Budget Bodybuilding: Indian Diet Plan For Bodybuilding

Eating healthy is the key to effective bodybuilding along with regular workout. But do you think that expensive meal and protein shakes are taking a toll on your pocket? Then consider this budget bodybuilding Indian Diet plan to meet your fitness goals.

Unlike the rest of the world, Indian diet is very much different in terms of food choices we make and eat. With nearly half of the Indian population following a vegetarian diet, it becomes difficult for them to opt for a generic diet plan for bodybuilding available on the internet. Also, the food combinations and choices used in a generic bodybuilding diet plan are often quite expensive, which an average Indian finds difficult to incorporate in their monthly budget. Thus, most of the bodybuilding aspirants in India are often on a lookout for a diet that will not only give them essential nutrients but will also fit in their budget without going over the board. 

The stark difference between Indian diet and the western diet for bodybuilding has made us elucidate on the Indian Diet plan for bodybuilding that too which can fall within your budget. 

Indian Diet Plan for Bodybuilding

For Indians, daal, chappatis, seasonal vegetables and white rice is a staple diet, which remains similar throughout the nation with little variations in the cooking style. But whenever we search internet to find the healthy diet plan for bodybuilding we often come across fancy terms like variety of meats, blueberries, expensive cheese, lettuce, kale,  and other exquisite food items which are not that easily available in Indian market and are also pretty expensive.  Thus, most of us fail to take up the western diet plan because of the impracticality of the availability of food items it suggests in our region. 
Also, one may buy such expensive items once or twice but they are difficult to sustain in the long run. The diet plan your follow eventually becomes a part of your lifestyle and anything that you add in your lifestyle cannot be for a short span of time. Thus, a western influenced diet plan cannot help you achieve your bodybuilding goals in the long run. 
Here, we are trying to tell you an Indian bodybuilding diet plan, that can easily fall within your budget so that you can follow it in the long run. In order to chalk out a budget bodybuilding diet plan for Indians, we have divided the population in three categories: 

•  Pure Vegetarians
•  Vegetarians
•  Non Vegetarians

If you're going to bulk up, lose fat, or stay healthy, you'll also need a goal-specific meal plan to get results. We've created templates to help you do all three, along with guidelines to help you track the calories, carbs, protein, and fat you should be shooting for each day.

Stock your fridge and pantry with the foods outlined in our grocery lists to whip up delicious, nutritious meals all year. To get you started, we've also included sample recipes, plus plenty of options to swap in for added variety. This is your one-stop shop for what and how to eat in the new year.

The composition of your meals will be determined by your goals and the timing of your weight training. The meals in our New Year's plan are divided into two categories: those with starchy carbs and those without.

Grocery List

You'll need to eat more starchy carbs and fewer fats before and after workouts to promote energy and muscle growth. If you're training to pack on size, you'll eat like this more frequently. And when you're hours removed from a workout, you'll limit starches and increase fats, which will keep you on track to meet your fat-loss goals. For meals containing starchy carbohydrates, your meal options include:

• Starches: Brown rice, quinoa, yams, potatoes, oats, whole-wheat pastas, bread, cereals, wraps
• Protein: Protein powders, egg whites, whole eggs (sparingly), white meat, white fish, Greek yogurt
• Fruits/Vegetables/Legumes: Tropical fruits, green/fibrous vegetables, beans
• Oils: Use sparingly; think teaspoons, not tablespoons
• For meals not containing starchy carbohydrates, your options are:
• Protein: Protein powders, eggs, white meat, red meat, oily fish or white fish, Greek yogurt
• Fruits/Vegetables/Legumes: Berries, green/fibrous, beans (sparingly)
• Oils/Fats: Tablespoons, not teaspoons. Avocados, nuts/seeds, coconut oil, canola mayonnaise, full-fat cheeses

Note: Where "Post-Workout Nutrition" is used, it can refer to a shake containing fast-digesting carbohydrates or a meal that contains them.

