Keto Meal Prep for Bodybuilding and Beyond

You’ve prepped for countless gym sessions, pushed your limits under the iron, and are ready to take your physique to the next level. But between juggling work, family, and that savage training schedule, sticking to a clean, keto diet can feel like a boss fight you might lose.

That’s where keto meal prep steps in, my friend. It’s your ultimate cheat for conquering your ever-evolving macros and realizing the gains you’ve worked hard for without tapping out.

So let’s run through everything you need to know in this beginner’s guide to keto meal prep for bodybuilding, starting with the basics:

What Is Keto Meal Prep Anyway? 🤔

Keto meal prep means planning, prepping, and portioning out ketogenic diet-friendly meals in advance, usually for a week at a time. 

Instead of staring down a wasteland of questionable choices that may fit your macros, keto bodybuilding meal prep ensures you always have perfectly portioned meals and snacks packed with the protein and healthy fats your body craves — no matter how busy your schedule gets.

During the seven phases of keto bodybuilding, you’ll have high-caloric surplus days where you may eat two or three meals. But you’ll also have caloric deficits where you may want to switch to an OMAD approach (one meal a day). That said, does it really matter whether you meal prep? 

6 Benefits of Keto Meal Prep for Bodybuilding Beginners + Pros

Keto meal prep empowers your bodybuilding journey and can make all the difference in your results. Here’s why it’s the ultimate game-changer:

1. Keep Your Macros On Point 🎯

In my Savage System Premium Course, you’ll receive my ultimate macro-tracking spreadsheet to calculate your ideal keto macros for meal prep, wherever you are in your bodybuilding journey. These macros will evolve until you achieve your desired body composition, which can get tricky for those used to following standard keto macros 24/7.

I like to keep my macros constant for a week at a time. So I typically figure out my macros for the week and prep my meals based on those.

Planning this way ensures you hit your protein and fat macros consistently and effortlessly, fueling your body to maximize muscle gain and fat loss.

2. Stay Shredded, Stay Consistent, Stay Committed 💪

Building and preserving muscle while burning fat in ketosis requires an unwavering commitment to your diet. Keto meal prep eliminates the temptation to veer off course when life gets crazy.

If you already have your food for the day accounted for and ready to rock and roll, you’ll score a higher degree of consistency in your nutrition and a better chance of sticking to your macros.

There’s nothing better than keto meal prep for beginners still making their way into a fat-adapted state. Prepping your food intake keeps you accountable and prevents those cheat day disasters when cravings strike.

3. Portion Control Like a Boss 👑

Eyeballing portions creates a high margin of error, especially in the beginning. Portion control = progress control. During meal prep, you can weigh out and pre-portion everything to keep your macros and calorie intake in check to ensure you’re not accidentally sabotaging your progress.

4. Say Goodbye To Decision Fatigue 👋

Ever stare blankly at the fridge after a long day, unable to decide what to eat? Keto meal prep eliminates that stress, leaving you with more mental energy to tackle the rigors of competition prep.

5. Remove Variability for Fine-Tuning Finesse ✨

Preparing your keto bodybuilding meal plan in advance means you’ll know precisely what goes into each meal and into your body. This transparency and consistency empowers you to control for a ton of variability.

Your goal is to get things dialed in throughout the course of the competition prep. But if you’re changing the types of foods or the amounts you’re eating every day, you’ll wind up with a ton of unnecessary variants. You lose the ability to see what your body is and is not responding well to. And that makes fine-tuning near impossible.

Hold everything constant for a week, and it’s much easier to discover the foods/macro ratios that work for you and finesse your game plan. 

6. Save Time and Money 🤑

No more scrambling after work to cook or blowing your budget on greasy, “dirty keto” takeout. Meal prepping saves you precious time in the kitchen and hard-earned cash. 

Instead of cooking every day, you’ll cook just one or two times. That means more time to spend at the racks or in recovery.

Batch cooking is also more cost-effective. You can buy ingredients in bulk at a discount, double or triple your favorite recipe, keep some in the fridge, and freeze the extra portions for later. Now you’re working smarter.

