Last Updated on November 7, 2022 by
Meal plans are certainly one of the simplest ways to get started on a weight loss, and particularly muscle gain, program. That’s because meal plans take guesswork out of the equation by guiding you as to what, when and how much you should be eating every day.
The great thing about this meal plan is that it covers both weight loss and muscle gain. It works by having the right ratio of macro nutrients (protein, carbs and fats) and because it’s flexible to your goals. Finally, something that will work for both weight loss and muscle gain! After all, if you want to take control of your weight, then this is the way to go. Here is why: I’m going to talk about Meal Plan For Weight Loss And Muscle Gain, make sure you read this article.
Meal Plan For Weight Loss And Muscle Gain
When it comes to nutrition, we are all a little different. We have various fitness and health goals in mind, different food preferences, and we just aren’t all built the same – there is no such thing as a one size fits all approach. But how can you tell exactly which meal plan is going to get you the most results?
How to choose the right diet
Realistically, the best diet for you is one that you can stick to.
You aren’t going to get results on any diet unless you can stick to it. It is consistency over time that will help you reach your goals – not perfect eating and not a few weeks of perfect eating. Simply put, if you can stay on track most of the time and be patient, you will get there, and are more likely to stay there.
While a little sacrifice is needed, getting healthy, losing weight, etc. doesn’t have to be painful. And you shouldn’t feel forced to eat foods you just don’t enjoy. Your food preferences and how certain foods make you feel is an important considerations before going on any new eating plan. If your food is making you feel tired, bloated, or just plain awful, this could be a sign this diet is not a good fit.
Bottom line, if you’re having a hard time trying to decide what meal plan fits you best, here are a few key things to keep in mind:
- Pick the diet that includes foods you enjoy eating
- Stick with a diet that makes you feel good, physically and mentally
- Choose the diet you can maintain the longest
- Be consistent and give yourself time to be successful, no matter what diet you choose
Take this simple quiz to get paired with your perfect meal plan based on your taste preferences and personal health goals.
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What is the best diet to lose weight?
No matter what diet you choose, we know that weight loss is largely determined by calorie control. By eating fewer calories than you burn each day, you can lose body weight.
And while there are new theories emerging around macros and changing the way you metabolize food, like on a keto diet, a calorie deficit is still the most widely accepted approach to weight loss backed by years of research.
This is why the first step in any weight loss plan should be to determine how many calories you should be eating a day to lose weight.Then, opt for a plan that keeps your calories within this range.
If your weight-loss diet requires a low amount of calories (less than 1600 calories per day), diets that exclude multiple food groups – like keto, paleo, and vegan, maybe an easy way to eliminate more calories and promote satiating foods to control hunger. But if your calorie needs for weight loss are still relatively high (more than 2,000 calories per day), you have a little more room to work with, and just about any meal plan will get you there.
Additional considerations that may help make losing weight easier include eating a quality diet full of fiber-rich, nutrient-dense foods (fruits and veggies), and lean proteins – all of which have been shown to be foods that support weight loss in various ways.
How to lose weight in a nutshell:
- Decrease your calorie intake
- Increase your calorie burn – exercise more
What is the best diet for muscle gain?
When it comes to adding some muscle mass, calories and protein needs to increase! And the quality of your calories becomes much more important since you want to add muscle weight and not body fat.
Protein is the macro that becomes muscle, so knowing how much protein to eat each day to build muscle is key. You should strive to get about 1 gram of protein per pound of lean tissue, and most will not need more than 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight total.
What about the other macros?
While increasing fat intake is one way to increase your calories without having to add too much additional food volume (since fat is the most calorically dense macro – providing twice as many calories per gram compared to protein and carbs), many experts recommend sticking to a moderate fat intake and increasing your carb and protein calories overall.
This is because, outside of a keto diet, fat is more likely to be stored as fat than any other macro in a calorie surplus. And because both carbs and protein support muscle-building workouts and increased strength.
