FBB Practicalproteinguide

Welcome back to my kitchen.
LE T ’S TA LK PRAC TICA L P ROT E IN
Nutrition is about the fundamental practices that happen day in and day out. When you want to make
a change to your body or your health, it’s tempting to hop on the latest nutrition or diet craze, or even
layer on multiple approaches at once. Coupled with an all-or-nothing mentality, an approach like this
is hard to sustain past the initial excitement.
We want you to be confident, consistent, and successful in reaching your aesthetic, health, or
performance goals, and feeling positive about what you choose to eat and how it makes you feel.
So this guide focuses on the one thing that will move the needle the most: eating enough quality
protein, day in and day out.
In this guide, you will learn why focusing on consistent, adequate quality protein alone is so effective
- and you’ll find practical ways to overcome the most common obstacles to getting it on your plate.
PR ACT ICAL P ROT E IN GUID E
CONTENTS
Welcome 02
Contents 03
The Challenge 04
Why protein is important 07
How Much Protein to Eat 09
FAQ 12
How to Track Your Protein Intake 16
Tips for Better Digestion 20
What Do I Eat? 22
Overcoming Common Obstacles 29
Resources 41
Protein Prep Basics 44
RECIPES 48
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The Challenge
There’s a big difference between trying to generally shoot for more protein, and being intentional
about hitting that amount every single day. So while we encourage you to use this guide any time and
begin implementing what you learn right away, we will also run FBB community challenges so you can
get support from others, have a specific time frame for accountability, and be eligible to win a prize!
Visit https://functional-bodybuilding.com/practical-protein-challenge/ for current challenge

information, rules, and an accountability log.
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How to Participate
You can also structure a challenge for yourself any time following these 3 simple steps, which we’ll
cover in detail further in this guide:
1. Determine how much protein is right for you.
2. Consume that amount of protein every day for 30 days without fail.
3. Using one of the following tracking methods:
• Weigh and measure all of your food in a food tracking app
• Weigh and measure just your protein sources in a food tracking app
• Use the accompanying hand portion guide and pictures to track your protein intake
Optional Steps
If you are feeling ambitious and want a little bonus, these additional steps will help you get even more
from your increased protein intake.
1. HYDRATE - Drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of water every single day.
A hydrated body will digest nutrients better. Protein is the hardest of the three macronutrients to break
down and digest. Give your body the best chance at getting all the powerful benefits of protein by
staying hydrated each day.
2. SLOW DOWN & CHEW - Both sitting down to eat your meals and chewing your food more
thoroughly are linked to better digestion, better nutrient absorption, and better appetite control.
• MINIMUM - 1 Meal a day, commit to sitting down to eat for 15 mins without distractions or
technology. Commit to chew each bite of food 20x before swallowing, or until the food is
completely broken down in your mouth.
• BONUS - Practice these principles at 2+ meals a day for the duration of the challenge.
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3. PROTEIN EARLY - One of the most powerful changes you can make to your nutrition is to
simply consume more protein at breakfast. Get all the benefits of protein started early in your
day so you reap greater rewards.
• Aim to get at least 30% of your personal daily protein requirement at breakfast each day.
• Example - if you need to consume 150grams of protein each day then try to get at least 45grams
at breakfast.
4. GATHER DATA - At Functional Bodybuilding, we truly value both objective and subjective
results. How you feel every day is as valuable, if not more valuable than what the numbers on the
scale or in your training say. We might even go as far as saying that how you feel and your vitality
each day is even more important than what your lab tests say about your health.
But we are also very big proponents of having objective data that you track. Some days you won’t
feel amazing, and at those times it is useful to have objective data that confirms you are on the right
track or need to change course. Our final recommendation during this challenge is to track your body
measurements in some form from start to finish. Choose a method that feels supportive and commit
to daily or weekly check-ins.
1. Weigh In - Beginning, then daily or weekly, and end
2. Photographs - Beginning, then weekly, and end
3. Body Composition - Beginning and end
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Why is protein important?
Before we dive deeper, you might be wondering why protein gets so much attention when it comes to
diet advice. There are a myriad of reasons why protein is valuable for health and weight management
from a physiological perspective. But I’d like to add another perspective about protein, and that comes
through the lens of looking at our food industry.
The overwhelming majority of quick and convenient food options in our modern world come in the
form of carbohydrates and fat, usually in combination with one another. With the exception of some
specialty markets and health food stores, there are very few quick and convenient protein options
that are marketed well and sold to consumers. You can grab sugar and processed vegetable oils at
every turn of the aisle (chips, crackers, bagged snacks, etc). So a conversation about the importance
of protein is necessary to help bring balance back into the equation.
We are bombarded by easy to consume, hyper palatable (CRACK LIKE DELICIOUSNESS), carbs and
fat. One more thing of note is that there are almost ZERO natural sources of food that combine FAT
and CARBS in the natural world. With the exception of milk (carb, fat, and protein) almost all other
foods come in the form of carb, carb/protein, protein/fat, or fat. The modern food system has us
eating pretty backwards, and our practical protein review will get you refocused on eating your P!
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3 Reasons why everyone should start
with protein...
1. Protein Can Increase Your Metabolism (“Calories Out”)
Digesting and metabolizing protein burns calories. This isn’t going to make up a massive amount of your
daily calories, but the simple act of digesting protein will require some caloric burn. When compared
to fat and carbs, an increase in protein consumption can account for anywhere from 100-300+ extra
calories burned a day just from choosing protein over the other two macros.
2. Protein Reduces Appetite, Cuts Cravings and Reduces Desire for Late-
Night Snacking
If you’ve ever had a late night craving hit (and if you are a human you most certainly have) then you
know they are just about impossible to resist. So your best defense against them is to try and control
them from ever happening. One of the best tools for this is adequate protein consumption, particularly
in the early part of the day. Set yourself up for a winning evening by getting your protein in early!
3. Protein Increases Muscle Mass, Helps Prevent Muscle Loss, and Supports
Soft Tissue Recovery.
Food and nutrition isn’t just about losing weight, despite what the media wants you to think. Don’t
get fooled into thinking less is more. In fact, one thing I coach is that by eating more high quality food
you will have more energy to move your body, train, and live a vital life. This includes building quality
muscle tissue, which is proven to increase your health span, metabolism, and quality of life. So use
protein as a tool to keep that tissue healthy, recovering quickly, and pain free.
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How Much Protein to Eat?
The right amount of protein for your needs may seem surprisingly large if you haven’t sat down to
calculate it before. First, let’s cover two ways to arrive at a number - one more simple, and one more
detailed. If you aren’t sure where to start, pick the simple one - you can always come back to refine later.
Then we’ll look at some common questions that might come up once you have your number in mind.
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Method 1
( S i m p l e) - 3 0 % o f To tal Daily Calorie s
Your total energy consumption each day is a great guide to help you start allocating your macronutrient numbers like
protein. I encourage this approach from the standpoint of getting in a balanced diet of whole foods. By following this
approach, you leave 70% of your calories to be derived from the other two macronutrients, carbs and fat. So every
meal and plate of food you eat will have an equal distribution of energy from all three macronutrients.
If you consume protein far in excess of the 30% number, your plates of food may quickly start to look very biased or
skewed. If you push the 30% number to 40 or 50%, you might be starting at a plate of eggs whites and chicken breast
3x a day. That won’t line up with what most people enjoy eating for sustainability and the long term.
Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is a calculation using two numbers:
1. How many calories you burn at rest, simply existing with your body performing its basic functions, or your Basal
Metabolic Rate (BMR).
2. A multiplier based on your average daily activity - including not just exercise (or lack thereof) but how much
you’re on your feet and moving around through the entirety of your waking hours. If you’re sedentary, your TDEE
won’t be too much higher than your BMR, because you won’t burn as much energy throughout the day as another
person who trains for an hour, then works a job that has them on their feet all day.
As you can imagine, your TDEE will be a ballpark - not necessarily a magic number that is perfectly precise. If you
overestimate your activity level (a common mistake), your number can be a little too high - but that’s ok. You can
always come back and recalculate your number if something is off, or make small adjustments in 100-200 calorie
increments as needed.
How to calculate your Daily Calorie needs:
Use the FBB Macro Calculator and plug in your information. The maintenance number the calculator will provide is
your current total daily calorie expenditure. From there, take 30% of that number and divide it by 4 - that’s the total
grams of protein to consume each day (there are about 4 calories in a gram of protein).
1. Burn 1500 cals/day - eat 115grams protein/day

