The most important thing you can do is learn to cook for yourself. It’s something I do every day, and it becomes a routine of its own that builds discipline. The more you do it, the easier it gets—and it’s pretty simple to throw together a solid meal in under 30 minutes.

I try to keep my approach simple and follow a few basic guidelines: smaller portions of carbohydrates, larger portions of protein, minimize salt, and cut out as much added sugar as possible.

I don’t do “bulk eating,” and honestly, most people probably shouldn’t either. Eat when you’re actually hungry and can comfortably eat—don’t force it. Bulking has its place for people chasing a competitive edge, and it tends to work best for highly disciplined, seasoned lifters who intentionally bulk in the off-season and cut when it’s time to get stage-ready. For everyone else, it usually just leads to unnecessary weight gain, throws things out of balance, and turns into an endless struggle to get their weight back under control.

I also don’t do meal prepping like making meals for several days or a whole week. The only thing I consistently prep ahead of time is breakfast, which I’ll put together the night before to take to work. Most of the time, I’m cooking meals fresh and eating them right then.

A protein-rich diet usually costs more upfront, but you can offset most of that cost by cooking at home more and eating out less.

The following is what I eat most days in one form or another.

Protein: Eggs, beef, chicken, and salmon.
Carbohydrates: Spinach, rice, and noodles.
Snacks: I look for high-protein alternatives to the snacks I already like.
Seasoning: Monk fruit with allulose (sugar alternative), and umami seasoning (salt alternative).

My Snack Bar