Muscle Kitchen 101: The food, tools, and supplements every healthy guy should have ready
From the fridge to the cupboards, we go through the must-have muscle-building materials. How does your kitchen stack up?
Here at S2B we like to give our guys real, actionable steps to follow. Why? Because our “keep it simple” methods work. Through our muscle-building coaching program, we help more skinny guys build muscle than anyone else in the world.
In other words: We want to give you the goods so you can start right away.
So here’s what should be in your kitchen if you want to build a muscular, athletic body and live a bigger, healthier life.
(Note: The following is a snapshot of what’s usually in our kitchens and represents a couple days’ worth of food.)
IN THE FRIDGE
PROTEIN
- eggs (1 dozen)
- ground beef (1 pound)
- chicken breasts (1 pound)
- tofu (2 packages)
- salami (1 stick)
FRUITS AND VEGGIES
- spinach (1 bag)
- carrots (1 bag)
- broccoli (1 head)
- bell pepper (2)
- raspberries (1 carton)
- blueberries (1 carton)
- cilantro (1 bunch)
- basil (1 bunch)
ODDS AND ENDS
- Brita water pitcher
- almond milk (2 cartons)
- almond butter (1 jar)
- peanut butter (1 jar)
- butter (1 stick)
- sauerkraut (1 jar)
- dill pickles (1 jar)
- chia seeds (1 bag)
- beer (2 bottles)
- white wine (1 bottle)
(Note: Of course, the beer and wine isn’t really necessary for building muscle or maintaining health. But they do taste good and are certainly fine in moderation. So, cheers.)
CONDIMENTS
- hot sauce
- coconut aminos
- barbecue sauce
- dijon mustard
- salsa
- apple cider vinegar
- white wine vinegar
- simple syrup
SUPPLEMENTS
- Udo’s oil (1 bottle)
- Carlson’s fish oil (1 bottle)
- probiotics (1 bottle)
IN THE FREEZER
(1 bag of each)
- broccoli florets
- peas
- raspberries
- strawberries
- blueberries
IN THE CUPBOARDS
SUPPLEMENTS
- protein powder (2 containers, egg white, whey, or other)
- multivitamin (1 bottle)
- creatine monohydrate (1 bottle)
- BCAA or post-workout drink mix (1 bottle)
ODDS AND ENDS
- coffee (organic, locally-roasted)
- green tea (1 box)
- yerba mate tea (1 tin)
- caffeine-free tea (1 box)
- tuna fish (4 cans)
- honey (1 small jar)
- coconut oil (1 jar)
- olive oil (1 bottle)
- oatmeal (1 bag rolled oats)
- mixed nuts (1 jar, raw)
- dried coconut flakes (1 bag)
- black beans (1 can)
- kidney beans (1 can)
- balsamic vinegar (1 bottle)
- sea salt (1 canister)
- pepper (1 canister)
ON THE COUNTERTOP
FRUITS AND VEGGIES
- apples (3)
- onion (1)
- tomato (2)
- lemon (2)
- lime (2)
- orange (1)
SPICES
(1 bottle of each)
- garlic salt
- cumin
- chili powder
- red pepper flakes
- cayenne
- smoked paprika
- cinnamon
- Italian blend
- Garam masala blend
- Chinese five spice blend
KITCHEN TOOLS
- blender
- cutting board
- mixing bowl
- food processor
- wok
- omelet pan
- chef’s knife
- saucepan
- wooden spoon
- rubber spatula
- measuring cups and spoons
- shaker bottle
- tea kettle
- Pyrex glass containers
YOUR TURN
How does your kitchen stack up? Anything we missed? Let us know in the comments.
And now that you know what should be in your kitchen — what should you do with all that stuff? Our suggestion: make the Ultimate Muscle Meal.
You can find it on Day 3 of our Free 5-Day Muscle-Building Course. Simply sign up below to get started.
Free 5-Day Course Start Building a Muscular, Athletic Body Today
We’ll email you a link to Lesson 1 immediately. Then, each day for the next four days, you’ll get an email linking to a new lesson.
*Required. By providing your email, you agree to our
Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, and to receive email alerts
from Precision Nutrition. You can unsubscribe at anytime.
23 Responses to Muscle Kitchen 101
-
-
The tofu isn’t a necessity, of course. But along with beans it does make up the majority of protein for plant-based eaters.