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Method 2
D e ta i l e d & B o dyweight / Go a l D riven
This method uses the same principles as above, but dials in your protein number a little further based on your specific
goals. The FBB Macro Calculator has a field that will calculate this for you, but here’s a breakdown of how
it works:
Low Protein - Bodyweight in lbs x .65
Best for individuals with larger amounts of body fat to lose. With a higher relative bodyweight, this multiplier will
still ensure you are getting adequate protein and plenty to see body improvements. As you drop body fat you might
consider increasing to Moderate Protein.
Moderate Protein - Bodyweight in lbs x .875
Good for active individuals who are aiming for recomposition or fat loss that isn’t more than 15-20lbs. As you lean out
even further you could consider increasing to High Protein.
High Protein - Bodyweight in lbs x 1
This is where we start individuals that have training experience and lift 5x per week and aren’t trying to lose a ton of
weight, but want to keep muscle mass and perform.
Heavy Protein Bodyweight in lbs x 1.1
This is for highly active individuals that are already lean, burn a lot of calories, and/or want to gain muscle. If you are
performing at a high level with lots of resistance training in your schedule, then this can also be a good place to sit.
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FAQ
About Protein Consumption
You have your daily number of protein grams to shoot

for - but this may bring up some questions before you’re
ready to commit to eating this amount for 30 days or
more. Here are some of the most frequent questions
we get about protein consumption. If you don’t see you
question here, send it our way via our website or post it
in the FBB Facebook Group.
Common FAQs
Can you eat too much protein overall?
It is possible to eat too much protein. But don’t stress

if you hit the BBQ hard last night. This isn’t a day-to-day
situation. If you ate two entire rotisserie chickens from
Costco yesterday and sent your daily protein intake up to
350 grams in a single day, you are going to be just fine.
You want to think about this over the course of many

weeks or months. The upper limit I would stick to is 40%
of your total calories from protein. If you are getting 45-
50% of your calories from protein every day for extended
periods, you may be stressing your organs and digestive
system to a point of negative consequences.
Bodybuilders in extreme weight cuts will sometimes

be in this range, but for only a couple to a few weeks.
Immediately following a show they would return back to
a lower overall calorie % of protein calories.
The likelihood of you overdoing it is very low. Following