5 PILLARS OF NUTRITION

1. Eat Six Times A Day: Fuel your body with multiple small meals and snacks each day to keep your blood-sugar levels under control and your metabolism steady and to stimulate the production of new muscle.
2. Limit Processed Foods: Whether it comes in a box, a carton, or a bag, if it's got a label or brand name, it's likely highly processed and not worth eating. Remove these high-calorie, nutrient-poor foods from your life and you'll be much more likely to stick to your New Year's resolutions.
3. Stay Hydrated: Drink water and calorie-free beverages to keep your performance in the gym at its peak. Avoid sugar-laden drinks that will fatten your waistline and sabotage your body's antioxidant defense systems.
4. Strategic Carbs: Carbs come in two forms—starchy, faster-acting options such as rice, bread, and pasta, which raise blood sugar quickly; and non-starchy carbs such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which are higher in fiber and raise blood sugar gradually. Non-starchy carbs are rarely a problem. Enjoy them! The timing of when you eat starchy carbs, on the other hand, is key to getting and maintaining a lean and muscular body. Eat them either first thing in the morning or directly after your workouts and your body is more likely to use them to help refuel your energy reserves.
5. Lean Protein: Give your body a protein infusion every couple of hours to maximize muscle growth while stimulating the release of fat-burning hormones. The best sources include lean beef, chicken, fish, lower-fat dairy foods, and soy. While whole foods should always be your first choice, a quality protein powder can be used in conjunction with your diet to make sure you meet your protein macros each day. Consider adding a whey protein or two between meals, and use slow-digesting casein protein to fuel your gains at night while you sleep.

The Beginner Meal Plan

Target: 2,500 calories, 218 g carbs, 218 g protein, 83 g fat

If you want to stay healthy and have more energy, this is the plan for you. It's relatively low in carbs and very high in protein, and it emphasizes antioxidant-rich foods to improve the health of your blood vessels while also warding off inflammation—two factors that accelerate the rate at which every cell in your body ages.

Template

• Meal 1: Contains starchy carbs
• Meal 2: Few carbs, if any
• Meal 3: Few carbs, if any
• Meal 4: (Post-Workout Nutrition) Contains starchy carbs
• Meal 5: Contains starchy carbs

Indian Diet Plan For Bodybuilding (veg and Non-veg)

When we talk about an Indian diet plan for bodybuilding , We mean a diet plan that has all its roots attached to our dear nation. Since time immemorial, India has shown keen interest in bodybuilding. Even today, bodybuilding and “kushti”( Indian wrestling) seem to be one of the most favorable pastimes in rural India. Here is our small contribution to this field through this Indian diet plan for bodybuilding

“Akharen ke pahelwan” or the bodybuilders belonging to a certain school of bodybuilding and wrestling are normally depicted in movies as musclemen with hefty, voluminous physique and a terrific temperament. For instance, Movie “Bajrangi Bhaijaan”. This typical scene, though used to inject elements of comedy into a drama, may actually be thought-provoking. How can Indians with very low intake of animal proteins succeed in building world-class bodies? How can an Indian diet plan for bodybuilding  be best utilized to address the dietary needs of our Indian bodybuilders ? Can Indian foods provide high level of nutrition that a bodybuilder needs to fuel his workout and daily activities? These questions have gained greater importance these days as Indian  bodybuilders are taking greater interest in Indian diet plan for bodybuilding  and staying committed to their choice of food that they have been traditionally consuming since childhood.

Respectable Mr. Sushil Kumar, the well known Indian free style wrestler who is a silver medalist in Olympics and a gold medalist at the commonwealth games is a pure Vegetarian.  Sushil Kumar is a great example for those aspiring Indian bodybuilders who want to remain within their cultural food system.

