• Bulgur wheat
• Whole grain tortillas
• Rolled oats

Nuts and oils.  Nuts and oils are a good source of healthy fat.  Oils are also useful for cooking and adding some extra flavor to your vegetables.  I keep the following in my kitchen at all times:

• Almonds
• Cashews
• Olive oil
• Natural peanut butter
• Pam cooking spray

Beverages.  As I mentioned in my 7 Nutrition Tips to Build Muscle and Burn Fat article, I try to avoid non-calorie containing beverages.  I currently consume the following beverages:

• Water
• Green tea

Fill your kitchen with the healthy foods listed above and you will be on your way to building muscle and burning fat.

In my 7 Nutrition Tips to Build Muscle and Burn Fat article, I recommend eating 5-6 small meals per day.  Not only does eating often help increase your metabolism, but it also helps you avoid cravings by keeping you full throughout the day.

Plan ahead.  Eating 5-6 small meals per day requires that you eat every 2-3 hours.  In order to do this successfully, you must plan ahead.  I recommend having at least two backup plans in case something happens unexpectedly.

For example, last week I had a meeting planned from 2-4pm.  I had a meal at 1:45pm before my meeting; so I knew I would need to eat again around 4pm.  I also knew the meeting might run long.  So I had two backup plans ready:

1. I brought some mixed nuts with me to the meeting in case I needed to eat something on the spot.
2. I had a spare protein shake at my desk.  When we were given a five minute break, I could go back to my desk and drink my shake before continuing the meeting.

Go slowly.  It can be overwhelming to switch from 2-3 large meals per day to 5-6 smaller meals per day.  In order to get to 5-6 meals per day, you will need to gradually increase the number of meals you eat each day.  Start off by eating 4 meals per day.  After about a week, increase this to 5 meals per day.  Give yourself a week or two to adjust and then increase your meals to 6 per day.

Split the meals.  One of the easiest ways to add smaller meals is to just split up your existing meals.  For example, instead of eating a large sandwich for lunch, cut the sandwich in half.  Have half an hour early and have the other half 2-3 hours later.

Eat more snacks.  If you are having trouble splitting up your meals you can try to reduce the size of each meal and add some snacks throughout the day.  For example, continue to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but add in snacks between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and dinner.  Some good snack ideas include:

• Protein shakes
• Mixed nuts
• Fruits such as apples, oranges, and bananas
• Salads
• A small or half sandwich

There is no excuse for not eating 5-6 small meals per day.  If you have any tips for eating 5-6 small meals per day, leave a comment below and let others know.

In my 7 Nutrition Tips to Build Muscle and Burn Fat article, I recommend always eating breakfast.  After fasting for 8+ hours, your body is in need of energy and nutrients.  If you are not in the habit of eating breakfast or find food unappetizing in the morning, then start with a small snack and build up to a larger breakfast.  A good breakfast will wake you up and make you more alert throughout the day.  Studies have shown that eating breakfast can also increase your metabolism.

The recipes below are actually templates for creating your own meals.  You will want to adjust them to your individual needs and goals:

• Building muscle.  If you are working on building muscle, you should be trying to consume more calories.  You will want to use large portions and calorie dense alternatives in the recipes.
• Burning fat.  If you are burning fat, you need to watch how many calories you consume.  You should be aware of the serving sizes and may want to leave a few items out.

Power oatmeal.  Oatmeal is a healthy way to start the day.  Oats are a nutritious carbohydrate source and also a good source of fiber.  They can be made on the stove or in a microwave, if you are in a hurry.  Prepare the oatmeal to your liking, then add any of the following:

• Protein powder.  Adding protein powder to oatmeal gives the meal a good source of complete protein.  Also, some protein powders will add additional flavor.  I have found that a vanilla flavor will not change the taste of oatmeal much, but a chocolate flavor will make the oatmeal taste as if it were prepared with chocolate milk.
• Fruit.  Almost any fruit goes well in oatmeal.  I like to use blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or bananas.
• Flax seed.  Flax seed is a good source of omega-3 fat and fiber.  I like to add a tablespoon of ground flax seed to my oatmeal.
• Peanut butter.  I do not care for peanut butter in my oatmeal, but others swear it tastes great.  This can be useful, if you are trying to add more calories to the meal.

Omelet.  I can eat an omelet any time of day.  The eggs provide a great source of protein and there are hundreds of different types of omelets that all taste different.  I like to use a mix of eggs and egg whites when making an omelet.  Egg whites do not contain the yolk and hence contain less calories.  You should use more egg whites when you are trying to limit your caloric intake.  Here are some things I enjoy adding to my omelets:

• Vegetables.  Almost any vegetable will go well in an omelet.  I enjoy spinach and broccoli the most.
• Meat.  Many people enjoy small slices of ham in their omelets.  Steak works well too.
• Cheese.  Adding cheese to an omelet is a good way to add more calories to the meal.

There are many more options as well.  Some types of omelets that are easy to make include a ham and cheese omelet, a spicy Santa Fe omelet (with pepper jack cheese and salsa), and a spinach and mushroom omelet.

