Are you looking for cheap bulking meals?
Well, you’ve come to the right place because that’s exactly what I’ll be covering in this post.
As someone who’s been bodybuilding for years, I understand what it’s like having to cram all those calories down whilst still staying on budget.
So, let’s get straight into this!
Table of Contents
Breakfast
1. Toast and beans
If you grew up in the UK, you know toast and beans was a classic!
It tastes great and high in calories, my mouth is watering as I write this.
Ingredients:
- Slices of bread
- Can of beans
- Cheese
- (extra) Eggs
First, lightly butter the bread and toast it on the pan or grill. You can do it in the toaster but it won’t taste as good.
Open up the can of beans and cook them on the pan. Make sure there’s a little bit of butter on the pan so nothing sticks.
Now plate the toasted bread and pour on the beans! I like to add a little bit of black pepper at this point. You can add whatever seasonings you want like smoked paprika.
Grate some cheese and put it on the beans. You can go the extra mile and scramble an egg for some extra calories.
And that’s it!
Super simple, easy and cheap to make. I really love this simple breakfast, I remember I’d have it for school.
2. French toast
French toast is a classic bodybuilding meal that’s cheap and tastes delicious.
Ingredients:
- Slices of bread
- Eggs
- Milk
- Sugar
- Honey/chocolate spread/maple syrup (topping of your choice
First, scramble some eggs in a bowl, 3 is a good start. Next, add some milk in there as well as a table spoon of sugar, some salt as well.
Make sure you have the pan hot and put it on a low temperature or low medium depending on your cooker.
Soak your bread slices in the egg but not for too long as the bread could rip. Now place the bread on the pan and make sure there’s some butter on the pan to avoid anything sticking.
Cook each side until the bread has been toasted.
Now you can go ahead and add a topping like honey, bananas, strawberry and whip cream, protein spread, etc.
And there you go, simple, delicious, cheap and high calorie breakfast. You can even eat this for lunch.
3. Bread and eggs
Bread and eggs, nothing fancy and you’ve probably had it a bunch of times.
Ingredients:
- Bread slices
- Eggs
It’s as simple as it gets. Toast your bread however you’d like and cook your egg however you’d like.
You can go ahead and add whatever seasonings you want as well as any toppings like honey.
Cheap, cheerful and a good amount of calories in there.
4. Protein cereal
Protein cereal, super, super simple and effective.
Ingredients:
- Cereal of your choice (high in carbs but not sugar like cornflake and rice crispies)
- Milk
- Tasteless protein powder
First of all, mix in the tasteless protein powder with the milk. I personally like to blend it to make sure there are no bits in. Just keep in mind the milk will be a little thicker.
NOTE: You can add flavored protein if you like.
Now just add your cereal in. SIMPLE!
You can warm the milk up and then blend it if your protein powder allows. Give it a shot and see what happens.
5. Oats
I’ve been obsessed with oats since I first got into bodybuilding. There are so many things you can do with it.
Here’s the kind of style oats I like to go with…
Ingredients:
- Whole oats
- Milk
- Peanut butter
- Chocolate chip
First I like to pour 80g of oats in a bowl. Make sure they are whole oats and not super processed, this will have a big impact on the taste.
Then heat up some milk to a hot temperature and pour it into the bowl. Add about 20g of peanut butter and stir. Let it sit for a minute.
Then add in about 20g of chocolate chips. I like to stir the chocolate chips in ever so slightly but not to the point where the chocolate has been dissolved. I like to taste the chunks of chocolate.
BONUS: You can add in some flavourless protein powder into the oat for an extra kick of protein.
This is a dessert style oat breakfast and it’s something that I’ve loved since I was 16. I used to train a lot when I was 16 and oats got me through my day. I’d have them in the morning and before a workout.
You can switch up the toppings from peanut butter and chocolate chips to fruit such as bananas and blueberries.
Dinner
6. Mashed potatoes
Potatoes are a great way to bulk up. I like to mash my potatoes because it saves me from having to chew.
You can get lots of potatoes for only a few bucks.