The best diet for muscle gain is one that includes plenty of protein and some carbs to support your fitness output, like the clean, classic and a la carte meal plans.
How to gain weight in a nutshell:
- Eat slightly more calories (10% more than your maintenance)
- Eat plenty of protein
- Do muscle-building workouts
What is meal prep? Is it right for you?
Are you a picky eater? Or just want complete control over your meal plan? Meal prep could be for you.
Meal prepping is nothing more than preparing some or all of your meals in advance to guarantee you are eating your favorite foods and nailing your nutrition and macro goals every day. The catch, it requires a bit of culinary expertise and a little more work than getting on a set meal plan. But of course, if you are cooking all of your meals already, it could be a more strategic approach that saves you time and money in the long run.
Some things to consider if you are meal prepping on your own:
- You’ll need to understand your unique calorie goals and macros
- How to count macros
- How to Count Vegan Macros
- How to Count Keto Macros
- You will have to plan a menu with recipes and shop for all of your food in advance.
- You might have to eat the same thing most days or get creative with toppings and seasonings
Opting for a meal prep delivery option like Trifecta is one way to cut down on cooking—pre-made proteins, veggies, and grains can be hand-selected, portioned out, and seasoned to your liking.
If you enjoy cooking, Trifecta’s a la carte options will cut down on time but still give you enough flexibility to create any dish you choose -without having to eat the same thing every day!
How to meal prep in a nutshell:
- Calculate your calorie and/or daily macro needs
- Plan a menu that fits your nutrition goals
- Purchase and prep your meals in advance
Trifecta’s Healthy Meal Plans
All meal plans at Trifecta are designed to help you hit your fitness goals and provide a balanced approach to healthy eating, using science-based nutrition – no matter which diet you choose.
Of course, not every meal plan option is right for everyone, and each diet will give you something a little different.
Weekly Meal Plans
All meal plans include already cooked, and seasoned meals (you just heat and eat) curated by our kitchen and shipped out weekly. If you want to do minimal work when it comes to your diet and just have your food sent to your door, meal plans are perfect for you!
When trying to decide which meal plan you like best or which diet plan will give you the best results, use this breakdown:
Eating Clean vs. Paleo
Clean eating is based on a balanced approach of whole grains, lean proteins, and veggies to provide nutritious meals without any added preservatives or artificial ingredients. This meal plan is also free from dairy, and gluten and is seasoned with minimal added sodium and sugar.
Paleo is based on a more paleolithic style of eating – essentially what a caveman would eat. This plan is the whole foods-based and does not include any grains, beans, or legumes since cavemen did not have access to these foods. It is also dairy-free, gluten-free, and has no artificial ingredients or added preservatives. Think lots of meat, fish, and veggies with the occasional sweet potatoes.
Clean eating is best for:
- Anyone looking to clean up their diet – especially, if you’ve never dieted or are just getting started, this is the plan for you!
- Someone who has a lot of weight to lose.
- Those looking to build muscle or support their sport with proper nutrition
- A moderate carb, moderate protein, and lean approach to dieting
- Those who still want to enjoy grains and pasta while maintaining calorie control.
Trifecta Clean Meal Plan Average Macros: Clean meals contain an average of 500 calories, 38 g protein, 20 g fat, and 42 g carbs per serving.
Paleo is best for:
- Those looking to cut a lot of calories
- Paleo lovers – this plan is strict paleo!
- Someone who has been on a diet for a while and needs an extra push to get past a plateau.
- Individuals who aren’t doing heavy training or exercise
- A moderate fat, lower carb and high protein approach to dieting
- Those who love meat and fish with lots of veggies
Trifecta Paleo Meal Plan Average Macros: Paleo meals contain an average of 400 calories, 32 g protein, 20 g fat, and 23 g carbs per serving.
Still not sure which is right for you? This guide on eating clean vs. paleo goes into even more detail to help you decide.
