BODY MIND QUOTIENT

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Affordable Food To Bulk Up

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Bulking up successfully requires a few conditions that need to be satisfied:

  • Eating in a calorie surplus

  • Eating sufficient protein

  • Progressing and getting stronger in the gym

The problem comes in when people just cannot gain weight.

Whether you agree with the term ‘hardgainer’ or not, there is no denying the fact that there are certain people who feel that they “can’t gain weight no matter what they eat”.

While this article will list out food that can be used to bulk on a budget, it is more important to understand why ‘hardgainers’ fail to gain weight and how much food is actually required for a successful bulk first.


Why Are Hardgainers Not Able To Gain Weight?

1. They have a small appetite.

In most cases, people who label themselves as hardgainers just fail to eat enough.

The end up choosing food that have a lower caloric density, and this, in turn, makes them feel fuller without eating as much as they should be eating.

2. They have a fast metabolism.

When I say this, it just means that they basically expend more energy throughout the day.

This could be because of various reasons, ranging from a very active lifestyle to just burning away a lot calories fidgeting around (thanks to Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis).


What should you do if you are someone facing this issue?

As cliché as it sounds, the most generalized recommendation for gaining weight is to eat more.

This could seem difficult to do if you’re on a tight budget.

But before we go forward, we have to clear the misconception about the number of calories you need to gain weight.

I’m most certainly sure that the majority of you who want to gain weight want to gain muscle and not just body fat.

If you wish to improve your body composition in the most optimal way possible, you don’t have to eat everything you come across.

While some people could argue against that, I want you to bulk up and build muscle while minimizing the amount of fat gain!

If that sounds like something you’d like, I recommend reading Bulking Without Gaining Excess Fat before you go forward.

If you don’t care about gaining more fat, you can have more leeway with your diet.

Just keep in mind that you cannot force-feed muscle.

This means that you will only build as much muscle as you can, and any extra calories will most probably be stored as body fat.

If you don’t know how much muscle you can expect to put on, check out How Much Muscle Can You Gain In A Year As A Natural?

Now that we have this out of our way, let’s move to the next question.


What Do We Eat To Create That Surplus?

While protein is the building block for muscle if you are someone who is a ‘hard gainer’, meeting your protein requirement will not be an issue if you eat a balanced diet.

This is simply because you have a lot of calories to play with.

For example, a ‘hard gainer’ weighing 60kgs wouldn’t need more than 130g of protein to bulk up, and even if he ate just lentils all day (not recommended!), he’d hit this target with only 1800 calories, which is a calorie level most people cut at!

What could become difficult is eating additional calories to bulk up, especially if you are on a budget.

When deciding what to eat for the surplus calories, we give preference to carbohydrates.

While there is nothing wrong with eating more fats (I’ll include a few fat sources in the food list!), eating more carbs can be beneficial since it can help you with your performance in the gym.

After all, just pounding down more food isn’t going to build you the physique you want!

The food is used to fuel the training which will trigger a growth stimulus.

If you find dealing with nutrition overwhelming, here’s how you should prioritize it:

  1. Hit your calorie target. (Bodyweight in kg x 35-45)*

  2. Hit your protein target. (1.8-2.2g per kg of bodyweight)*

  3. Hit your carbohydrate and fat target. (Fats at 25-30% of total calories and remaining calories for carbs)*

*These numbers just serve as starting points and will vary based on person and lifestyle. Feel free to adjust them along the way.

Since you’ll be spending a large chunk of your calories on carbs and fats if you want to bulk up, here’s a list of food that can help you without breaking the bank!


List Of Affordable Food To Bulk Up

In this list, I’m going to list down the calories and macro profiles of affordable food that you can use to bulk up.

Keep in mind that you are not limited to this list.

This is just a list of food that can be cost-effective if purchased in bulk (pun intended!).

As long as you’re tracking your nutrition and eating a balanced diet, you can be flexible with what you want to eat.

Let’s begin!

*Macronutrient values rounded to the nearest gram.