I highly encourage you to meal prep, even if you follow OMAD. Keep things as consistent as possible so you put your food intake on autopilot and don’t have to overthink anything.

Here’s Your Easy Keto Meal Prep Strategy

Alright, let’s get down to brass tacks. Here’s your step-by-step keto meal prep blueprint:

Gear Up for Success 🔪

Before you become a keto meal prep master, you need some tools of the trade:

Reusable glass containers. Invest in leak-proof glass containers that are freezer, microwave, and dishwasher-safe. These are hands-down the best containers for keto meal prep because you don’t want to heat up anything in plastic.

A sharp knife and bamboo cutting board. Nothing beats a sharp knife when it comes to time-saving tips for keto meal prepping. It makes everything faster and safer.

A food scale. This is essential for weighing out and portioning your meals and snacks with accuracy and ease.

Dial In Your Macros 📊

This first step to the actual meal prep planning is crucial. You need to know exactly how much protein and fat your body needs to achieve your goals (fat loss, muscle building, preservation, etc.).

👉 Start here: The Beginner’s Guide To Keto Bodybuilding Macros (Beyond the Bro Science)

Plan Your Keto Feast for the Week 😋

Now, for the fun part: deciding which keto bodybuilding recipes you’ll nosh during the week.

This choice determines your keto meal prep grocery list, so try to plan your recipes with some overlap to snag bulk discounts (one of the best tips for keto meal prep on a budget). Example: If ground beef goes on sale, grab a bunch and meal prep multiple recipes to stock your freezer with pre-made options.

🍽️  Access delicious keto meal prep ideas for bulking and cutting in my Savage System Premium Course — including the recipes I use during my competition prep.

If you’re a whiz in the kitchen, come up with homemade meals that:

• Prioritize high-quality protein. Protein powerhouses will be the foundation of every meal. Think pasture-raised chicken, ground beef, lamb, game meat, nutrient-dense organ meat, fatty fish (especially sardines!), and eggs.
• Include an ample amount of fat. Healthy fats for keto bodybuilding meal prep keep you satiated, provide sustained energy, and support optimal hormone production. Go for avocados, coconut oil, MCT oil, grass-fed butter, Keto Bricks, nuts and nut butter, olives, etc.
• Are easy to prepare in bulk. Casseroles, soups and stews with bone broth, meatballs, burgers, grilled meat, shredded chicken — you get the picture.
• Can be reheated without sacrificing flavor or texture. Some recipes actually taste better the next day after the flavors have time to vibe together. Worried about them drying out? Add some bone broth before reheating, and they’ll taste freshly made again.

Conquer the Kitchen 🔥

Happy meal prep day!

Schedule your meal prep time. Block out a few hours during the weekend to cook in bulk. Sunday is popular, but find a schedule that works for you. Consistency is key! Think of it as your weekly investment in a shredded physique.

Prep your ingredients. Wash, chop, and portion out all your ingredients. This will save you a ton of time during the actual cooking process.

Cooking time! Batch cook your protein sources, steam or roast your veggies, and whip up any sauces or dressings.

Portion and package. Divide and assemble your meals in their individual containers. Date your containers and include the name of the meal. Bonus points if you add the macro breakdown. This keeps your fridge organized and avoids any mystery meal mishaps.

Most meals can be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to four days. Freeze portions you won’t eat within that timeframe for later in the week.

Pro Tip: Don’t forget about snacks! Pre-portion keto-friendly snacks like nuts, cheese sticks, hard-boiled eggs, etc., for grab-and-go convenience.

Forging Your Dream Physique: Keto Meal Prep is Just the Beginning 

Though keto meal prep is one of the first steps on your keto bodybuilding journey, mastering it will empower you with the discipline, focus, and consistent nutrition to achieve your physique goals and dominate your fitness journey.

Don’t settle for average results. Take your bodybuilding goals to the next level with my Savage System Premium Course.

It’s your ultimate roadmap to dial in your diet and optimize your sweat sessions for success. You’ll score LIFETIME access to our ENTIRE COURSE LIBRARY (150+ videos), PLUS exclusive downloads, discounts, and member perks.

If you’re serious about sculpting a championship-caliber physique, enroll today so we can get to work!