Paleo vs. Keto
Keto is the lowest carb meal plan available, restricting carbs to less than 5% of total calories. This meal plan is also very high in fat. Because carbs are restricted so low, this plan does not include any grains, beans, or starchy veggies. And in contrast to paleo, keto does have some meals with dairy and soy but is still gluten-free.
By eliminating most of your carbs, keto allows you to use fat as your primary source of fuel and offers a different variety of foods for those that have a hard time on traditional diets. Think cheese, turkey bacon, organic meats, and lots of non-starchy veggies.
Keto is best for:
- Those looking to cut a lot of calories
- Someone with a lot of body fat to lose
- Individuals who aren’t doing heavy training or exercise
- A high fat, extremely low carb, and moderate protein approach to dieting
- Those who enjoy eating more rich flavors and fattier foods
Keto Meal Plan Average Macros: Keto meals contain an average of 500 calories, 35 g protein, 35 g fat, and 9 g carbs per serving.
Vegan vs. Vegetarian
Vegan and vegetarian diets are both considered meat-free, plant-based diets with a few differences between the two.
- Vegan diets are free from all animal products, including eggs, dairy, and any animal-derived ingredient.
- Vegetarian, on the other hand, allows for dairy and egg options.
Both of these plans tend to be higher in carbs because carbohydrates come from plant-based foods, and all protein is derived from plant-based sources. Think rice and beans with veggies (vegan) or scrambled eggs and potatoes (vegetarian).
Vegan is best for:
- Strict plant-based eaters – no meat and cheese on this plan!
- Those looking to cut a lot of calories
- Anyone looking to increase their intake of veggies and plant-based foods
- A low fat, moderate carb, and moderate protein approach to dieting
Vegan Meal Plan Average Macros: Vegan meals contain an average of 400 calories, 20 g protein, 18 g fat, and 50 g carbs per serving.
Vegetarian is best for:
- Plant-based eaters who are looking for a little more flexibility and nutrient-dense proteins – dairy and eggs are a great source of protein!
- Those looking to maintain weight or just clean up their diet
- Anyone looking to increase their intake of veggies and plant-based foods
- A low fat, moderate carb and moderate protein approach to dieting
Vegetarian Meal Plan Average Macros: Vegetarian meals contain an average of 400 calories, 20 g protein, 18 g fat, and 50 g carbs per serving.
Take a deeper dive into vegan vs vegetarian diets to decide which is a better fit for you.
Classic
A classic style of eating is based on a minimal approach with steamed whole grains or potatoes, veggies, and lean proteins. This diet has little to no added salt and seasonings and offers a consistent approach to eating – you know exactly what you are getting with little variables. And just like the other meal plans, it is ready to just heat and heat!
However, these dishes are selected one meal at a time and shipped out on a reoccurring basis (if you want to change it up, you’ll need to change your order each week).
Classic is best for:
- Picky eaters who want to season their food themselves or eat a plain diet
- Those with multiple food allergies or intolerances
- Those looking to cut a lot of calories or need more consistency in their diet
- Athletes or those who need more control of their macros and nutrition
- A very lean, protein-rich and moderate carb approach to dieting.
Meal Prep Plan
If you are looking to have even more flexibility in what food you get, a meal prep plan using individual proteins, carbs, and veggies might be best for you.
All meal prep options are pre-cooked and ready to be portioned out or tossed into your favorite recipes. They come with almost no added salt and seasoning, and you pick and choose exactly what you want each week. And similar to classic, if you want to change it up, you’ll need to adjust your order.
This plan is perfect for anyone following a macro-based diet.
Trifecta Meal Prep is best for:
- Families who need larger portions to divvy out and want to cut back on cooking time
- Anyone who still wants to cook some of their favorite dishes or meal prep out their favorite recipes
- Serious meal preppers – eliminate all planning, shopping, and cooking time, but still mix and match your meals with more variety and tightly controlled nutrition.
- Picky eaters who want to season their food themselves or eat a plain diet
- Those with multiple food allergies or intolerances
- Those looking to lose weight or gain muscle
- Athletes or those who need more control of their macros and nutrition
- A very lean, protein-rich, and moderate carb approach to dieting.
