No one wants to spend hours working out what they’re going to eat every day, but when you’re trying to eat to build muscle and keep costs low, planning your meals in advance is essential.
Luckily, Gladiator star Matt Morsia has shared a simple, high-protein meal plan that costs just £4.93 a day – so you can eat well and fuel your training without spending hours calculating macros.
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel MattDoesFitness, the bodybuilder and fitness coach showed how easy it is to break down a £35 a week shop into three healthy meals and three snacks a day.
The meals for the plan were created to meet four key requirements: high protein, full of fruit and vegetables, high volume (so you actually feel full after eating it) and easy to cook.
In total, it delivers 175g protein a day for 2700 calories. Current research suggests active men looking to build or maintain muscle should try to have around 1.6-2.2g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, so this plan should provide a solid foundation for maximising your gains.
Here’s a breakdown of the plan Morsia shared, as well as a few tips to make fitting it into your daily routine even easier.
Matt Morsia’s £4.93-a-Day High-Protein Meal Plan
If you’re in the office and don’t have access to a stove to make the omelette, simply swap the oats and omelette around. You can also add protein powder to your yoghurt to maximise your protein intake.
Breakfast
- 300g low fat Greek yoghurt
700 kcals, 40g protein
Morning Snack
300 kcals, 30g protein
Lunch
500 kcals, 34g protein
Dinner
820 kcals, 48g protein
Evening Snack
270 kcals, 25g protein
Why it Works
Morsia’s plan is centred around simple ingredients that really pack a punch, making it easy to replicate and cook every day. You could even prep a big bunch of the chilli and enjoy it throughout the week, so you’re not tempted to order a takeaway when you’re knackered after a big gym session.
If you’re not fussed about sticking to a strict budget, you could make the meals a little bit more exciting by adding in a few ingredients: some granola, nuts or seeds to the yoghurt, or some chopped pepper, onion and mushrooms to the omelette. Adding protein powder to your yoghurt, or enjoying an extra protein shake after your training, could also up the protein content.
At the end of the day, a healthy meal plan is only valuable if it’s something you can actually stick to week after week, and Morsia’s plan certainly passes that test. We’ll be bookmarking this one for later.
Lauren Geall is deputy site editor for Women’s Health UK and Men’s Health UK. She graduated from Exeter University with a BA in English Literature before studying an MA in Magazine Journalism at City, University London. She’s been writing about health, fitness and wellbeing for over five years, with a total of seven years in digital journalism. Prior to her current role, she worked at Stylist as the acting health and fitness editor. As well as being a keen runner, Lauren is passionate about women’s sport and can often be found cheering on Arsenal Women at the Emirates or keeping tabs on the Red Roses’ latest win.
