Own Your Plate with Nutrition 101

Yo bro, new to meal prep and feeling lost? Don’t sweat it—I’ve got your back! 🍗 Nutrition 101 is all about the basics to fuel your fitness like a pro. When I started lifting, I was clueless about what to eat—chicken and rice every day got old fast, and I wasn’t seeing gains. Then I learned the fundamentals of nutrition, and my gym game changed! Let’s break it down so you can start smashing your goals, bro! 💪

Why Nutrition Matters for Gym Bros

You can lift all the weights in the world, but if your kitchen game’s weak, you’re not gonna grow, bro. Nutrition is 70% of the battle—your body needs the right fuel to build muscle, recover, and stay energized. Skimp on food, and you’ll stall your progress. My gym bro Rohan used to skip meals thinking it’d help him cut—he ended up losing muscle instead. Once he started eating right, he packed on 5 kg of lean mass in three months!

The Big Three: Macros to Master

Let’s talk about the building blocks of your meals—macros! You’ve got three main players:

• Protein: The king of muscle growth. Aim for 1.6-2.2 g per kg of body weight daily. Think chicken, eggs, paneer, or whey. I aim for 120 g a day at 70 kg—keeps me growing!
• Carbs: Your energy source. They fuel your workouts and help you recover. Go for 4-7 g per kg—brown rice, oats, sweet potatoes are solid picks. I love a big bowl of oats before leg day!
• Fats: Don’t skip these—they’re key for hormones like testosterone. Get 0.5-1 g per kg from nuts, ghee, or avocados. I add a tablespoon of ghee to my rice—tastes unreal!

Timing Your Meals Like a Pro

When you eat is just as important as what you eat, bro. Here’s a simple plan:

• Breakfast: Kickstart your day with protein and carbs—think eggs and oats. It’ll wake up your metabolism.
• Pre-Workout: 1-2 hours before the gym, grab a carb-heavy snack with some protein—like a banana and whey shake. Gives you energy to crush it!
• Post-Workout: Within 30 minutes after lifting, slam a protein shake and some fast-digesting carbs (like rice or a fruit). Your muscles are starving for nutrients!
• Dinner: Go for protein and fats with fewer carbs—chicken with veggies and some ghee works. Helps recovery while you sleep.

Nutrition for Indian Gym Bros

Being in India, you’ve got some killer options, bro! Swap boring chicken for chicken tikka (skip the cream), or pair dal with brown rice for a protein-carb combo. Paneer’s a beast for vegetarians—100 g gives you 20 g of protein! I make a quick paneer bhurji with onions and tomatoes—takes 10 minutes and tastes fire. Don’t have time to cook? Keep boiled eggs or roasted chana in your gym bag for a quick snack.

Keep It Simple, Bro

Nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated. Start with the basics: hit your macros, eat at the right times, and use local foods that work for you. Once you get the hang of it, you can tweak things to match your goals—bulking, cutting, or just staying fit. I went from clueless to confident in the kitchen, and now I’m hitting PRs every month. You’ve got this, bro!

Wanna dial in your meals even more? Use our Macro Calculator to get your exact protein, carbs, and fats in seconds! Let’s keep those gains coming! 💪