28-DAYS-TO-LEAN MEAL PLAN
With the right plan and the right discipline, you can get seriously shredded in just 28 days.
You’re training hard every day with your program, going heavy on the weights and sweating up a storm with cardio. News flash: While that’s critical to your ultimate success, it’s just not enough for you to lose the excess fat.
To reach your get-lean goal, you must also follow a get-lean diet, filled with the best foods to burn fat. Why? Even if you work out hard for an hour every day, that still leaves 23 more hours for you to wreck all your hard work in the gym with just one slip-up: a measly handful of chips, a beer with the guys, or a burger at lunch. Diet is a huge, so to speak, part of the fat-loss equation. It’s the backbone of your entire plan, the foundation of a hard body.
Bodybuilding nutrition consultant Jim Juge says nutrition determines your success or failure, plain and simple. “The diet is 65% of what you need to get in shape,” he says. Juge would know, as he’s helped countless dedicated people reach their goals, from achieving their best body ever to placing first in bodybuilding competitions.
You’ve got 28 days to get to your goal, so we’ve recruited Juge to help you every step of the way. He’s adapted a traditional bodybuilding competitor’s diet for a noncompetitor (that means you!) who wants to look his best, shedding as much fat as possible in a very short time. With just under a month, there’s no time to fool around, so get started on your high-protein meal plan now to lose weight and build muscle while you’re at it. Go to the grocery store and stock up tonight. Come breakfast time tomorrow, follow his plan as strictly as you can and get ready to show off those impressive muscles in a month.
Your Get-Lean Principles
Strict. Strict. Strict. This is your mantra for the next 28 days. There’s just no way around the diet, says Juge, and eating clean is the name of this get-lean game. Juge’s diet plan is filled with fresh, clean foods that are as unprocessed as possible. Here are his three simple principles to shed fat fast.
- Eat at least 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight, daily. If your protein intake is too low on a restricted-calorie diet, you’ll lose a lot of muscle in addition to any fat you’re lucky enough to shed. A high-protein intake will help you preserve lean mass during your dieting phase. Choose lean, high-quality proteins like egg whites, poultry, lean red meat, and protein supplements. The diet provided here contains about 220-250g of protein daily, fine for a male weighing 200-250lbs. Up your protein only if you’re heavier than 250lbs, or you’re very hungry and need to add food during the day. Juge suggests an additional protein shake for an easy quick fix. (If you’re under 180lbs, cut out 3oz of meat or chicken per day from the diet.)
- Keep your carbohydrates low to moderate when trying to lose weight. “On a low day you’ll have closer to 100g of carbs,” he says. “A moderate day is about 150g of carbs.” Juge prefers to rotate low and moderate days to keep energy high and provide a change of pace. Good, clean, fiber-rich carbs include oats, potatoes, rice, and whole-grain bread.
- Drink at least a gallon of water per day. It’ll keep you hydrated and healthy. Water should be your primary beverage during dieting. Though many rely on diet sodas, Crystal Light, and other low-calorie sweetened drinks, plain old water is really your best bet.
How to Stay on Track
Habits and cravings are the devil when it comes to dieting. Let’s first deal with habits. Juge explains that it takes a good week or two to ease into dieting. “Fast food is so easy and there’s a McDonald’s on every corner. The hardest thing is to develop the new habit of preparing your meals and taking them with you.” The first week is the most difficult, so prepare yourself for some challenges as you abandon your usual routine. For example, you might usually go out for a sub sandwich or burger at lunch. You’ll now have to bring your food with you and resist the temptation of spicing up your meal with the Doritos in the vending machine or your usual can of Coke. It can be a real mental battle to stick to your food plan.