the recommended amounts we have provided leaves you
inside the safe zone.
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Is there a limit to how much I should eat in one sitting?
No. For years you have likely heard that there is an upper limit to how much protein you can consume in a sitting. Any
more than 30-50grams and you just pee out amino acids. This just doesn’t add up. If this were physiologically true,
then our hunter gatherer ancestors would have been in a pretty bad pickle.
Imagine that you finally have a successful hunt after three days of fasting. You have an entire beast in front of you to
eat and you need to be mindful that you don’t have preservation methods to store the parts you don’t eat now in the
fridge for later. It’s now or never. You take five bites of leg meat and suddenly pause. The other hunters with you ask,
“why are you stopping?” Your response: “I just can’t digest more than five bites, my intestines can’t handle it.” Let’s
just say in the age of Survival of the Fittest, you’d be well on your way out of the evolutionary line. Make way for the
other humans that can digest more than you!
You will see below that there are recommendations for how to spread the protein throughout the day, but if you
arrive at dinner time and need to make up about 80 grams of protein in a single sitting, you won’t mess things up if
you decide to eat the whole 16oz steak.
How Should I Space Protein Throughout the Day?
One of the best pieces of advice I have for you when it comes to nutrition is to only take on habits that are repeatable.
Start with things that are simple so that you can confidently replicate them over and over.
With protein, the simplest way to space protein is evenly at all your meals. If you decide you would like to have 4 meals
a day, or 3 meals a day, then just divide your total requirement amongst that number of meals. This allows you to look
at all meals through the same lens. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner can all look the same. You will start to recognize what
a plate of food that has adequate protein looks like, and it can be a meal for any time of day. Steak and broccoli for
breakfast? You bet. Eggs and bacon and potatoes for dinner? No problem.
We’ll show you plenty of ways to eat more protein and build a plate of food, but for now keep in mind that spacing
protein evenly will help make it easier to get all your protein in, and help keep your energy up and cravings down
throughout the day.
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Should I eat protein snacks?
I’ll be honest with you. I’m NOT a fan of snacking at all. I believe we should eat meals at consistent intervals each day,
and they should be large enough to get us to the next meal. If you feel the need to snack then I encourage you to
increase the size of your meals.
With that being said, if you do find yourself hungry between meals, then there is value in making your snack a protein-
rich food. One of the pitfalls of snack foods is that they are typically full of carbs and or fat. From a satiety standpoint,
this isn’t the ideal combination to hold you over to the next meal. Furthermore, eating low-protein snacks might lead
you down a path of indulging in more calories than you need.
I would therefore encourage any snacks you have to be based around protein just like your meals.
Should I eat protein right after training?
Eating after training is valuable. This can occur anywhere within an hour of training and you don’t need to stress out
about missing the “window of gains” that falls within 15mins after you finish your workout.
If you can, I do recommend planning your day so that when you complete your training session you have a meal
scheduled. Some of you can’t do this for practical reasons, or because your fasting schedule of choice doesn’t align
with your training schedule. If you fall into that category, just own that choice and don’t stress about it. There is value
to eating a bolus of protein after training, as it will help activate some anabolic pathways in the muscle tissue, but if
you value the benefits you experience from fasting more, then you can make that choice.
Should the amount change if I want to gain, lean, or maintain?
The foundation of all weight gain, weight loss, and weight maintenance, is the balance of caloric intake vs caloric
expenditure.
Maintain Weight: Calories In = Calories Out
Lose Weight: Calories In < Calories Out
Gain Weight: Calories In > Calories Out
The amount of protein we consume can impact our caloric consumption and caloric expenditure in a number of ways:
Caloric Consumption - Protein is satiating and can therefore reduce appetite and indirectly reduce caloric
intake. Protein can also reduce cravings for foods that are high in calories, and therefore indirectly reduce caloric intake.
Caloric Expenditure - Increased protein intake can cause you to burn slightly more calories as a result of the
thermic effect of food.
Should you change your protein amount based on your goals? In most cases, the answer is NO. The vast majority of
individuals are looking to maintain a healthy weight or lose weight. In both of these circumstances, having a higher
protein intake is advantageous for the reasons stated above.
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Should vegans and vegetarians have different goals?
There is no question that attempting to eat higher protein on a vegan or vegetarian diet will be more challenging.
The exclusion of animal flesh and meat, one of the richest sources of protein and amino acids we have access to, will
make getting adequate protein each day more challenging, but not impossible. There are plenty of examples of how
you can get to a full amount of daily protein on a vegan or vegetarian diet.
If you are vegan and exclude all animal products, then you might want to opt for the LOW PROTEIN option listed
above at .65grams/lb of bodyweight. You are welcome to try one of the higher protein options; however, you will
likely need to supplement with a lot of processed powders, and in an effort to consume that amount of protein from
plant foods only you will be getting a lot of carbohydrates too.
If on the other hand, you are a vegetarian that eats dairy, eggs, or even some fish, then you might find it totally
manageable to use the higher protein levels.
Are there cancer risks to eating high protein, or effects on longevity? Should I limit
red meat?
Longevity is a guiding principle behind the advice and guidance we provide at Functional Bodybuilding. In addition
to longevity, we value a life that feels vital and energetic. We want you to live for many decades to come, and all the
while be able to do the things you love. The last thing I want for anyone is added decades of life in which you are
sedentary, limited, and unfulfilled.
Connected to protein, how should you be considering longevity and cancer risk? What about all you’ve been told
about red meat and it’s connections to cancer/heart disease/etc?
The above protein recommendations are well within any upper limits that would be hazardous to your health. Eating
protein along with an active lifestyle supports increased fitness, muscle mass, and functional strength. These are great
predictors of longevity and quality of life.
Our recommendations will include suggestions on how to get protein from a variety of sources. You don’t have to
eat red meat if you don’t want to. After my extensive research on the topic, I’m very comfortable and confident to
include red meat in my diet, but I encourage you to do your own investigating. It is beyond the scope of this guide
to dispel the myths of red meat, but the resources out there are plentiful.
If you follow the recommendations above, then it is likely that your protein consumption is going to make up 30%
or less of your total calories and diet. This leaves a tremendous amount of room for you to consume the other 70%
of your diet in alignment with your beliefs about increasing longevity and reducing the risk of disease. The control is
ultimately with you - and getting more protein each day has far more proven benefits than reported drawbacks in
the way of longevity and health promotion.
Do you need more if you’re pregnant or nursing?
When you are pregnant and nursing your caloric demands do increase. There are countless resources on the internet
to give you a general guide as to how much that increase is at various points in the lactation or pregnancy journey.
Your doctor can also guide you on this.
So long as you remain mindful of your true energy/calorie demands while you are pregnant or nursing, then plugging
that information into our protein calculators will keep you in safe and supportive ranges.
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How to Track Your Protein Intake
If you’re already familiar with tracking your macros, making sure you hit your number each day will
be straightforward. But if you’ve never tracked macros before or find doing so to be too much of an
obstacle, don’t worry. We’ll lay out several methods that will work just fine so you can choose the
one that fits your lifestyle best, or adjust if you need to.
Method 1: Just Eat Protein at Every Meal
Ideally, this guide will help you at least get close to your target protein number each day. But if all
else fails, don’t give up and fall into the all or nothing trap. It’s always better to take a simple step
than none at all, and build up once you reach more confidence and consistency. So try to eat 3 meals
a day with protein as a priority on the plate. That means put down the breakfast bar and scramble
some eggs, and make protein the star on your plate at every meal. If you look at your plate and it’s
not immediately obvious where the protein source is, try to start putting it front and center.
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Method 2: Palm Method
“Ugh, no way am I going to track macros.” No problem - this guide is all about practical ways to get
your protein, and tracking isn’t practical for everyone. It won’t be quite as accurate, but using the palm
method to estimate your protein will help you prioritize protein on your plate - and for the purposes
of getting enough for your needs in a focused period of time, will absolutely help you get there.
Use your hand as a guide to estimate - a palm size serving of chicken, fish, steak, etc. is approximately
30grams of protein. If you need 120grams of protein in a day that will equate to 4 palm-size portions
of meat. Over time, this will also help you gain a closer understanding of what your protein needs
actually look like on a plate in many different iterations.
Method 3: Eyeball Method (for experienced macro trackers)
If you’ve tracked macronutrients before, you probably have a pretty good idea of how much protein
is in a burger patty or piece of fish. If you’re confident with these amounts, go ahead and eyeball it
if you know tracking your intake is not realistic right now. However, I would highly encourage you to
recalibrate every so often - it’s easy to change our definition of “one tablespoon of almond butter”
over time until we’re eating a quarter of a jar in one go! Tracking accurately for a few days will help
get your numbers back where they should be.
If you’re already familiar with tracking your macros, making sure you hit your number each day will
be straightforward. But if you’ve never tracked macros before or find doing so to be too much of an
obstacle, don’t worry. We’ll lay out several methods that will work just fine so you can choose the
one that fits your lifestyle best, or adjust if you need to.
Method 4: Track Only Protein in an App
Perhaps tracking every morsel of food you eat isn’t realistic for you now, but you are willing to weigh
and measure your protein sources. You can make tracking a little easier by ignoring calories and trying
to hit all of your target macronutrient numbers each day. Just track your protein the best you can
to make sure you hit that number, and build your foundational nutrition focus. You can always build
complexity later.
If you use this method, keep in mind that many foods contain protein, even if you think of them as
primarily a fat or carbohydrate source. (Did you know there are about 4 grams of protein in a stalk of
broccoli?) So it may actually be easier to hit your target number if you track all your macronutrients,
but it’s up to you.
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Method 5: Track All of Your Food in an App
Tracking all of your macronutrients each day is an eye-opening exercise that will teach you a lot about
food if you haven’t done it before. Actually seeing what 30, 50, or 100 grams of protein looks like on
a plate in lots of different forms will give you a great reference, and may significantly change how
you currently approach food. For example, a whole chicken breast for lunch is a lot different than a
sandwich with a couple thin deli slices on it.
You’ll get a good understanding of the macronutrients in everything you eat, as well as feel the effects
on your body of eating the right amount for your needs. So I encourage you to track everything you eat
(including cooking oils) for several weeks or more, until you have a good general sense of your protein
needs to build a frame of reference. Balancing your other macronutrients and aiming for consistent
calorie intake will also help create rhythm and keep your energy even throughout the day, which can
boost the effects of a focused period of tracking.
Two apps to help you track your food:
1. MyFitnessPal
2. Cronometer
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Improving Accuracy
Despite your best intentions, the numbers aren’t always accurate when it comes to tracking macros. The macros
in food entries on apps don’t always match what’s on the label. So here are a few tips to help improve accuracy:
1. If your app has a label feature, scan labels directly whenever you can and then save your favorites rather than
searching for foods in the database. You might also want to quickly compare a couple of listings of the same
food to make sure the numbers look right.
2. When searching for foods to input into your meals, always try to find one that allows you to input grams for
serving sizes. This will allow you to weigh much more accurately.
3. Volume measurements like 1/2 Cup or 3 Tbsp can lead to inaccuracies. When reading ingredient labels and
inputting foods into MyFitnessPal, you will often see that TBSP is also accompanied in parenthesis with a gram
equivalent. Example 1 Tbsp Butter = 14 grams.
4. Cooked vs Uncooked Weighing - All food will lose water as it cooks. Cooking to different levels of doneness will
impact the final weight of the food, but will not impact the total calories/macros in an equal manner. Therefore,
weighing pre-cooked weights on all foods is advised.
5. Consistency in measurement techniques is MOST important. 10oz of cooked chicken vs 10oz of raw chicken will
yield different total calories and macros. However, if you always use the same method, then over time you will
learn what amounts (either cooked or uncooked) support your goals and you can adjust.
With that said, don’t sweat the numbers too much - overall, the goal is to try to get enough protein consistently
each day rather than hit 100% scientific accuracy on all your macros.
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Tips for Better Digestion
Chew Thoroughly
Protein is more difficult to digest than carbs and fat. It requires more enzymatic action by your body,
and will require more energy to break down (bonus calories burned). Set yourself up for good digestion
by chewing your protein very thoroughly. In addition, some individuals that are highly stressed may
have issues producing the necessary amounts of stomach acids to properly break down their protein.
Supplementation with HCL and Pepsin for the purposes of aiding in protein breakdown might be useful.
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Rotate Proteins
Some foods are more allergenic than others, meaning they can lead to allergies in a higher percentage
of people than other foods. One way of combating the build-up of allergic reactions to foods is to have
more variety and rotate foods in your diet. This is useful with proteins. Allergies can be very subtle
and show up as poor digestion and nutrient absorption. This has downstream consequences where
you don’t feel your best and you struggle with appetite control and energy. So try to get a variety of
proteins in your diet weekly.
Elimination Dieting
If you are experiencing digestive distress with meals then you want to investigate what is happening.
I encourage you to start removing common offenders and see if you can get to the bottom of what
is bothering you. Keep a food journal of your symptoms and what you ate prior to experiencing them
to see if you can find a pattern. Simplifying your meals to 5 ingredients or fewer will also help you get
to the bottom of sensitivities.
Common Offensive Foods - toxic and difficult to digest
• Grains - all types
• Nuts, Seeds, Legumes - all types
• Nightshade Vegetables (Tomatoes, peppers, potatoes)
• Cruciferous Vegetables (Broccoli Cauliflower)
• Mushrooms
• Leafy Greens
Check Protein Quality
If you are buying cheap protein from conventionally farmed sources then there could be an issue with
the fatty acid content of your meat that is making digestion suffer. Try a food journal and/or upgrading
the quality of that particular source to see if it resolves the issue.
Don’t Rush Meals
Digestion issues and stress often go hand in hand. In addition to chewing thoroughly, try to sit down
for all your meals and consciously take a few deep breaths and relax before eating. Put the screens
away and make your meal times a window in the day to recharge yourself before your next activity.
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What Do I Eat?
The Functional Bodybuilding approach is to emphasize quality as much as possible. The quality of