If you have achieved your weight-loss goal and have been pumping iron since quite some time, you may be heading towards your muscle building goal as well. But wait- we said “may be”. Your attempt to create a Big Show may actually become a Big Flop Show if you are not sticking to an appropriate diet plan. Fortunately, Indian foods have adequate nutrients and minerals which provide you with the amount of energy that your muscles need to combat challenging workouts. Here are a few essential tips for every Indian interested in bodybuilding.

Image : Copyright (c) petunyia / 123RF Stock Photo

Essential tips for every Indian bodybuilder

1. Balanced diet

We often get carried away with western diet thoughts about low carb diets helping in building muscles or consuming a high protein diet for muscle building.  If you are really into body building and have been lifting some good weights , your body uses energy from carb, protein as well as from fat stores of your body while performing. Hence the key lies in eating a balanced meal .

Carbs

Carbohydrates form the basis of an Indian food chart . At least 50 – 55 % of your total calorie intake should come from complex carb foods. Avoiding too much simple carb like sugar and refined foods like Maida is essential . Intake the carb calories through whole  grains , broken wheat , red/ brown rice , oats , jaw (barley).

Protein

If you are new into body building, you need a greater protein intake.  At least 25 – 30 % of your calories should come from protein in food. The actual number would depend upon your activity level as well as your body weight.

If you are a non – vegetarian Indian , you need to include  eggs , Paneer (cottage cheese), milk and milk products, fish and skinless chicken and mutton.

If you are a vegetarian Indian – You need to Include a lot of legumes along with milk and paneer. You may like to check the Legume and protein specifications mentioned in our article – Top 15 Indian vegetarian foods for bodybuilding.

Sprouts, rich in protein content, may keep you satiated in your snacking time. There’s a whole lot of argument with respect to the choice of milk with some studies showing the greatness of whole milk over low-fat skimmed milk. While this may be true when we consider the amount of amino acids present in whole milk, but it is still better to opt for skimmed milk to keep your fat intake limited.

Fats

You may hate it but you cannot it ignore it. Whether  thin or fat , we all are fat phobic.  But we cannot ignore the fact that 15- 20 % of our calories should  come from fats. It is in our hand to turn this into good. Consume olive oil, or sunflower + rice bran oil or other such MUFA and PUFA combination of oil. Include healthy nuts , Fish oil and Avocados.

Vitamins

Our desire to gain muscle mass is so much overtaken by Protein , that we mostly forget about the other micro nutrients from food that are equally essential . Vitamin E, Vitamin B and Vitamin C are some very crucial vitamins that we can not overlook while gaining muscle mass.

• Vitamin E , B and C  are all antioxidants  and very essential to take care of the waste that is generated in the body due to strength training.
•  Almonds, peanut, hazelnuts, Wheat germ (jau), flax seeds, sunflower oil , corn oil , canola oil are all sources of Vitamin E
•  Amla, Lemon, Papaya, oranges, bell pepper, pineapple, cantaloupe, kiwi, tomatoes , asparagus, Grape fruit , rasberries , fennel seeds (saunf) provide Vitamin C

Vitamin B – Legumes , pulses , beans , banana, chili, Milk  etc. You can also pop some B vitamin pills every day before workout. B vitamins are water soluble vitamin and the excess is washed off in urine , hence toxicity is the least expected. While supplementation will enhance your health and fitness.

Fruits and vegetables

These have ample amounts of vitamins and minerals packed in them, but you may need to re-consider some options or fit them in a plan so as to ensure their optimal intake while controlling excess consumption. This again enforces the focus of this article- eating the right food, in the right quantity, and at the right time.

Grape fruit, alfalfa and catfish provide HMB  which helps during workout  by sparing proteins and using carbohydrates and fat as energy.

Melons, pineapple and cantaloupe increase urination and flush off the excess metabolic waste produced in the body while building up muscles.

Vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, leafy greens, and yellow and red bell peppers are specially important if you are someone with sense of taste as well as health. Besides adding incredible taste to your delicacies, these vegetables provide ample amount of vital nutrients to your body while allow your muscles to heal faster after workout.