To stay motivated and deal with cravings, Juge has a couple of great recommendations. First, schedule a cheat meal on every seventh day. “Many of my clients have their cheat meal on Sunday, so then they’re ready for Monday and the week to come,” he says. If you feel deprived during the week, concentrate on the cheat meal to come, knowing you can eat absolutely anything you want to—pizza, lasagna, doughnuts, beer, chips, you name it. Remember, though, it’s just one cheat meal, not an entire day of cheating. Afterward, get right back on the wagon with your next scheduled meal.
Second, take a few photos of yourself to keep your motivation up. “Most of the people who come to me are doing it for a reason,” he explains. “They’re going on vacation, competing in a bodybuilding show, or maybe going to a reunion. I always have them strive for that goal. I take front, side, and back pictures of them at the beginning and have them post the photos on their mirror at home. I tell them, just keep looking at that picture and think of what you’re going to look like in a few weeks.”
When it comes to cravings, protein drinks and bars may also help cure your need for sugar, says Juge. He recommends mixing a flavored protein powder in a blender with as much ice as possible, so it’ll taste more like a milkshake. Day Five’s protein shake includes a cup of berries, which will also help with sugar cravings. Once or twice per week, Juge adds, you can have a low-sugar, high-protein bar. The newest varieties taste more like candy bars, with state-of-the-art sweetening techniques.
Your habits and cravings may both rear their heads at restaurants, where it’s easy to blow your diet in seconds. To stick to the plan, says Juge, be diligent in ordering. “Ask them to grill your meat without oil or grease. Ask for steamed vegetables with no butter. Get a salad (no cheese) with either fat-free dressing or a vinaigrette.” After his 14 years in bodybuilding, Juge testifies that he’s found many restaurants are accommodating, so there’s no reason to avoid them as long as they’ll cook to your preferences.
What to Expect
Some men can lose up to 5 lbs. per week, says Juge, if they follow the diet strictly. He recommends striving for a weekly 2- to 3-lb. loss for more lasting effects. “That way it’s not such a drastic change and you’ll be less likely to put all the weight back on when the diet’s done,” he adds. Weigh yourself naked just once per week, at the same time, preferably on the same scale. That way it’ll be as accurate as possible.
If you haven’t lost any weight after the first week, it may be time to troubleshoot. In addition to following an exercise program, Juge’s first line of defense is upping your cardio. Instead of one cardio session per day, he recommends doing 45 minutes of cardio in the morning on an empty stomach. Then add a second 30-minute session in the late afternoon or evening.
If that doesn’t stimulate weight loss, Juge’s second line of defense is to cut carbs slightly. On lower days, drop to 60-80g a day rather than 100. Eat this low-carb diet for two days, then insert one higher-carb day (150g).
Think of your nutritional plan as the anchor to stabilize all of your other efforts. Eating right will help you shed fat, increase your energy, and definitely look the way you want to. Follow this get-lean plan faithfully and you’ll be showing off your new, leaner body in less than a month.
Favorite Diet Foods
Here are Juge’s picks for the top three foods to turn to when you’re trying to shed fat.
Egg whites
“There’s no fat or cholesterol and they’re pure protein. They’re very easy to prepare—they take just a couple of minutes to make.”
Oatmeal
It’s low in sugar, high in fiber, and provides sustained energy. Choose the old-fashioned variety if you have a few minutes to spare, and the one-minute oats if you’re in a rush. In a pinch, you can even rip open a packet of instant oatmeal (plain flavor only)—just add hot water and stir.
Green veggies
They’re healthy and deliver many benefits, like fiber for improved digestion. They contain many valuable vitamins, phytochemicals, and antioxidants for better health. Plus, they’re bulky and fill you up for just a few grams of carbs per cup of veggies.
(Quick tip: To quickly steam veggies, put an inch or two of water in a bowl, add veggies, cover bowl, and microwave for 2-3 minutes.)