your movement is important to maintain great form, help prevent injury, and get the most possible
out of every exercise - and food quality is no different. Your ability to get quality protein may vary
based on your budget and other practicalities, but it’s important to note that food quality will make
an enormous impact on energy, body composition, and health.
This section provides an overview of how to identify and choose quality protein; then you can dive
into the Recipes and Meals section for more specifics.
Animals Vs. Plants
Not all protein is created equal. The first and most dramatic difference is when we compare protein
from animal and plant-based sources. Animal protein is superior biologically in just about every way
when we look at the benefits of consuming amino acids from our food. These building blocks of protein
can’t be produced by your body alone - they need to be taken in through diet, and they help us with
vital functions. Building muscle, producing energy, regulating appetite, sleep, and mood, and helping
your immune system are just a few of the important jobs of amino acids.
Animal Protein
• Contain the highest density of amino acids
• Usually accompanied by some amount of fat, or in very lean cases you can find animal sources
that are just protein without any carbs or fat.
• Very few animal protein sources are accompanied by carbohydrates outside of dairy
Plant Protein
• Contain a lower density of Amino Acids
• Almost always accompanied by carbohydrates
• Often accompanied by digestive irritants and inflammatory proteins
Your view on eating animals and animal products is likely informed by many factors, and we are here
to support good health and nutrition across diverse religious, cultural, and personal beliefs. But if your
views on eating animals are tied to outdated health information painting meat as “bad for you,” it’s
time to rethink this messaging and we encourage you to give the research a fresh look.
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For Vegans and Vegetarians
Attempting to eat higher protein on a vegan or vegetarian diet will be more challenging when compared
to those who eat meat. By excluding animal flesh and meat, you are choosing to exclude some of the
richest sources of protein and amino acids we have access to. This will make getting adequate protein
each day more challenging, but not impossible.
There are plenty of examples of how you can get to a full amount of daily protein on a vegan or
vegetarian diet.
Which category do you fall under?
• Vegan - All animal products are excluded.
• Vegetarian
◊ Lacto-vegetarian diets exclude meat, fish, poultry and eggs, as well as foods that contain
them, but allow for dairy.
◊ Ovo-vegetarian diets exclude meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy products, but allow eggs.
◊ Lacto-Ovo vegetarian diets exclude meat, fish and poultry, but allow dairy products and eggs.
As you move down the list above there are more options for getting protein from food in dense
sources. Eggs and dairy can provide a large amount of protein without as many accompanying
carbohydrates. Vegan sources of protein will always be accompanied by carbohydrates, and in order
to get a large quantity of protein in a single serving, you will need to ingest a lot of plant matter and
carbohydrates with it.
If you are vegan and exclude all animal products then you might want to opt for the Low Protein option
when you determine your target daily amount: .65grams/lb of bodyweight. You are welcome to try
one of the higher protein options; however, you will likely need to supplement with a lot of processed
powders and in an effort to consume that amount of protein from plant foods only you will be getting
a lot of carbohydrates too.
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If on the other hand, you are a vegetarian that eats dairy, eggs, or even some fish, then you might find
it totally manageable to use the higher protein levels.
Is extra supplementation needed?
It all comes down to AMINO ACID density. Plant sources of amino acids are not very dense. So if you
want to get 100 grams of protein each day, that is going to come with a significant amount of carbs. This
might push you over your caloric needs for the day or it could simple just be a lot of food to consume.
You may find supplementing to be necessary if you want to hit higher protein goals without consuming
animal protein. This could come in the form of plant based protein powders like hemp or pea protein.
Vegan and vegetarian protein sources:
• Lentils
• Tofu
• Quinoa
• Hemp Seeds
• Chia Seeds
• Nutritional Yeast
• Peanut Butter or Peanut Butter Powder
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Choosing Quality Protein
The quality of a protein source can dictate how many toxins it carries, the concentration of micronutrients,
and the quality of the fat or carbohydrates that accompany the protein. Whenever possible, we should
be trying to source proteins that are.
• Organic
• Grass-Fed & Grass-Finished
• Wild Caught
• Local
See the Resources section of this guide for recommendations on where to shop for high quality protein
delivered to your door.
Fake meats, protein powders, and bars
We have been marketed products like fake meats, protein powders, and protein bars all on the
pretense that;
• Animal protein is not healthy
• Protein is too hard to consume from food so you need supplemental protein
• Protein isn’t convenient and you therefore need quick and easy sources like bars
One of our missions with FBB PRACTICAL PROTEIN is to show you that getting more protein can be
easier than you think. Ultimately, if we dispel the above myths about protein, then we won’t be tempted
to feed into the marketing that we need fake meats, protein powders, and protein bars to thrive.
Protein powders and protein bars might serve as a stepping stone for some that are looking to
dramatically change their consumption of protein. At first it can be hard to build up the tools to get
your required amounts from real food. Using a protein powder or protein bar to help you progress
your protein consumption.
However, our ultimate goal is to get you eating all your protein from real food that has been minimally
processed.
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Lean Meat and Fatty Meat
The debate about lean vs fatty meat stems largely from the misinformation out there around eating fat
as an unhealthy practice. The consumption of fat from animal sources has been incorrectly vilified for
decades. From a health perspective, there are benefits to getting animal fats from our protein sources.
Additionally, choosing between lean vs fatty meats is informed by a desire to keep calories lower.
The long-standing assumption is that since many people over eat on calories, then choosing lower-
calorie foods will help us maintain better body weight. Leaner meats have less fat and therefore fewer
calories by weight. One of the challenges here is that when we eat protein with less fat, people can
often find themselves less satiated. Therefore, they end up consuming more calories since they don’t
seem to feel satiated from their meals. There are also vital micronutrients that require some fat to be
absorbed by the body.
At the end of the day here is what you need to know:
• Fatty meats have been incorrectly vilified as the number 1 offender in heart disease.
• Fatty meats do have more calories than lean meats, but that isn’t always a bad thing. We need
those fats for many healthy and normal human functions.
• Getting a balance of lean and fatty meats is probably a good idea. When we eat very lean meats,
it is probably a good idea to supplement with some amount of fat in your meal to ensure you
feel satiated.
• Listen to your body on this. You may find that when you eat chicken breast you feel energetic,
light, and focused. Others of you may eat chicken breast and feel hungry, irritable, and distracted.
There isn’t one universal protein source that makes everyone feel terrific. So pay attention to
whether lean or fatty cuts make you feel the best.
Fish and mercury
Fish can be a terrific source of protein and fatty acids. However, one of the challenges with fish is that
our modern-day waters are highly polluted. Therefore, fish tend to accumulate toxins, and when we
eat them we can be ingesting a lot of bad stuff.
Mercury is one of the contaminants that get a lot of attention when it comes to fish. One way to think
about mercury, and other contaminants, is the bigger the fish, the longer it has been alive, and the
more mercury or other toxins it has accumulated. These larger fish examples are on the list of highest
mercury content.
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These fish below are on the list of fish to avoid.
• Bigeye tuna
• King mackerel
• Marlin
• Orange roughy
• Shark
• Swordfish
• Tilefish (Gulf of Mexico)
The following fish are on lists as being safe to eat 2-3x per week
• Anchovies • Hake • Shrimp
• Atlantic croaker • Herring • Skate
• Atlantic and Pacific chub mackerels • American spiny lobster • Smelt
• Black sea bass • Mullet • Sole
• Butterfish • Oyster • Squid (calamari)
• Catfish • Perch • Tilapia
• Clams • Pickerel • Tuna (canned light, skipjack)
• Cod • Plaice • Whitefish
• Crab • Pollock • Whiting
• Crawfish • Salmon
• Flounder • Sardines
• Freshwater trout • Scallops
• Haddock • Shad
It can be scary to think about fish consumption and the possible contaminants that come along with
it. If you find yourself wanting to increase your knowledge, check our resources like this one https://
www.nrdc.org/stories/smart-seafood-buying-guide
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Overcoming Common Obstacles
If you have been under-eating protein and are now making a focused effort to get more in, it won’t
happen without intentionally changing your approach. This section will give practical ways to overcome
the most common obstacles that come up when trying to get more protein.
Can’t Eat a Lot of Protein in One Sitting
It’s easier to consume all your protein for the day when you split it evenly into 3 or 4 meals - and make
protein a priority on every plate of food you eat. You might think you’re a person who can only eat
“breakfast foods” for breakfast, but your palate can indeed be trained out of expecting a muffin at
7am. I often say that your stomach doesn’t know what time it is - so having what you might normally
eat for lunch or dinner early in the day is a great way to get more protein in. And you may get quickly
hooked on the feeling of starting your day with a boost to your satiety and energy balance in the
form of a full protein serving.
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But if you find it hard to wrap your mind around dinner for breakfast, there are still plenty of great
breakfast protein items to choose from - you can find recipes and more ideas in the Meals section.
• Steak and eggs
• Filly Frittata
• Cottage cheese
• Bacon
• Turkey or chicken breakfast patties (make your own)
• Smoked salmon
Experiment to see what type of protein agrees with you the most in the morning - you might prefer
to start with lean protein like salmon or turkey, or find that a fattier cut of meat has you feeling great.
Making Last Minute Choices
Quick - what’s for dinner? If you don’t know and it’s late in the day, your chances of protein success are
waning. But don’t worry - if you’re not in the habit of planning and prepping ahead, aim for keeping
some quick-cooking staples always on hand in your fridge, freezer, or pantry. A package of ground
turkey, ground beef, or bison cooks up fast even if you need to defrost it first. Refer to the quick prep
and pantry ideas below for more ideas.
Gradually though, it will help to plan further and further ahead so if you know you’ll be out all day, you
have something ready to go for a cooler in your car. If you know you’ll be eating at a restaurant later,
have a look at the menu and make a game plan. Start by looking ahead to the next meal and knowing
your protein plan, then extend that out until you can begin each day ready for what’s to come. It’s
an amazing feeling to start the day with all of your meals ready to heat up and eat, knowing with full
confidence you’ll be meeting your goals.
How to Prep in Bulk
Having bulk prepped protein is a staple in our household. Everyone seems fine with having bulk carbs
and fats in their kitchen, so why not do the same with protein? You can refer to the emergency protein
lists below to find options that don’t require any prep on your part and will provide easy to access
protein in your kitchen, but if you want to upgrade your food quality and connection to your food, it
can be just as easy to prepare your proteins in bulk yourself.
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When you think of bulk meal prep, it might conjure a vision of spending an entire day or half day in
the kitchen - and if you don’t love to cook or don’t have the time, relying on meal prep to happen
each week can get you into a tough spot.
Fortunately, there are ways to make prepping many servings of protein in one go super quick and
easy. Here are a few YouTube videos where I show you how to make a lot of protein in a little time to
give you some ideas to get started.
https://youtu.be/4Orvj3TE5pM
https://youtu.be/eYK_5ZGFsMw
https://youtu.be/6vn4bhbMLjk
One key that generally works very well is to first get what you need into the house (whether you make
a shopping trip or have a monthly meat box delivered). Next, start with a tidy kitchen and use several
methods all at once. You could make burger patties on the stove in a pan, roast a chicken in the oven,
and break down a cut of meat in a crock pot or Instant Pot. Stack your storage containers, fill them
up, and you can be done in an hour or less and have most of the building blocks for your meals ready.
Example - This can be done in 20-30mins 1-2 mornings a week and will
provide food for several days.
1. Take 1lb of ground beef and roll out 4 equal size burger patties. Cook these with salt and pepper
on the stove in some avocado oil
2. Place a 1-2lb pork roast in your slow cooker with 1 cup of chicken broth and 1-2 chopped veggies
of your choice - cook on low for 6-8hours
3. Add 12 Eggs to a boiling water. Let boil for 10mins and then immediately place in cold water.
With all this you will have 4 burgers, 12 hard boiled eggs, and a pork roast that will be ready for dinner
with plenty of leftovers. Do this on Monday and Thursday and you will likely have enough protein to
last for 3 days.
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How to Quick Prep in 20 Minutes or Less
Getting comfortable with fast-cooking protein sources will help you overcome a lot of hurdles in
getting enough protein in. When it gets late in the day, you could order in or go get delivery....But if
you have a package of turkey in the fridge and you know you can cook it up in about 10 minutes with
confidence, the choice becomes easy.
Easy ways to cook protein in 10-15 minutes or less:
In a pan on the stove:
• Any ground meat (chicken, beef, bison, turkey, pork)
PRO TIP - choose a large pan and spread the ground meat out over as much surface area as possible,
it will cook very quickly. Add a dash of your favorite seasoning. Scallops, fish, turkey burgers, beef
burgers, bison burgers, steak, eggs, chicken breast or thighs, bacon
• White fish, scallops, shrimp - all these cook extremely quickly on the stove. Put down some butter
in the pan and keep the heat medium. These will be done in no time.
In the air fryer:
• 6-8 Strips of bacon (10-12mins on High)
• Applegate Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets (fully cooked and just need 5-8mins to get heated through)
• Applegate No Sugar Pork Breakfast Sausages (fully cooked and just need 5-8mins to get heated
through)
On the Grill (preheated will add about 5min) - turn on high
• Sausages - buy these from the butcher counter at your local store
• Burger patties - you can form these yourself or also buy from the butcher counter at your local store
• Marinated boneless and skinless chicken thighs - have 1-2lbs of boneless chicken thighs marinating
in a bag in your refrigerator. Pull out 1-2 pieces of chicken thighs to toss on the grill or in a pan
for dinner.
◊ 1/4 Tamari or Soy Sauce
◊ 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
◊ 1/8 Cup Avocado Oil
◊ 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
◊ 1 tsp Black Pepper
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No Prep Emergency Fridge or
Pantry Protein
Think of these as your last line of defense when you’ve missed other opportunities to prepare protein.
When life gets hectic, these will allow you to make protein the center star of your meal at any time
with no effort. Choose one of these in the list below, add a piece of fruit, a couple of carrots, and a
small handful of nuts and you have yourself a NOT SO SEXY, but fully nourishing meal.
• Canned Tuna or Salmon
• Zero Sugar Jerky
• Hard-Boiled Eggs
• Sliced Deli Meats
• Egg Bites
• Smoked Salmon
• Cottage Cheese
• Greek Yogurt
• Fully Cooked Store-Bought Beef Brisket or Other Meat
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All About Protein Powders
Whenever possible, get your protein from fresh meat, dairy, or sources you can cook and prepare
for yourself. If you get in the habit of shopping and preparing your own food, you may not need any
protein powder at all. But it can be helpful if you need a bridge to get accustomed to eating your
full amount each day, if you are vegan and vegetarian and need more options, or in a pinch when
you’re away from home or short on time or prep. If the choice is between using a protein powder or
consuming another processed snack of carbs and fats, protein powder wins every time.
What to look for in a protein powder:
• Natural Sweeteners - while they are not perfect, I would prefer that you find protein that is sweetened