And even though I personally eat meat, I like having at least one “plant-based” meal per week.
I’ll use the tofu to make a stir-fry with lots of vegetables.
-
-
Thanks for this article Nate, Its really great to see what the real pros actually have in thier stocks.
Thankfully my kitchen is not too far off! I could use a little more variety if anything.
One thing I’d say you missed is sweet potatoes. I’d struggle without my sweet potatoes.
Thanks again guys, very useful read.
Justin
-
Awesome! My kitchen is primed for muscle building! I might try the tofu some time. I’ve actually never had it before.
-
Mike says:
Hm, I keep ground flax seed for mixing into shakes, but I guess the oil supplements do the trick. As for fruit, I keep peaches, oranges, whatever is fresh at the market to snack on all week, so I’m surprised you don’t have more on hand. A tip for tofu: try the extra silken type and have it cold and raw. Put it in a bowl, make a number of cuts through it, and drizzle over a mix of soy sauce, sesame oil, and a splash of rice vinegar. Add tons of cilantro and scallions, and it’s a perfect summer cold treat. Tofu also works great in soups, but that’s for winter… Cheers!
Mike
-
Jay Weston says:
Add Turmeric to your spices! If I had to pick one, it’d be this. Awesome anti oxidant/anti inflammatory.
-
Do you read my thoughts? I’ve started to exercise again and was wondering what to stock in my fridge that’ll get rid of my beer gut sharpish, then you post this?! You’re a blogging ninja my man! Thanks for the advice!
-
Branden_vogel says:
What probiotic do you use? I have been looking into starting to take some but have yet to find any reliable information in the Internet. Thanks Nate.
-
I grabbed it from my local health food store. It’s called “Natural Factors.”
-
-
Birk says:
Beer and wine. I wish I could allow myself a drink or two now and then, but seems like my body doesn’t really like. Either workout or having a drink.
-
What are the coconut aminos for? I’ve never heard of those.
I have a lot of yogurt (greek and normal) and bananas as well. 2% Oikos greek yogurt + mixed berries + cinnamon is my favourite dessert, and bananas are just such an easy carb.
And my freezer is always full of homemade frozen chili, stew and Gourmet Nutrition stye chicken strips. All those frozen meals make it impossible for me to want something healthy/hearty and not be able to have a great indulgent meal in front of me in 8 minutes.
-
I use the coconut aminos in place of soy sauce.
-
-
It might be just me but your fridge looks almost empty to me! … and a little bit more green, need to force myself to buy more veg!
-
I usually only shop for 2-3 days at a time. That way I rarely throw anything out.
-
-
Kyle Arsenault says:
Great stuff Nate. I actually posted a blog exactly like this for my athletes 2 weeks ago…http://bit.ly/O8eNREI. I left out the utensils, which is huge to success, so that was great to see. Keep it coming!
-
Cam says:
Awesome article! I am doing some tweaking to prep for the November S2B program.
-
Stevepackaging says:
I have garlic cloves, fresh ginger, and some whole-grain pasta. Plus some plain greek yogurt, which i sub for Mayo in some dishes. Add some Franks red-hot sauce, vietnamese fish-sauce, and Sriracha sauce.
-
Nice simple article, lets hope the ideas are implemented, looks a lot like my cupboards, or were you round my house? Dill pickles for the win, emergency green carbs that taste ace!!
-
Sean says:
Hey Nate,
Do you have any good info on health benefits of coconut aminos? I’ve seen it used in paleo circles before (in the book ‘Well Fed’), but I’ve never used it.
Does it taste similar to soy sauce?
Sean
-
Jesse Rude says:
I always love kitchen pr0n. S2B made my kitchen look almost exactly like this (except I’m running low on spinach, am experimenting with cauliflower recipes, and have a bunch of kale because I raided a farmer’s market last week).
What’s Udo’s Oil?
-
Hulksmash says:
Greek yogurt is always in my fridge. It’s packed with protein and great for digestion. With a little honey drizzle or fresh fruit it makes a great dessert.
-
Isn’t Tofu Soy? I’ve always avoided because of this. Surprised also to see this.
-
David says:
Quite possibly the best entry so far! Thanks a lot!
I must say I am very surprised by the Tofu…With that said, as much time as I spend in my own kitchen, I love this article! Most peoples cupboards are full of all the wrong things…Keepin it simple, keepin it clean.