2. Get enough Sleep

In our desire to gain Muscles, we often forget that the tired cells of the body need enough rest for repair purpose. We tend to get over involved in the exercise routine and day to day work , that we ignore the 8 hour sleep required by every cell of the body desperately. As a result, you will notice a down fall in your stamina and some weak hearted may even give up. Do not let this happen to you. Basic as it may sound but reward your hard work at gym and outside by going for that much needed 7 – 8 hours of sleep. Power naps in the afternoon are encouraged too.

Image : Copyright (c) atlantisfoto / 123RF Stock Photo

3. Drink a lot of water

water is essential for life. Water is the most essential part of an Indian diet plan for bodybuilding too. It is essential for Indian muscle builders and anyone who is involved in extreme and meticulous training or workout.  Water is absorbed quickly by the body cells and help in cooling down of the body cells after a vigorous workout. Plain water is considered of higher importance and of much value in comparison to most of the sports drinks that are sugar laden.  Good hydration also affects stamina and increases your muscles capacity to workout.

Increased urination is of utmost importance to ensure the elimination of the excess metabolic waste produced in the body during bodybuilding.

Indian Diet Plan For Bodybuilding

We don’t believe that you should starve or compromise on your taste in your attempt to become a man with tough body, but we do believe that you should enjoy your diet and your workout at the same time. That’s why we have sketched out this Indian diet plan for bodybuilding that allows you to stick to your family’s eating patterns while allowing you to get the maximum out of your diet. Here is a sample Indian diet plan for muscle building. We have given proper substitute for every non- veg item mentioned in the diet plan to ensure that our Vegetarian bodybuilders can gain all the required nutrients too.

Sample diet Plan

Food Item	Calories (kcal)	Protein (gms)
Early Morning
1 glass Traditional egg nog (4 eggs, low  fat milk , 2 tsp sugar  )	223	12
OR
Soaked almonds (40 gms) + Skimmed milk (1 glass)	172 + 86	6.3 + 8
Breakfast
Aaloo Ka Paratha – 3 medium	486	9
Curd – 200  gms	98	11
Sprout salad- 150 gms	210	9
OR
Chicken sandwich – 4 slices brown bread	415	30
Mid-Morning
1 Grape fruit or  Water melon /Pineapple / Cantaloupe – 1 big bowl + 2 cheese slice	60 + 120	6
Lunch
Brown rice pulav – 1.5 bowl	345	7.5
Stir fried broccoli , Cauliflower and Mushroom – 1 big cup	50	3
Mixed bean salad (red beans , chickpeas  , soya beans ) – 1 big Cup	130	9
OR
Fish curry – 1 big Cup	115	11.5
Evening
Paneer + Spinach roll  / Sandwich ( 1 roti / 2 slice bread) +Fresh juice (Spinach, Celery, Green apple, Carrot, Beet, Ginger,Mint leaves ,Orange or Lime )	220+44	12 + 1
Dinner
Quinoa and Corn tikki  with Black bean topping	350	20
OR
5 Egg  white omlette with Asparagus  + 4 Toasted brown bread	100 + 200	20 + 6
Bed Time
1 glass Traditional egg nog (4 eggs, low  fat milk , 2 tsp sugar  )	223	12
OR
Soaked almonds ( 40 gms ) +Skimmed milk (1 glass)	172 + 86	6.3 + 8
Pre workout meals (15 mins before you workout)
1 Apple + Boiled potato salad – 2 medium +  Grape fruit	100 + 60	2
Post workout meals(5- 10 mins  after your workout)
Soy protein isolates (25 gms)	110	24
Whey protein Isolates (33 gms)	130	25
Skimmed milk  (1 glass)	86	8
Total	3080	172.8

In the above mentioned Indian diet plan for bodybuilding, we have tried to plan a simple food chart based on what is generally cooked in our houses.