Super shake.  A shake is quick to make and can be consumed while you are on the run.  Just add your chosen ingredients to the blender and blend to the desired consistency.  I always start my shakes off with a serving of protein powder, some milk, and ice.  From there you can add a variety of ingredients:

• Fruit.  Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, bananas, pineapples, and peaches all go well in shakes.
• Vegetables.  Adding spinach and broccoli to shakes is a good way to increase your vegetable intake.  Be careful not to add too much or the shake will become bitter.
• Yogurt.  Yogurt can add more calories to the shake and improve the taste.

With these 3 breakfast ideas, you no longer have an excuse for not eating breakfast.  Share some of your favorite breakfast ideas in the comments below.

In the 7 Nutrition Tips to Build Muscle and Lose Fat article, I list the two best sources of non-calorie containing beverages: water and green tea.  Although I mainly consume water throughout the day, I still try to drink at least two cups of green tea per day.  There are many proven health benefits to drinking green tea.  Here are few of the most significant:

1. Weight loss.  Green tea can boast your metabolism and hence can help you burn fat.
2. Prevent Cancer.  The antioxidants in green tea can help protect your cells from damage that is believed to be linked to cancer.
3. Lower Cholesterol.  Green tea has been shown to lower cholesterol, which can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.  Furthermore, green tea increases the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol by decreasing the bad cholesterol.   
   
4. Anti-Aging.  The antioxidants in green tea can protect your body against free radicals.  This promotes longevity. 
   
5. Strong Bones.  The fluoride in green tea keeps your bones strong by preserving bone density. 
   
6. Prevent High Blood Pressure.  Green tea can prevent angiotensin, which can lead to high blood pressure. 
   
7. Control Blood Sugar.  The polyphenols and polysaccharide in green tea can help control blood sugar levels.
8. Boast your immune system.  The polyphenols and flavenoids in green tea can boast your immune system and help prevent infection. 
   
9. Prevent cold and flu.  Green tea contains Vitamin C, which can help treat colds and flu. 
   
10. Relieve Stress.  Green tea contains an amino acid, L-theanine, which can help reduce stress and relieve anxiety.

Recommendations.  I recommend drinking at least one cup of green tea per day.  A simple approach is to have a cup each day with breakfast.  You can also try making some in the morning and taking it with you to work in a thermos.  This way you can drink green tea throughout the day.

Decaffeinated green tea.  If you use decaffeinated green tea, purchase a brand that is “naturally decaffeinated.”  The natural decaffeination process will preserve most of the antioxidants and benefits of drinking green tea.

Everyone likes to talk about the newest training programs and all the latest supplements, but the most important part of building muscle and burning fat is your diet.  Most people who fail to build muscle or lose fat do so because they fail to follow a healthy diet.

Part of the trouble is the amount of misinformation and contradictory statements being made about nutrition.  There are so many fad diets and so called research studies that it can be quite confusing.  Take for example, the low fat diets, the no carb diets, the low carb diets, and the “don’t eat anything” diets.   

Although there is a lot of contradictory information out there, nutrition experts agree on several key points.  I’ve summarized these key points, into the following 7 nutrition tips:

1. Eat every 2-3 hours.  You should aim for 5-6 smaller meals everyday.  Not only does eating often help increase your metabolism, but it also helps you avoid cravings by keeping you full throughout the day. 
   
2. Eat breakfast.  After sleeping for 8 hours, your body needs fuel to start the day.  A good breakfast will wake you up and make you more alert throughout the day.  Studies have shown that eating breakfast can also increase your metabolism. 
   
3. Only drink non-calorie containing beverages. The healthiest beverages are water and green tea.  To keep yourself away from soda and other calorie-dense beverages, try keeping a water bottle or thermos with you at all times.  I also find it convenient to keep a water bottle on my desk at work. 
   
4. Eat lean protein with every meal.  You need protein to build muscle and recover from strength training.  Protein is also thermogenic and can help increase your metabolism.  A good rule of thumb is to try and get 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.  So a 160 lb man would want to aim for 160 grams of protein per day.  Good sources of protein are meat, fish, poultry, eggs, egg whites, milk, and cottage cheese.
   
5. Eat whole, unprocessed foods.  Avoid heavily processed foods.  Processed foods contain trans fat, corn syrup, and preservatives.
   • Whole food sources include fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, eggs, meat, fish, poultry, and oats.
   • Processed foods include chips, bagels, pizza, canned meat, and frozen dinners.
6. Eat healthy fats.  Try to get at least 25% of your daily calories from healthy fats.  Good sources of healthy fats are meat, nuts (such as almonds, cashews, and walnuts), peanut butter, olive oil, avocados, flax seeds, fish, and fish oil.  You want to avoid trans fat, vegetable oils, and corn oil. 
   
7. Consume fruits and vegetables with every meal.  Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  Some of the healthiest are spinach, broccoli, carrots, oranges, apples, and berries.

Your goal with these 7 tips is to follow them 90% of the time.  If you are eating 6 meals per day (which is 42 meals per week), then you can cheat on 4 meals per week.  The same is true for drinks.  Try to drink water and green tea 90% of the time and save soda and alcohol for the other 10%. 

Most people can achieve their health and body composition goals by just following these tips.  If you are just getting started, spend a few weeks implementing the basics with these tips.  After you have followed these recommendations for at least 3 months, then you can look into more specific diets and nutrition systems.