with stevia or monk fruit. Avoid those sweetened with sucralose or other artificial sweeteners.
• No added sugars - your protein powder shouldn’t have Fructose, Glucose, Dextrose, Maltodextrin,
or any other sugar in the ingredient list.
• Animal Sources - search for whey protein or collagen from grass fed cows
• Plant Sources - make sure the plant sources are organic
A couple recommendations to start with:
• Clean Grass Fed Whey Protein Options
*KION
*MOMENTOUS
• Clean Collagen Peptides
*MOMENTOUS
*VITAL PROTEINS
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Getting Protein On the Road
When you’re traveling or will be out and about all day, it’s tempting to take the easy road and eat
whatever’s convenient. But with just a little bit of planning, you can still hit your daily protein with
these grab and go options:
• Protein shaker bottle and 1-2 Servings of clean powdered protein (listed above)
• Portable protein from home
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Egg Bites
Pre-cooked protein in Ziplock bags (Chicken Breast, Sliced Steak)
Sliced deli meats
Smoked salmon
• PRO TIP - if you are on the road for a 2-5 hours you can usually pack an entire meal that is stored
in a glass container and bring it with you. It will not spoil in that amount of time and you don’t
need refrigeration. If you are worried it will spoil or get hot, the simply take it from your refrigerator
and place it directly into a small cooler. It will last. We do this for domestic flights and long car
rides all the time.
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Protein At a Restaurant
Here are some ideas on where you can find protein on menus. I always like to stick to steamed, non-
starchy vegetables, salads, and lean proteins. These choices help me avoid low-quality foods since I
don’t know what they are cooking the veggies in and what the quality of the fat inside their meat is.
This keeps the meal relatively low in harmful fats and helps me focus on quality protein.
1. Lean Meats on Menus - you can ask for these to be served with just about any seasonal
vegetable on the menu, or if you want some starch ask for potatoes.
• Filet mignon or New York Strip
• White fish
• Chicken breast
• Pork loin
2. Burgers/Sandwiches - If you are ordering sandwiches or burgers you can request that it
is done protein style. This means:
• No bread
• Extra lettuce on one side as a “bun.”
• Ask for extra veggies
• Double up on cheese or other protein-rich toppings like bacon and egg
3. Salads
• Cobb and Chicken Cesar usually have a healthy amount of protein
• Choose a salad that you love on the menu and ask them to add shrimp, chicken, or steak to the top
• Ask for simple dressing of olive oil and vinegar or have the dressing put on the side if you want
to be in control of how much goes on.
4. Breakfast
• Omelet with Veggies - this is a great way to get in a healthy serving size of protein. Add in some
meat and cheese for added protein to your omelet
• Steak and Eggs - this is a dish that often gets skipped over
• Scrambled or Fried Eggs with grilled, steamed, or sautéed vegetables
• Eggs Benedict (without the English muffin) and add more fresh sliced tomatoes.
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Protein on a Budget
Eating protein can get expensive if you buy from the highest quality sources and you choose very
premium cuts of meat. But even if you buy great quality protein, if you stick to these tips you can get
a significant amount of protein on a budget.
• Eggs - Buy these in bulk when you can. You will get a much better deal on 18 eggs or even a 5
dozen crate. They won’t go bad.
• Canned Tuna - Look for tuna that is packed in spring water.
• Plain Greek Yogurt & Cottage Cheese - I encourage you to buy full fat yogurt or 2%. Some fat
is helpful for digestion and satiety.
• Sardines - Great source of protein and Omega 3 fatty acids.
• Ground Meat (Beef, Turkey, Chicken) - The leaner you buy the more expensive ground meat
typically is. Try to shoot for 85% lean and keep an eye out for deals at your local store.
• Chicken breast & white fish - Because both are very lean and are comprised almost entirely of
protein, both of these have a relatively high concentration of protein per gram of chicken or fish.
That is to say, your money goes a long way in terms of grams of protein purchases.
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Overwhelmed With Planning and Cooking
For those of you who are not accustomed to cooking your own food, I want to encourage you to try.
At a certain point with all things training and health-related, you will need to take matters into your
own hands to empower yourself to get the results that are meaningful for you. In this guide you’ll find
tools and resources to get started that don’t cost a lot of money and will pay off big time. My hope
is you will soon discover that making nutritious, delicious food for yourself is easier than you might
have thought.
If - and when - cooking gets overwhelming, the beauty of the Functional Bodybuilding approach is
that you don’t need to be a master chef or spend a ton of time cooking to get great results. In fact,
you don’t even need a recipe.
Instead of looking at recipes and your meals as fancy composed dishes, just focus on the 5 main
ingredients on your plate that give you energy.
5 Ingredient Meal Guide
• Protein - beef, pork, chicken, fish
• Vegetable - spinach, broccoli, onions
• Fruit - berries, orange, apple
• Starch - potato, rice, quinoa
• Fat - butter, olive oil, avocado
Choose a single ingredient from each of the 5 categories (or fewer) and
come them simply or eat them raw on your plate.
• Example - 4oz Steak, apple, spinach with olive oil
• Example - 6oz Chicken Breast, Rice, Butter, carrots
You’ll find more examples in the meal building section, but simple food, seasoned with just salt
and pepper and cooked in olive oil or avocado oil, is all you need. When life gets hectic or you feel
overwhelmed, take your tasks down to the simplest form and take it one meal at a time. You’ve got this!
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Unsupportive Family/Friends, or Eating
Different Things Than Those You Live With
It is important to note that this challenge is built around the addition of nourishing protein and not
around the exclusion of anything. We aren’t here to tell you to stop eating foods you love or foods
that are part of your social or familial foundations. The addition of more protein is a powerful way to
help you feel and look better, and will often lead to you making more intentional choices around the
foods you consume.
Food isn’t just food - it’s cultural and emotional, and what and how we eat (and who we eat with) plays
a big role in our identity. When we change our approach to food, others close to us may respond in
negative or surprising ways. They may have concerns and misconceptions around best practices for
health, or they may not understand what you’re doing. Maybe your new behavior around food feels
threatening in some way, or represents a change to a comfortable or beloved routine around food
(“We always used to have pizza on Fridays…”).
I’ve been in the situation many times in my life where I’m “that guy” who shows up with his own glass
tupperware of food - but that may not feel comfortable for you.
Here are a few tips that may help you navigate these situations with your friends and family.
• Be clear with yourself
Chances are if you’re reading this guide, you are interested in changing something about your current
approach to food. Why is that important to you? What hasn’t been working so well, and how do you
hope it could change? Connecting with your reasons for trying something new - even if it doesn’t
work out - can supply you with confidence when you enter into situations where you’re going against
established social norms. The worst times in my life around nutrition were when my friends and family
could sense my hesitation and lack of confidence around what I was doing. As soon as I got clear with
myself, I was more willing to take a stand for it.
• Have honest conversations
You may need buy-in from one or a few people close to you in order to find long term success with
nutrition change. And you can get there much sooner by opening the topic of what you plan to do,
letting your friends or family know why it’s important to you, anticipating objections you may already
be able to foresee, and inviting conversation and questions.
• Here’s a sample script:
I know you are aware that I’ve been working hard in the gym and that putting on some muscle is
important to me. It really boosts my confidence to feel strong and see physical evidence of the time
I put in. I want to try an experiment of focusing on eating enough protein over the next month, at all
my meals, to see how this could help my progress. I know we usually get pizza on Fridays, and I still
want to hang out with you. How about I make some roasted chicken to have with our pizza?
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• Be prepared to be different
Sometimes your friends and family may not understand your choices, and that’s ok. You can still have
control over how you approach each situation. There may be times when a compromise is in order,
like eating at a restaurant but choosing the steak so you can still participate in a celebratory occasion.
There may be times when you can still have spaghetti with your kids, but pile your own plate heavy
with the meatballs. And there may be times when everyone in the room is doing one thing, and you’re
whipping out your Tupperware of chicken. Plan ahead when you can, do your best, and make choices
that align with what feels right to you.
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Resources
Absolute Basics
1. Chef’s knife
2. Stainless pan
3. Sheet pans
4. Meat thermometer
5. Food scale
Optional Add-Ons
• Air Fryer - great for bacon, chicken strips, or accompanying veggies
• Instant Pot - Pressure cooker for meats and stews
• Crock Pot - Break down tough cuts of meat low and slow, or set it and forget it and wake
up to delicious stew
• Grill or Smoker - Personal choice but I do love my Traeger.
• Sous Vide - not a necessity but a fun way to mix up your cooking and get perfectly done meat
or eggs every time
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Protein To Your Door
You may be in the habit of doing all your shopping in person, and getting local meat - especially at
the farmer’s market - is a great way to ask questions, get recommendations, and learn. But if you find
shopping to be an extra obstacle to stocking protein sources in your home, consider one of these
delivery options. If it seems cost prohibitive, compare to the alternatives of going out to eat or getting
takeout, or what the opportunity cost may be to not eat in a way that you desire because you ran
out of protein again. Additionally, buying in bulk can work out to a very reasonable price depending
on what you get.
Delivery options to consider:
• Butcher Box
• White Oak Pastures
• Force of Nature Farms
• Imperfect Foods
• Grocery delivery - Instacart, Safeway, etc.
Protein Staples - Shopping List
1. Meats
• 2-4lbs of Raw Meat
• Grass fed New York Strip Steaks
• Flank Steak
• Chicken Thighs Boneless Skinless
• Chicken Breast Boneless Skinless
• 1lb Bacon
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• High Protein Dairy
• Cottage Cheese
• Greek Yogurt
• Fish
• Canned Sardines
• Canned Tuna
• Cooked & Prepared Meats
• .5-1 pound Sliced Turkey Breast Deli Meat
• .5 pound Uncured Pepperoni
• Applegate Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets (fully cooked)
• Applegate No Sugar Pork Breakfast Sausages (fully cooked)
• Grass Fedd Uncured Beef Hot Dogs (fully cooked)
• Eggs
• 1-2 Dozen Whole Eggs
• 1 Quart Egg Whites
• Pantry Goods
• Zero Sugar Beef Jerky
• Epic Brand Pork Rinds
• Cooking oil such as olive, avocado, coconut
• Food Storage
• Reusable Plastic Bags
• Glass Storage Containers
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Protein Prep Basics
While it’s entirely possible to get all your protein in without cooking a thing, your ability to consistently
succeed will be a lot easier if you are able to make your own food. It’s also more cost-effective, and I
would argue much tastier as you can incorporate all your favorite flavors and experiment with new things.
I get asked often for recipes, and will include some in this ebook - along with guidelines for how
much protein each one will provide. But it’s important to emphasize that you don’t need recipes to
make tasty, nutritious food - really!
Meals can be simple and delicious, even seasoned with only salt, pepper, and a little cooking oil. So
let’s start by covering a few protein prep basics. Once you get some practice with each of these,
building a meal will become much easier.
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1. Marinate and Grill
Marinate your meat for a minimum of 30 mins before cooking, and up to overnight.
Great meats for marinating:
• Chicken thighs, wings, and breast
• Tri tip steak
• Skirt Steak
• Flank Steak
• Pork Loins
Marinade Basics - Choose one item from each of the following categories.
• Some Oil - avocado oil is my preference
• Something Sweet - balsamic vinegar or honey or maple syrup
• Something Sour - lime juice or lemon juice
• Something Salty - tamari (soy sauce), or actual salt
• Something Spicy - paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper
• Other Flavors - cumin, curry powder, garlic, onion powder
In a ziplock bag or large bowl, mix your marinade ingredients. You need about 1 cup of total marinade
for about 2lbs of meat. For proportions, a good rule of thumb is 3 parts oil to 1 part acid (vinegar, lime
juice, etc) - but it doesn’t have to be exact.
Add your meat to the bag or bowl and mix to ensure all meat is coated. Cover and/or zip the bag
tight, then refrigerate for 30mins up to overnight.
Example Marinade:
• 1/8 c avocado oil
• 1/8 c tamari
• ⅛ c balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
BOOM
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Grilling Basics
• Preheat your Grill - get the grill hot before putting food on.
• Most meats that are butchered for single serving can cook well at 350-400 degrees
• If you have a larger cut of meat that will take longer, consider cooking at 300-350 so you don’t
overcook the outside of the meat
• Grilling takes practice, but just pay attention to the meat and continue to turn it until you get the
desired doneness and color on your meat that you like.
2. Ground Meat in a Pan
What Pan? - My preference is cast iron or something with a heavy bottom that will retain heat, but a
stainless steel pan will also work fine.
Preheat the Pan - make sure your pan is at medium or high heat.
Press the meat down - when you introduce the meat to the pan, either using your hands or a spatula,
press the meat down into a thin layer that covers most of the pan. This thin layer will cook much faster
and more of the meat will get browned.
3. Egg Basics - Hard Boiled, Scrambled, or Sunny Side Up
Hard Boiled Eggs - Bring a pot of water to a boil on high. Once the water is boiling, place 5-10 eggs
in the pot and let them boil for 10 full minutes. Once you reach 10 mins, take them out of the hot water
and run them under cold water
Scrambled Eggs - Bring a non-stick pan to medium heat. In a separate bowl whisk together 3-5 eggs
until all the yolks and whites are combined. Add 1 tbsp of cooking fat (beef tallow, butter, or avocado
oil) to the pan. Let it melt and heat up. Add the whisked eggs and with a spatula begin to slowly stir
the eggs. Season with salt and pepper at this point. As they start to cook, continue to stir and let the
eggs come together slowly and evenly. When you reach the desired doneness of your eggs, place
them directly onto your serving plate.
Sunny Side Up - Bring a non-stick pan to medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of cooking fat (beef tallow, butter,
or avocado oil) to the pan. Let it melt and heat up. Crack your eggs directly into the pan. Season with
salt and pepper at this point. Let them cook until the whites have completely cooked through and
the yolks are still yellow and runny. Remove from the heat and place directly onto your serving plate.
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4. CrockPot or Instant Pot Stew
Conceptually these two devices will help you take larger and tougher cuts of meat and help break them
down and make them juicy and tender. The crock pot is a SLOW COOKING vessel while the instant pot
cooks much faster simply because it can increase the PRESSURE in the cooking vessel dramatically.
Both of these are great for making stews. You place meat and a few veggies or potatoes in the pot,
add a little bit of broth of your choice, 1-2 spices, and then just let it go. The result is almost always
amazing!
Cuts of meat that work great:
• Pork Shoulder
• Chuck Roast
• Pork Loins
• Whole Chickens
5. Oven Baked
Oven baking is a useful way to prepare larger quantities of protein that you lay out on multiple sheet
pans. Because the heat is indirect and you can use parchment paper as a base to avoid sticking, you
can also cook with very little to NO fat in this method. This makes it ideal for those looking to cook
very lean cuts of meat without added fats.
Baking doesn’t introduce many of the great flavors that pan searing, grilling, and slow cooking bring,
but it is a very simple way to prepare basic proteins.
Generally speaking, 350-400 degrees is a fine temperature to bake most of your meat at. Because
of the indirect heat you don’t need to flip your meat in the oven in order to reach an even cooking
temperature.
Meats that work well:
• Chicken breast and thighs and wings
• White Fish and other Lean Fish
• Large cuts of meat that you brown in a pan and then finish in the oven.
47
Steak, Potatoes
and Cabbage
Directions INGREDIENTS
• Season the Tri-Tip with Salt and Pepper and cook in