**Values may differ based on source and brand

1. White Rice

100 grams uncooked -365 calories

80 grams Carbohydrate

7 grams Protein

1 gram Fat

2. Rolled Oats

100 grams uncooked - 370 calories

60 grams Carbohydrate

13 grams Protein

8 grams Fat

3. Pasta

100 grams uncooked - 370 calories

75 grams Carbohydrate

13 grams Protein

2 grams Fat

4. Bread

1 slice - 80 calories

14 grams Carbohydrate

4 grams Protein

1 gram Fat

5. Lentils

100 grams uncooked - 350 calories

60 grams Carbohydrate

26 grams Protein

1 gram Fat

6. Kidney Beans

100 grams uncooked - 340 calories

60 grams Carbohydrate

24 grams Protein

1 gram Fat

7. Fruits

i. 1 Mango - 200 calories

50 grams Carbohydrate

3 grams Protein

1 gram Fat

ii. 1 Banana - 100 calories

27 grams Carbohydrate

1 grams Protein

0 gram Fat

8. Soy Chunks

100 grams uncooked - 345 calories

33 grams Carbohydrate

52 grams Protein

1 gram Fat

9. Nut Butter

2 tablespoons - 190 calories

6 grams Carbohydrate

8 grams Protein

16 grams Fat

10. Nuts

i. 100 grams Walnuts - 650 calories

14 grams Carbohydrate

15 grams Protein

65 grams Fat

ii. 100 grams Cashews - 550 calories

30 grams Carbohydrate

18 grams Protein

44 grams Fat

iii. 100 grams Almonds - 550 calories

22 grams Carbohydrate

21 grams Protein

50 grams Fat

11. Olive Oil

1 tablespoon - 120 calories

0 gram Carbohydrate

0 gram Protein

14 grams Fat


Tips To Make Hitting Your Bulking Calorie Target Easier

1. Try pairing food to help you create meals that are budget-friendly and nutritious at the same time.

Peanut butter sandwiches and oatmeal porridge topped with nuts and fruits are a great example of this.

2. Make smoothies if you feel sick eating a lot of calories.

If you have a small appetite, smoothies can be your best friend. You can always add peanut butter and fruits to your smoothies to bump up their calorie content and drink them between meals.

3. Feel free to use food that are not on the list to hit your carbohydrate and fat targets.

Brown rice would work just as well as white rice and pistachios would work just as well as almonds to help you hit your targets. While the nutrient profiles of these food will be different, as long as you eat a balanced diet over the long term, feel free to experiment with different food types. There is a good chance of you being able to eat more of something if you like it.

4. Don’t ignore toppings and seasoning.

As I stated in the previous point, you’ll find it easier to stick to these food if you like how they taste. This means that you shouldn’t be compromising on flavor when it comes to planning out your meals. Feel free to add in what you like, whether its some cheese on your pasta or some chocolate chips on your oatmeal. As long as you’re hitting your targets and your diet is balanced in the long run, you’ll be good.


What If You Can’t Hit Your Protein Target?

As I stated above, this really shouldn’t be an issue, especially if you weigh less and have a lot of calories to play around with.

If you feel you cannot hit your protein target, the first step you should take is to make sure you are including a source of protein in every meal.

While different protein sources vary in their amino profiles and bioavailability, you don’t have to worry about all that as long as your diet is balanced and you are eating a variety of food.

If you still struggle to get in enough protein, you can supplement with protein powder.

Using something like Whey Protein can be an effective way to hit your protein target.

If you have questions about whey protein, check out How To Use Whey Protein.

While the article linked above talks about using whey protein for weight loss, it can help clear common misconceptions about whey.

Throwing in a scoop of protein between meals can be a great way to boost your protein intake.

I know what you’re wondering. This is supposed to be an affordable list!

While a protein supplement looks expensive at first, doing a cost breakdown shows us that it could be more cost-effective than some of the food sources of protein!

While the price will vary depending on the brand, you can get a serving of protein powder (25 grams of protein) for well under 1$.

If you have difficulty hitting your protein with whole food, or if you find it difficult to eat that much protein, investing in a protein supplement can always help!


Conclusion

As difficult bulking up may seem to the typical ‘hard gainer’, it eventually just comes down to eating in a calorie surplus with a decent macro split consistently and focusing on progressive overload in the gym.

You don’t need unrealistic amounts of protein or unrealistic amounts of calories to bulk up in most cases.

Start with a few 100 calories over maintenance and adjust it over time.

While this list outlines mostly whole food that are affordable, feel free to indulge in food you enjoy when possible!

If you find dealing with nutrition overwhelming, here’s how you should prioritize it:

Hit your calorie target. (Bodyweight in kg x 35-45)*

Hit your protein target. (1.8-2.2g per kg of bodyweight)*

Hit your carbohydrate and fat target. (Fats at 25-30% of total calories and remaining calories for carbs)*

*These numbers just serve as starting points and will vary based on person and lifestyle. Feel free to adjust them along the way.

If you find it difficult to hit your protein target, consider investing in a protein supplement.

Most importantly, keep realistic expectations about how much muscle you can put on in a given timeframe and don’t stress about the details!

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