Example meals from the rotation.
Twelve meals I actually eat, with full macros and ten-minute prep times. Calibrated to a 175 lb lifter at 2,700 kcal maintenance and 175 g of protein. Adjust the portions to your own bodyweight, the structure scales the same.
Eggs · oats · banana.
10 min · training-day default- 4 whole eggs, scrambled in a teaspoon of butter
- ½ cup oats, cooked with water
- 1 sliced banana
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- Black coffee
Whole eggs over egg whites. The yolk fat is good fat. The carbs front-load energy for an afternoon training session.
Eggs · greek yogurt.
5 min · rest-day light- 4 eggs, scrambled
- 1 cup plain 0% Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp honey
- Black coffee
Lower carbs for rest-day energy demand. Yogurt does the protein lift, eggs handle satiety.
Cottage cheese bowl.
3 min · high-protein, low-prep- 1 cup cottage cheese (4% milkfat)
- ½ cup blueberries
- 2 tbsp sliced almonds
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
When the appetite isn't there in the morning. Three minutes, no cooking, hits the protein floor.
Hotel buffet.
Travel default- 4 scrambled eggs from the buffet
- 2 strips of bacon
- 1 bowl plain oatmeal, no sugar added
- Black coffee
Skip the muffins, the pastries, the granola — none of those carry the protein. Eggs are non-negotiable.
Chicken · rice · broccoli.
12 min · post-workout default- 8 oz grilled chicken breast
- 1½ cups cooked white rice
- 2 cups steamed broccoli
- Drizzle of olive oil and salt
The boring lunch that works. White rice over brown post-workout — faster glycogen replenishment, less GI burden.
Ground turkey bowl.
10 min · rest-day base- 8 oz ground turkey, browned in a dry pan
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 2 cups mixed vegetables
- ¼ avocado, sliced
Ground turkey is the cheapest way to hit a 60 g protein lunch. The avocado does the fat.
Chipotle bowl.
Eat-out default- Double chicken
- Brown rice, black beans
- Fajita veggies, salsa
- No cheese, no sour cream, no guac
Double chicken doubles the protein for ~$3. Skip the high-fat add-ons, save the fat budget for dinner.
Salmon · sweet potato.
15 min · weekend default- 6 oz salmon, baked
- 1 medium sweet potato, roasted
- Mixed greens, lemon, olive oil
- Sea salt, black pepper
Salmon for the omega-3. Sweet potato for the slow carb. Easy on the stomach when training is later in the day.
Chicken thigh salad.
12 min · rest-day, higher fat- 8 oz grilled chicken thigh, skin on
- Big mixed-greens salad — peppers, cucumber, walnuts
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
- Olive oil and balsamic
Thigh over breast in the evening. The skin-on fat keeps you full through the night, satiety beats macro purity here.
Salmon · greens.
15 min · training-day evening- 6 oz salmon, baked at 400°F for 12 min
- Side salad: spinach, tomato, cucumber
- Olive oil, lemon, sea salt
- 1 medium sweet potato
Frozen salmon fillets are fine — defrost in the morning, bake at night. The omega-3 cost is identical to fresh.
Steakhouse filet.
Eat-out, planned- 8 oz filet, cooked medium
- Side of broccoli, no butter
- House salad, dressing on the side
- 2 whiskey neats over the meal
A planned steak dinner with two drinks still lands the day under maintenance. Eat lighter at lunch and snack to make room.
Sheet-pan chicken.
10 min prep · 25 oven · feeds 3- 2 chicken breasts (6 oz each), seasoned
- Bell peppers, red onion, zucchini
- Olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika
- Side of jasmine rice
Sunday meal-prep version. Cook three at once, eat one, refrigerate two. Mid-week dinner is a 90-second microwave.
Greek yogurt · whey.
2 min- 1 cup plain 0% Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup blueberries
- 1 scoop whey isolate
The 4 PM gap-filler when lunch was light or dinner is far away. 40 g of protein for almost no fat cost.
Cottage cheese · almonds.
2 min- ½ cup cottage cheese (4% milkfat)
- ~¼ cup almonds (a handful)
- Pinch of salt
Higher-fat snack when carbs are spent for the day. Casein in the cottage cheese, slow protein release.
Premier shake · banana.
30 sec · gas station- 1 Premier Protein shake (30 g, 160 cal)
- 1 banana
The travel-day fallback. Any gas station, any airport. Closes a 30 g protein gap with a banana for carbs.
The seven staples.
If you bought only these seven things every week, you could run the entire system indefinitely. The grocery list, end to end.
Cheapest dense-protein source per gram. 30 g per 4 oz. Buy in bulk, freeze in 1 lb portions.
6 g protein per egg, plus the yolk fat is good fat. Hits satiety in a way protein powder doesn't.
17 g per cup of yogurt, 13 g per ½ cup of cottage cheese. Slow protein release. The 4 PM and 9 PM closer.
25 g per 4 oz, plus the omega-3. Frozen fillets are fine — same nutrient profile, half the price.
Carbs are interchangeable for this purpose. White rice post-workout, oats at breakfast. Cheap and bulk-cookable.
Volume without calories. Frozen counts. Two cups per main meal is the floor.
Fat sources for cooking and finishing. Keep all three. Olive oil for salads, butter for eggs, avocado for the rest.
Add a fruit or two for variety. Add a tub of whey isolate for the rough days. That's the entire grocery list. Run it for years.