an oven or over the grill to an internal temperature 60gram Protein Serving
of 130-135 Degrees Fahrenheit (medium rare) • 8 oz Grass Fed Tri-Tip Steak (or
Steak of your choice)
• Grate your purple potatoes on a box grater. Using
a dish towel or cheese cloth, wring out as much • 400 grams Purple Potatoes
water from the potatoes as possible. • 1 TBSP Grass Fed Butter
• Over medium high heat, place grass fed butter • 200 grams Green Cabbage
in a pan and pour in potatoes. Stir with some salt • 1 TBSP Bacon Fat
and pepper before creating a flat layer of potatoes
• 1 serving Homemade steak sauce
on the pan. For crispy potatoes place a smaller
saucepan on top of the potatoes as a weight
to increase surface contact on the underside of
the potatoes. Flip after about 5 mins and repeat.
INGREDIENTS
• In another saucepan over medium heat, add
bacon fat and cabbage with a pinch of salt and
sauté the cabbage until it is soft and has some
brown color to it. 30gram Protein Serving
• 4 oz Grass Fed Tri-Tip Steak
• Plate the potatoes first, add the cabbage on
top, and spread-out sliced pieces of Tri-Tip over • 200 grams Purple Potatoes
the cabbage.
• 1/2 TBSP Grass Fed Butter
• Drizzle the steak sauce over the whole dish and • 66 grams Green Cabbage
enjoy!
• 1/2 TBSP Bacon Fat
• ½ Homemade steak sauce
48
SWEET & SOUR
PORK
• Brown your ground pork over medium heat in a

