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Muscle building grocery list for beginners
Protein at every meal and enough calories to grow, from everyday foods, organized by store section.
This grocery list is for beginners who lift and want to gain muscle, sometimes called bulking. Building muscle takes two things from your kitchen: enough protein, and a few more calories than you burn. The list below covers both with ordinary, affordable foods. If you'd rather lose fat or hold your weight steady, the high-protein grocery list is the better fit.
Muscle building grocery list for beginners
From chompshopper.com/shopping-lists/muscle-building
What is a muscle building diet?
It's normal food in slightly bigger amounts, with protein at every meal. A 2019 review of nutrition for lifters suggests eating about 10–20% more calories than you burn, so you gain around 0.25–0.5% of your body weight a week: roughly half a pound to a pound for a 180 lb person.1 Protein of about 1.4 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight a day covers most people, spread over meals of 20 to 40 grams.12 Carbohydrates fuel the training, so they stay in the cart.
Foods to buy more of
- Protein at every meal: eggs, chicken, beef, fish, dairy
- Starches for training fuel: oats, rice, potatoes, pasta, bagels
- Calorie-dense extras: peanut butter, nuts, olive oil, whole milk
- Fruit and vegetables at most meals
- Easy snacks you'll actually eat between meals
Foods to skip or limit
- "Light" and diet versions of everyday foods
- Skipping breakfast or going long gaps without food
- Fast food and sweets as your main extra calories
- Expecting supplements to replace meals
Why people choose it: It turns a vague goal ("eat more") into a cart you can buy, cook and repeat each week.
This is general information for healthy adults, not medical advice. If you're under 18, have kidney disease or another medical condition, or are pregnant, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian about protein and calories.
Sample muscle building grocery list for one week
This list covers about 7 days for 1 person who trains, with protein at every meal and room for snacks. It's groceries only: pick your own meals from what's here.
Produce
- Bananas2 bunches
- Potatoes3 lbs
- Sweet potatoes3
- Baby spinach1 bag (5 oz)
- Broccoli2 heads
- Onions2
- Avocados3
Meat & Seafood
- Chicken thighs3 lbs
- 90% lean ground beef2 lbs
- Salmon fillets1 lb
Dairy & Eggs
- Eggs2 dozen
- Whole milk1 gallon
- 2% plain Greek yogurt32 oz
- Cottage cheese16 oz
- Cheddar cheese8 oz block
Pantry & Spices
- Old-fashioned rolled oats42 oz
- White rice2 lb bag
- Pasta2 lbs
- Granola1 bag
- Peanut butter16 oz jar
- Mixed nuts16 oz
- Raisins1 box
Bakery
- Bagels1 bag of 6
- Whole-wheat tortillas1 pack
Frozen
- Frozen berries2 bags
- Frozen mixed vegetables1 bag
Canned & Jarred
- Canned tuna4 cans
- Canned black beans2 cans
- Pasta sauce1 jar
Muscle building pantry staples
Pantry & Spices
- Old-fashioned rolled oats: the cheapest big breakfast
- White or brown rice: cook a big batch twice a week
- Pasta
- Granola: on yogurt or by the handful
- Peanut butter: about 190 calories in 2 tablespoons
- Raisins or other dried fruit
- Extra-virgin olive oil: drizzle on rice, pasta and potatoes
- Whey or plant protein powder: handy, not required
Canned & Jarred
- Canned tuna or salmon: fast protein for lunches
- Canned black beans
- Pasta sauce
Snacks
- Mixed nuts or trail mix
Fresh and everyday foods to buy
Produce
- Bananas: pre-workout snack and smoothie base
- Potatoes and sweet potatoes
- Spinach, broccoli and onions
- Avocados
Meat & Seafood
- Chicken thighs: cheaper and juicier than breasts
- 90% lean ground beef
- Salmon fillets
Dairy & Eggs
- Eggs
- Whole milk: easy calories and protein in a glass
- 2% plain Greek yogurt
- Cottage cheese: a protein snack before bed
- Cheddar cheese
Bakery
- Bagels and whole-wheat tortillas: quick carbs for wraps and breakfasts
Frozen
- Frozen berries: for smoothies and oats
- Frozen mixed vegetables
Shopping tips for the muscle building diet
Build every meal around a protein.
Pick the protein first, then add a starch and a vegetable. Aim for 20 to 40 grams at each meal.2
Add calories, not volume.
If big meals are hard, add olive oil to rice, peanut butter to oats, cheese to eggs, or a glass of whole milk. They add calories without much more to chew.
Drink some of your calories.
A smoothie of milk, banana, oats, peanut butter and frozen berries is an easy extra meal when you're not hungry.
Cook carbs and protein in bulk.
Two batches of rice or potatoes and a tray of chicken thighs each week cover most lunches and dinners. Freeze anything you won't eat in 3 to 4 days.
Weigh yourself once a week.
Use the same day and time. If you're gaining much faster than about 0.5% of your body weight a week, trim the extras; if nothing changes after two weeks, add a snack.1
Buy family packs and freeze.
Chicken thighs, ground beef and eggs cost less per pound in bigger packs. Split them into meal-sized bags before freezing.
Beginner mistakes to avoid
Not eating enough.
The most common reason beginners don't gain. Plan snacks the way you plan meals, and keep easy ones like yogurt, nuts and bagels on hand.
Gaining too fast.
A huge surplus mostly adds fat. Slow, steady gain of a pound or so a week at most is the target for most beginners.1
Cutting carbs.
Rice, oats and potatoes fuel your workouts. Low-carb eating makes a surplus harder to reach.
Buying supplements before food.
Protein powder is a convenience. Eggs, milk, yogurt, chicken and beans do the same job for less.
Forgetting fruit and vegetables.
They don't add many calories, but they bring fiber, vitamins and minerals your training needs too.
Make your own muscle building grocery list
We'll fill in this week's list for you. Remove anything you already have, add your own recipes, and get one list sorted by store section.
Make my listSources
- Juma Iraki, Peter Fitschen, Sergio Espinar and Eric Helms, Nutrition Recommendations for Bodybuilders in the Off-Season: A Narrative Review, Sports 7(7):154, 2019. A 10–20% calorie surplus, 0.25–0.5% of body weight gained a week, and 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg a day.
- Ralf Jäger and others, International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 14:20, 2017. 1.4–2.0 g of protein per kg a day, 20–40 g per meal.