Maintain Your Gains
Your 28 days are up; you look great and want to keep it that way. Juge has an easy plan to maintain your body, yet enjoy greater flexibility with your diet. No.1, he says, is to eat a good, clean breakfast. If you’re at home, it’s much easier to do—just scramble a few egg whites and have a whole-grain item (whole-wheat bread or a bagel, for instance), and/or some fruit. Eat dinner at home, again a healthy, clean meal consisting of a lean protein source, green vegetable, and whole grains. Then, bring a protein shake or bar with you to work for a midday meal. “You’ve now got three clean meals taken care of,” says Juge. So if you’re eating at a restaurant at lunch and you want to have something different, you can have it. Just keep the rest of your meals pretty strict, without added sugars and fats.
Day One
Meal 1
- 1/2 cup oatmeal (dry amount) made with water
- 1/2 cup strawberries
- 6 egg whites cooked with 1 yolk
Meal 2
- 1 cup green vegetables
- 8 oz. chicken breast
Meal 3
- Tuna sandwich made with 6-oz. can tuna (in spring water), 2 slices whole-wheat bread, 1 Tbsp. fat-free mayo, 2 leaves romaine lettuce
Meal 4
- Protein shake made w/ 40 g whey protein
Meal 5
- Chicken salad made with 8 oz. chicken breast, 2 Tbsp. Italian dressing, 1/2 medium tomato, 2 leaves romaine lettuce, 1/2 cup broccoli
1,817 calories, 255 g protein, 98 g carbohydrate, 37 g fat, 20 g fiber
Day Two
Meal 1
- 1 medium bagel with 2 tbsp. reduced-fat peanut butter
- 6 egg whites cooked with 1 yolk
Meal 2
- 1 cup brown long-grain rice (cooked amount)
- 1 cup green veggies
- 6 oz. chicken breast
Meal 3
- 1 cup green veggies
- 6 oz. lean steak
Meal 4
- Protein shake made w/ 30-40 g whey protein
Meal 5
- 8 oz. red snapper or halibut
- 1 cup broccoli
1,959 calories, 254 g protein, 132 g carbohydrate, 39 g fat, 17 g fiber
Day Three
Meal 1
- 1/2 cup oatmeal made with water
- 6 egg whites cooked with 1 yolk
- 1 piece fruit
Meal 2
- 1 cup green veggies
- 8 oz. chicken breast
Meal 3
- 1 cup green veggies
- 6 oz. lean steak
- Large baked potato with skin (3-4″ in diameter)
Meal 4
- Low-carb, low-sugar protein bar
Meal 5
- Omelet made with 8 egg whites and 1 yolk, cooked with 1/2 cup broccoli, 2 mushrooms, fresh salsa
1,862 calories, 226 g protein, 149 g carbohydrate, 35 g fat, 23 g fiber
9 OF 10
Day Four
Meal 1
- 1 cup whole-grain cereal
- 1 cup 1% milk
- 1 piece fruit
- 1 Tbsp. peanut butter
Meal 2
- Large baked potato with skin (3-4″ in diameter)
- 1 cup green veggies
- 6 oz. chicken breast
Meal 3
- Large baked potato with skin (3-4″ in diameter)
- 1 cup green veggies
- 6 oz. lean steak
Meal 4
- Protein shake made w/ 30-40 g whey protein
Meal 5
- 16-oz. can tuna (in spring water) made with 1 Tbsp. fat-free mayo
- 6-8 stalks asparagus
1,984 calories, 226 g protein, 200 g carbohydrate, 29 g fat, 28 g fiber
10 OF 10
Day Five
Meal 1
- 1/2 cup oatmeal made with water
- 7 egg whites cooked with 1 yolk
- 1/2 cup strawberries
Meal 2
- 1 cup green veggies
- 8 oz. chicken breast
Meal 3
- Large baked potato with skin (3-4″ in diameter)
- 1 cup green veggies
- 8 oz. sliced turkey
Meal 4
- Protein shake made w/ 30-40 g whey protein and 1 cup berries
Meal 5
- 7 oz. lean steak
- 6-8 stalks asparagus
1,846 calories, 258 g protein, 122 g carbohydrate, 32 g fat, 23 g fiber