Choose the right bodybuilding snacks and you'll improve your energy in the gym and productivity at work.
Pick the wrong dishes and you'll sabotage your physique – along with your livelihood.
Unless you aspire to look like John from Accounting – with those tooth-pick arms and a gut hanging over his belt – your away-from-home meals had better contain something more nutritious than a buy 3, get 1 free Dunkin Donuts' special.
What To Eat On The Go When Cutting Or Lean Bulking (And Which Foods To Avoid)
Any serious lifter knows you can't wing your food intake when you're looking to get diced.
Nor will you pack on any lean mass by eating like a bird.
That means planning all your meals – snacks included – in advance to reach your physique goals.
What Are The Best Bodybuilding Snacks For Cutting?
To burn body fat, you must create a calorie deficit.
The biggest struggle you'll encounter during a prolonged cut?
Controlling hunger and sticking to your diet.
When you feel full, you don't crave sugary treats.
So there's less of a chance you'll blow your diet on a box of Oreos or gummy bears.
To increase satiety, pick low-calorie foods high in protein and fat, and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
What Are Good Snacks For Lean Bulking?
To build muscle, you must create a calorie surplus.
Unlike on a cut, hunger won't be an issue during a lean bulk.
If anything, you'll have a hard time slamming down enough food to support new muscle growth.
Eating to gain size isn't fun when you're a young, 20-something fella with a humming metabolism.
But you can make it more tolerable by picking calorie-dense foods that don't fill up your stomach to the brim, so you'll have room for another meal in two or three hours.
What Foods Do Bodybuilders Avoid?
Steer clear of processed junk filled with extra sugar and additives.
Most carb-filled goodies that taste great (thanks to the added sugar) are off limits for the serious athlete.
They wreck your health and physique.
You can have a pizza or brownie as a treat now and then, but they shouldn't turn into standard grub.
In addition, avoid foods full of chemicals and those that make you bloated or mess up your digestion.
Usual culprits include:
- Vegetable oils
- Beans
- Refined grains
- Alcohol
- Processed meat
Top 7 Bodybuilding Snacks On The Go
The perfect fitness snack requires zero kitchen skills and only a dash of your time.
These seven bodybuilding snacks take less than five minutes to prep while keeping your physique goals on track.
#7. Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich
Any wiry dude who needs to pack on mass, pronto, should make the classic PB&J sandwich a diet staple.
Perfect for: Lean bulking
#6. Tuna & Vegetables
If you don't mind the smell, canned tuna with leafy greens makes a helluva diet snack.
Sprinkle in some salt, black pepper, and lemon juice to make it more palatable.
Perfect for: Cutting
#5. Cashews/Almonds/Pistachios
You'll have a hard time trying to find a healthier finger food than nuts.
One word of warning, though:
For such a low-volume food, nuts contain a ton of calories.
You could easily blow past your calorie target by tossing a handful or two in your mouth every few hours.
So don't go overboard and finish the entire package in one day.
Perfect for: Lean bulking
#4. Greek Yoghurt & Fruits
The creaminess of the yoghurt blended with the sweetness of the fruits makes for a delicious combination.
Perfect for: Cutting
#3. Raisins
Need some quick, extra carbs that go down without a hiccup?
Mix a heap of raisins with nuts (see #5) or fling them in a bowl of Greek yoghurt (see #4).
Perfect for: Lean bulking
#2. Egg Salad
Drop a few eggs in a pot and let them boil while you chop up the spinach, tomato, avocado, and feta cheese.
An unbeatable combo of protein, fat, and healthy vegetables you need to get lean.
Perfect for: Cutting
#1. Protein Smoothie
The king of healthy bodybuilding snacks, a protein smoothie takes top spot thanks to its speed and versatility.
You could toss in some oats, peanut butter, and cottage cheese for extra calories during a lean bulk.
Or just stick with whey, berries, and fruits on a cut.
Your choice.
Perfect for: Lean bulking & cutting
Wrapping Up
In a mad rush out the door with the boss breathing down your neck every morning?
Need a quick afternoon bite to carry you over the finish line at the office?
Wondering which bodybuilding snacks to eat before bed to build muscle?
Give any of these hunger-squashing bites a shot for a quick nutrition solution.
Yunus Barisik