Ingredients:
Potatoes
Cheese
Milk
Butter
First, boil the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into equal chunks and put them in boiled water. Throw some salt in there to enhance the taste. You know they’ve been cooked if they easily fall apart when you try to put a falk in.
Drain the potatoes and mash them. I like to add in a knob of butter as well as a dash of milk to make it richer. It will also give you a nice boost in calories.
After you’ve mashed, go ahead and add some cheese and some black pepper to further enhance the taste.
7. Egg jacket potatoes
This is definitely one of my favorite ways to consume my potatoes. It hits that spot.
Ingredients:
- Potatoes
- An egg for every potato
- Cheese
First, put the potatoes in the microwave for 15 minutes. The time will vary depending on the power of your microwave and number of potatoes.
Now, cut the top of the potatoes and scoop the potato out. Be sure not to break the skin as this is very important.
Next, put an egg in each potato and cover it with the skin you had cut off.
Put the potatoes in the over for 25 minutes at 180c.
Now, you want to mash the potatoes and put them on the pan. Add a knob of butter on the pan and add the mashed potatoes in. Gradually add cheese on top and work it in. I would also recommend adding some salt and pepper.
Take the potatoes out of the oven and plate both the baked potatoes and mash. And there you have it!
Eggs and potatoes are super cheap to buy!
8. Chicken and pasta
The classic chicken and pasta. There are so many ways of making it and here’s mine…
Ingredients:
- Pasta
- Chicken
- Light mayonnaise
- Sweetcorn
- Cheese
First, boil your pasta, you can use whatever kind of pasta you’d like. Follow the instructions on the packet.
Add your chicken into a bowl and make sure the chicken has been cut into cubes. Add some mayo, however much you’d like. Add some black pepper in there and mix everything together.
Boil your sweetcorn, I usually do this when my pasta is close to being cooked so I don’t have to cook my sweetcorn separately.
Add the pasta and sweet corn to the rest of the ingredients and stir. Then go ahead and add your cheese.
And there you have it.
You can switch out the chicken for tuna if you’d like. Just make sure you’ve drained the tuna.
9. Fish and chips
Ah, the classic fish and chips, what’s not to love?
Ingredients:
- Frozen cod fish
- Potatoes
- Bread crumbs
First, get a baking rack and oil it to prevent the fish from sticking. Add the frozen fish in the oven for 10 minutes at 180c. This is to get all the ice off.
Now, you want to lightly cover the fish in some olive oil. Add some salt and pepper. Then pour on your bread crumbs to one side of the fish and leave it to bake for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, turn the fish over and add some bread crumbs and bake for 15 minutes. Now, your fish should be done.
To cook your chips, Peel your potatoes and cut them in even slices. I like to dry the potatoes with some paper to help with the cooking process. Go ahead and add some salt as well.
Now cook the chips at 160-180c for 30 minutes. After the chips are done, go ahead and season them. I also like to add a dash of olive oil in there.
And that’s it. Frozen fish is cheap but if you can afford to cook fresh fish, it will taste better.
Extras
Here are some extra items you can add to your food or even have for desert.
10. Frozen veg and fruit
Since frozen fruit and veg are cheaper, you’re better off going with them. You can use microwavable frozen veg to add to your dishes.
And blend frozen fruit for smoothies and adding to your oats.
11. Yogurt and granola
Get some fat free yogurt, add some flavourless protein powder, a bit of honey and granola. There you have it, cheap, high calories, delicious desert ready in less than 5 minutes.
12. Banana smoothie
Bananas are amazing when it comes to calories density. Amazing!
Throw some frozen ripe frozen bananas into a blender, add some tasteless protein powder and some milk.
And there you go, a deliciously high calorie shake. I just had this a couple of hours ago.
BRO TIP: Add some vanilla ice cream to further boost the taste and calories.
13. Protein shake
The classic protein shake. Grab your protein powder, I like to go with a classic chocolate one and add some milk. Shake it about and there you go.
Nothing fancy, just simple and high in protein.
14. Crackers
Crackers don’t get any love these days. They’re calories dense and rich in complex carbs. You can spread a little bit of butter in them or use them as a dip to enhance the taste.
