How to eat junk and still build muscle
Obviously, as bodybuilders, we should always strive to provide our bodies with a constant supply of healthy, nutrient-dense foods when looking to build muscle.
Unfortunately, with today’s fast-paced lifestyles and longer work days, we are sometimes forced to grab what we can. When you’re trying to build muscle, eating something is always better than nothing.
In this article, I’ll reveal the healthiest fast food options and what to eat if you’re short and need a protein fix.
Fast Food Options for Stranded Bodybuilders
portion control
Because fast food is calorie-dense but notoriously high in fat, the most important thing to do is watch your portion size.
By eating a small serving and following the tips below, you will be able to provide your body with the best nutritional option available to you. This will ‘help’ you until you can get home and eat something healthier.
Adjust your fat according to
Following on from the above, if you are forced to eat out, make sure that the rest of your self-cooked meals that day are particularly low in fat. Adjust your nutrition accordingly, and you can make up for the high-fat “fast food” you were forced to eat earlier in the day.
selection of drinks
When it comes to carbonated drinks, they’re usually full of empty calories and massive amounts of sugar. They should be avoided at all costs. Just like fruit juices which are also high in sugar.
Do a Grange Hill and ‘Just Say No’.
The best option is water. If that’s not an option, then diet sodas are the way to go. The shakes are the worst. They often contain as many calories from fat as their main meal.
Top 3 of a bad group
1. Chicken skewer with chicken
If possible, try to get a grilled chicken shish kebab. Although sometimes they are marinated, the fact that the Chicken is not processed serves it well. Say a big ‘Yes’ to the whole salad, but replace the mayonnaise with lemon juice and say goodbye to Pitta bread. Or at least eat only half. White bread is of next to zero value for your muscle building goals. Shish kebabs are your best bet over burgers or fried chicken of any kind.
2. Burgers
The number one rule when it comes to burgers is to skip the sauces and never add bacon. Mayo packs on massive amounts of fat, while Ketchup has sugar, and often lots of it.
Go for a whole wheat bun if possible, and if not, be prepared to take off your top bun and consider yourself lucky that you saved at least 100 empty calories.
Skip the cheese and just go for a single meat burger.
As for the protein, it might make sense for you to double up, but any benefit from the protein is seriously offset by the fat content of the burger anyway.
Eat clean and eat big as soon as you get home.
3. Fried Chicken
We already talked about how shish kebabs are your best bet, but there are times when the only food available has a K and F in the shop title.
Typically, this would not be a good bodybuilding option, to say the least. However, with a little careful planning, you can get away with it.
The first thing is to follow the advice with the Burger. No sauces and no cheese.
Second, when selecting your chicken, choose grilled if possible. If you must go for the fried stuff, be sure to remove all the skin and batter. You can’t remove all the fat that has soaked in, but you can reduce the total fat content that way.
Conclusion
So there we have it. With educated choices, you can eat junk and still build muscle.
Or at least, you can still get some much-needed protein to keep you going until you eat to get home and cook something decent without consuming too much fat.
Of course, there is no substitute for a healthy diet, structured training, and adequate rest between workouts.