Free Sample: some of my favorite Muscle Meals
I’m not going to write endless ‘recipes’ that are essentially just assembling different foods on a plate, I’ll leave that to you. However, I will give you some of the recipes that I have created or modified from their original forms and used over the years to help me get the muscle fuel I needed.
My version of Bulletproof Coffee
You might have heard about a bunch of celebrities and prominent health and food personalities suddenly putting butter in their coffee and thinking “great, another ridiculous fad.” In fact my friend and former backstage interviewer and ring announcer So Cal Val is constantly harassing me for this apparent coffee indiscretion in person, via text, via social media, carrier pigeon, singing telegram…
In actual fact, I am proud to say that I was one of the early disciples of Bulletproof coffee and Dave Asprey’s principles, and it wasn’t until I started to learn from Dave’s writing that I felt I fully mastered how to limit carbs effectively and lose fat while maintaining mass and performance. The centerpiece of Bulletproof is of course their coffee, which is farmed and processed in a way that minimizes toxins and mold (visit bulletproof.com for the whole story.) Their original coffee recipe is available on their website, but I made a few additions to what has now become my Launchpad for the start of the day:
- 1 large mug of hot black coffee (preferably Bulletproof, but aim for quality whole been coffee that you grind yourself.)
- 2 tbsp grass-fed butter (I like Kerrygold)
- 1 tbsp-sized chunk of Cacao Butter
- 1 tbsp of coconut or MCT oil
- 5 grams micronized BCAA powder
- 1 small scoop (approx. 1 tbsp) collagen protein or collagen-gelatin combo
- Splash of milk (I use organic whole milk in this for the fat)
- Dash of cinnamon
- 1 packet dextrose to sweeten (I use Sweet n Low, I know many people will say xylitol or stevia but they taste so artificial to me I’d rather go for dextrose)
Place the butter and cacao butter in a blender (I have a ninja, it’s my favorite thing in my kitchen. I use the individual sized blender for this, ‘bullet’ blenders are ideal too.) Pour the hot coffee over the butter and allow abot one minute for the butter to melt. The cacao might take longer but one minute is fine. Add the MCT oil, BCAAs, Protein, Cinnamon and sweetener. Finally, add milk according to how milky you like your coffee (remember the butter will add some creaminess to it already) and blast it in the blender for about 30 seconds. You will have a frothy latte that loads you up with amino acids and good fats to get you firing on all cylinders from the word go. Plus in terms of taste, it will blow the over-priced franchise coffee out of the water.
Perfect-start Protein shake
High performance breakfast in liquid form. If you are going to train early, but either don’t have the appetite or the time for a sit-down meal, this might work for you. I’ve used this recipe when I’m running late. Have a flight to catch and can sip on the way to the airport, or just simply don’t feel like eating a big meal.
- 1 mug black ice coffee (I just brew a big pot in the morning then whatever is left I put in the fridge for these shakes)
- 2 scoops vanilla or plain (flavorless) whey protein
- 1 scoop oats (if you use regular oats then obviously you will need to use a blender, however there are finely ground oat powders available if you want to use a shaker bottle. MyProtein.com have an excellent fine oat powder supplement.)
- 5 grams BCAAs
- 5 grams Creatine
- 1 tbsp MCT oil
- Sweetener to taste.
Pretty straight forward, add the protein, oats and powders to the coffee and mix. I usually have better luck mixing the whey first, then adding the oats etc and mixing again, to avoid clumps. If you use a blender this isn’t as much of an issue. This mixture will give you the protein and aminos your body is craving, creatine and caffeine to maximize your workout and some carbs to prevent glycogen breakdown. I sometimes add a little milk to get some extra calories and thickness. If I use flavorless whey, which I usually do, I add a little cinnamon too.
Mass Pasta
I used to eat this dish about two or three times per week when I was bulking up on a budget, wrestling for forty pounds a night for Brian Dixon. If you buy the ingredients in bulk this is a really affordable meal high in protein, carbs, good fats and calories to fuel your body during a mass gain phase. 1 large serving of pasta (whatever kind of pasta you prefer)
- 1 large serving Pasta (use which ever kind of pasta you prefer)
- 1 generous teaspoon Green Pesto
- 1 tbsp Greek Yoghurt
- 1 can Tuna (I prefer Albacore but work with your budget) OR 1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded.
- 1 heaped teaspoon grated Parmesan Cheese (optional)
Cook the pasta and drain it, then put it back in the saucepan or a large bowl. Stir in the pesto then the yoghurt, making sure it’s well mixed. Add the tuna or shredded chicken, then top with parmesan. Add more pesto or yoghurt if desired, and a little olive oil can help the consistency particularly with noodles. It’s a modified recipe from something my mum used to make; she used chicken and made it with double cream which I substituted for full-fat Greek Yoghurt, you can use reduced fat if you prefer but it will affect the consistency and taste. I started using tuna because it’s all I could afford at the time.
Power PB & J
I dreamed of coming to America my whole life, and as such, embraced so many parts of American culture, one of which is the staple of kids’ lunch boxes across the US of A, the iconic Peanut Butter and Jelly (Jam if you’re British) sandwich. I would regularly indulge in an occasional PB and J either as a treat to myself or post-workout with a protein shake as a way to get some fast carbs, particularly after a grueling heavy legs day or wrestling practice. Then I was introduced to P28 Foods and we took it to another level. P28 Foods is a great company that specializes in making food products infused with whey protein so that a portion gets you roughly 28 grams of protein, hence the name. They sent me a care package with their entire range, and it’s all good. I’m not being paid or even rewarded to say that, it’s just a fact. Bagels, Flat breads, peanut butter spreads, pancake mix and possibly my favorite, good ol’ regular sliced bread. Check them out www.P28Foods.com
- 2 slices P28 Protein Bread
- 1-2 tbsp Organic Natural Peanut Butter
- 1-2 tbsp Organic Jelly, Jam or Preserves
I’m not going to tell you how to make a PB and J. But I like to lightly toast the bread, the protein bread makes it just slightly chewy and delicious. Don’t use regular processed sugary peanut butter, organic natural nut butters are full of great fats and in my opinion just taste better. This little bad boy packs about 40g protein and a great helping of fast carbs from the bread and jam making it ideal post-workout.
The Baby Shake
When my friends at Bulletproof found out that Mickie and I were expecting our son, Donovan, they sent us The Better Baby Book by Lana Asprey and Dave Asprey, founder of Bulletproof. It’s a very comprehensive book that at times made me feel really dumb but is full of amazing tips from pre-conception right through to post-birth. A lot of the advice can actually carry over into everyday life. There’s a recipe in there for a shake to make for expectant mothers and breastfeeding mothers that was a huge hit with my better half particularly during pregnancy and in the first couple of months of breastfeeding. Ironically, I now make a modified version of the same shake almost every day and we still affectionately call it a ‘baby shake’.
- 1 heaped teaspoon chia seeds
- 1 heaped teaspoon flax seed
- 1 handful of frozen mixed berries
- 1 generous tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 egg
- 2 scoops vanilla or flavorless whey protein
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 packet dextrose or coconut palm sugar to sweeten.
Put it all in a blender and mix it well. Depending on how powerful your blender is, you might want to put the milk in about half way through the ingredients list to avoid clumping. This shake is a great way to get protein and loads of great fats for optimum performance and body function. Great for your skin, hair, nails, brain and hormones. If you’re going ultra-low-carb or or lactose intolerant, use almond or cashew milk.