nonstick skillet 60gram Protein Serving
• Ground Pork 85/15% (12oz)
• Season lightly with salt and pepper
• Summer Squash (150-300grams)
• Once browned, remove from the skillet and toss
• Cherry Tomato (50-100grams)
your summer squash and cherry tomatoes in with
the reserved fat from the ground pork • Sweet and Sour Sauce (½ or full
recipe)
• Season the veggies lightly with salt and pepper
and cook until your desired softness
• Plate the ground pork at the center of your dish
• Add the veggies from the pan directly onto the pork
• Drizzle your sweet and sour sauce on your pork

INGREDIENTS
and veggies
30gram Protein Serving

• Ground Pork 85/15% (6oz)
• Summer Squash (150-300grams)
• Cherry Tomato (50-100grams)
• Sweet and Sour Sauce (½ or full

recipe)
49
Steak and Eggs • Uncover and give one final toss in the juices of
the pan before placing the green beans next to
your eggs.
Directions • Slide your meat and deliver it to the plate.
• Note – About 10oz of raw steak cooked on the grill

• Preheat your grill to 400 degrees
to medium will drop its weight to around 7-8oz.
• Season all sides of your New York Strip Steak

• Pro Tip – weigh your meat ahead of time raw.
with salt and pepper. Be sure to cover the sides/
Determine from the original weight how many
edges too.
servings for yourself that will equal. Then after
• Place the New York Strip Steak on the grill and cooking divide the steak into that many equal
every 1-2mins flip or turn your meat until desired parts for separate meals.
doneness is achieved. New York Strip Steak is

• Finally, add a side of blueberries and dig in!
pretty forgiving and will likely take less than 6-8
min or more to cook to the correct doneness.
Occasionally turning and flipping will help develop INGREDIENTS
an even crust and browning all over.
• When is it done? – Invest in a PROBE THERMOMETER 60gram Protein Serving

and stick it into the center of the meat. When the
• 8oz Grilled New York Strip Steak
internal temp is around 130, that is where I like
(or any steak you like)
my New York Strip Steak
• 2 Soft Boiled Eggs
• The steak comes off and you will want to let it
• 200g Green Beans
rest for about 5-10mins
• 1 TBSP Avocado Oil
• Bring a medium pot of water to a rolling boil
• 1 TBSP Lemon Juice
covered.
• 1 TBSP Worcestershir
• Gently place your egg(s) into the water and cook
covered for 6mins.
• Spoon the eggs out and drop them into cold INGREDIENTS
water to stop the cooking process.
• Peel the eggs and when you cut in there will be

slightly runny yolks with hard whites. 30gram Protein Serving
• 4oz Grilled New York Strip Steak
• Bring a sauté pan to medium heat and add your
(or any steak you like)
avocado oil. When it gets hot add in your green
beans and toss and stir. Add salt and pepper and • 1 Soft Boiled Eggs
let cook for about 5 mins occasionally tossing • 100g Green Beans
and stirring.
• 1/2 TBSP Avocado Oil
• Add lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce • 1/2 TBSP Lemon Juice
and quickly toss and then cover with a lid over
• 1/2 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
medium-low heat for about 2mins.
• 60g Blueberries
*Watch Marcus Cook
This Meal Here
50
Coconut Soup INGREDIENTS
with Pork 60gram Protein Serving
Shoulder
• 8 oz Pork butt from instapot
• Rice-cooked (2 cups)
Directions 30gram Protein Serving

• 4 oz Pork butt from instapot
• Rice-cooked (1 cups)
Pork Shoulder Instructions
• Combine all ingredients in the Instapot
• Instant Pot on high pressure for 60-90 minutes INGREDIENTS
• Use fork or tongs to pull apart
• Serve with rice or coconut citrus broth below Instapot Pork Shoulder
• 4 pound pork butt
• 100g pineapple
Instructions for Pork Shoulders in
• 2 lemons (juice)
Coconut Citrus Broth
• Kosher salt
• Finely chop cilantro and jalapeno and set aside
• Black pepper
for later
• ½ TBSP smoked paprika
• Put serving of instapot pork shoulder and pineapple
• ½ cup water
salsa in a bowl
• Add sauteed in bacon fat peppers with cabbage
INGREDIENTS
• Add coconut milk
• Squeeze juice of 1 lime Pork Shoulder in Coconut Citrus Broth
• Add cilantro and jalapeno garnish • Cilantro
• Jalapeno
• Add extra lemon juice
• Lime
• Finish with large flak maldon salt
• Lemon
• Bacon Fat
• Peppers
• Cabbage
• 200ml full fat coconut milk
• Maldon large flake salt
51
Chicken
Salad
• Cut up chicken breast and bell pepper and

combine into a bowl 60gram Protein Serving
• 6 ounces chicken breast
• Add chopped by macadamia nuts, bacon, and
grapes • 1 bell pepper
• 4 strips bacon
• Add homemade mayo and coat all the ingredients
• 1 oz macadamia nuts
• Serve over a bed or romaine lettuce
• 100 g grapes
• Homemade mayo (SEE SAUCE

RECIPE THAT FOLLOWS)
• Romaine lettuce
INGREDIENTS

• 3 ounces chicken breast
• 1 bell pepper
• 2 strips bacon
• 1 oz macadamia nuts
• 100 g grapes
• Homemade mayo (SEE SAUCE

RECIPE THAT FOLLOWS)
• Romaine lettuce
52
Filly
Frittata
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

• Cast Iron pan (oven preheated to 400 degrees F)
• ground beef (6oz)
• Cook meat on medium high heat • 1/2 jalapeno chopped
• Once cooked, remove meat and set aside for later • 1 bell peppers chopped
• 5 eggs
• In the same pan (keep the fat from the meet)
saute jalapeno and bell peppers • 40grams parmesan cheese
(optional adds extra 16 grams of
• Season vegetables and brown protein)
• Add meat back into the pan
• Add eggs and fork whisk all ingredients in the pan
• Add Parmesan cheese to the top INGREDIENTS
• Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the

cheese melts, the top is brown, and eggs set
• Remove from the oven and let cool • ground beef (3oz)
• 1/2 jalapeno chopped
• 1 bell peppers chopped
• 3 eggs
• 40grams parmesan cheese

(optional adds extra 16 g of
protein)
53
Protein
Porridge
• Add oatmeal to microwave safe bowl

• Place dates on top of oatmeal
• 120 grams dry quick oats
• Pour water over oatmeal and dates • 4 whole dates
• Microwave for 4 minutes • 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons almond butter

• While oatmeal is in the microwave combine nut
butter and collagen protein in a bowl. • 4 scoops collagen protein
• ¼ cups nuts of your choice

• Add water to nut butter and collagen protein to
reach desired thickness.
• Chop nuts
• Top oatmeal with nuts and protein nut butter

INGREDIENTS

• 80 grams dry quick oats
• 3 whole dates
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoons almond butter
• 2 scoops collagen protein
• ¼ cups nuts of your choice
54
Maple Glazed
Pork Chop
• Bring a cast iron skillet up to high heat and pour

in your avocado oil 60gram Protein Serving
• (2) 6 oz Pork Chop
• Season both sides of your pork chop with salt
and pepper and place in the skillet • 200 grams diced butternut
squash
• Sear both sides of your pork chop(s) for about
• 400 Spinach or other green
60 sec/side
• 1 tbsp Avocado Oil
• Add in your butternut squash into the skillet and
• 1 serving of Maple Glaze (see
bring heat down to medium
below)
• Stir the squash every minute for a total of 6-10mins • Salt and Pepper to taste
(we want these to get soft)
• Remember to flip your pork chop periodically to

cook evenly. Periodically use your maple glaze INGREDIENTS
and paint the pork chop throughout cooking.
• In the final minute add in your handful of greens

and let cook down 30gram Protein Serving
• 6 oz Pork Chop
• Remove the skillet from the heat and plate your
dish, being sure to spread the reserved glaze • 100 grams diced butternut
on the rest of the pork and squash and greens. squash
• 200 Spinach or other green
*Watch Marcus Cook • 1/2 TBSP Avocado Oil

This Meal Here
• 1/2 serving of Maple Glaze (see
below)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
55
INGREDIENTS
Turkey
Tacos
• 3 corn tortillas
• 12 ounces ground turkey lean

93/7
• 2 TBSP Vinegar
Directions • Paprika
• Cabbage
• Greens
• Cook ground turkey with vinegar and paprika
• Quick pan fry cabbage and greens and sauté in
• Avocado
avocado oil
• 1 Lime
• Make homemade guacamole by combining
• 1 jalapeno
avocado, juice from 1 lime, 1 chopped jalapeno,
and salt and pepper to taste. • Maldon Salt
• Black Pepper
• Place on a plate with corn tortillas
• 50g feta or cotija cheese
• Add sauteed cabbage and peppers
• Sriracha
• Add ground turkey and top with feta or cotija

cheese
INGREDIENTS
• Add lime juice and sriracha for flavor
• Finish with maldon salt and black pepper 30gram Protein Serving
• 2 corn tortillas
• 6 ounces ground turkey lean 93/7
• 1 TBSP Vinegar
• Paprika
• Cabbage
• Greens
• ½ TBSP Avocado Oil
• Avocado
• 1 Lime
• 1 jalapeno
• Maldon Salt
• Black Pepper
• 25g feta or cotija cheese
• Sriracha
56
Fried Rice and
Omelet INGREDIENTS
Directions 60gram Protein Serving

• 1 Tbsp Bacon Fat (or other
• In a hot pan or wok heat up 20grams of bacon fat cooking fat you like, Olive oil,
or cooking oil butter)
• 100 grams (pre-cooked weight)

• Add your white rice and fry for approximately 90-
day-old white rice
120sec until the rice has some golden color
• 100 grams mixed vegetables (I
• Next, add your mixed vegetables and season with use frozen carrots/peas/corn
salt and pepper. mixture from Costco)
• Stir and combine the rice and vegetables and then • Salt and Pepper
add your Tamari and stir • 2 tbsp Tamari
• Let them cook together for about 90-120sec • 4 Eggs
• 200 grams Egg Whites

• Create a space in the middle of the pan to crack
your eggs
• Let the eggs cook as you scramble them directly

in the pan. INGREDIENTS
• Start to incorporate rice and veggies into the eggs
• Remove from the pan and set aside to cool while

you prepare your omelet • ½ Tbsp Bacon Fat (or other
cooking fat you like, Olive oil,
STEP 2 – Egg White Omelette butter)
• Using a nonstick pan over medium heat pour in • 50 grams (pre-cooked weight)
your egg whites and season with salt and pepper day-old white rice
in the pan • 50 grams mixed vegetables (I use
frozen carrots/peas/corn mixture
• Every 20-30sec push the sides of the omelette in
from Costco)
and allow the raw eggs to run around the sides to
make contact with the pan. • Salt and Pepper
• 2 tbsp Tamari
• When the eggs are cooked mostly through you
can fold the omelette in thirds and plate up on your • 2 Eggs
dish next to your Fried Rice • 100 grams Egg Whites
Step 3 – OPTIONAL
• Drizzle our homemade Steak Sauce over the top of *Watch Marcus Cook
your eggs and the fried rice before you eat. This Meal Here
57
20 QUICK BUILDING BLOCK MEALS
Use these ideas as starters but feel free to make your own - the basic formula is the FBB 5 ingredient
meal approach, with some variations or extra sauce here and there for flavor:
1. Protein
2. Fat
3. Veggie
4. Fruit
5. Carb or starch (optional)
The main theme is to get your protein in and eat quality foods with as few processed ingredients as
possible - while getting in your veggies and some healthy fat and carbs.
1. Bacon Egg Lettuce and Avocado Wrap
Ingredients 60gram Protein Serving (makes 4-5 large wraps)
• 5 large lettuce leaves
• 4 Hard Boiled Eggs
• 6 strips of bacon
• 3-4 TBSP homemade mayo or Primal Kitchen Mayo
• 1 Whole Avocado Sliced
• 10 cherry tomatoes cut in half
Ingredients 30gram Protein Serving (makes 2-3 large wraps)
• 3 large lettuce leaves
• 3 strips of bacon
• 2-3 TBSP homemade mayo or Primal Kitchen Mayo
• ½ Whole Avocado Sliced
• 5 cherry tomatoes cut in half
58
2. Quick Ground Meat and Avocado
Ingredients 60gram Protein Serving
• 12 oz ground turkey cooked in a pan
• 1 avocado
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Add a piece of fruit for added carbs
• 6 oz ground turkey cooked in a pan
• 1 avocado
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Add a piece of fruit for added carbs
3. Quick Ground Meat, Greens, and Nuts
• 10 oz ground beef cooked in a pan
• Steamed Spinach
• 1 oz Mixed Nuts
• ½ TBSP Butter
• 5 oz ground beef cooked in a pan
• Steamed Spinach
• 1 oz Mixed Nuts
• ½ TBSP Butter
59
4. Sausage and Broccoli
• 5 Chicken Apple Sausages Sausages
• 3 Cups Air Fryer Broccoli
• 1 Orange
• 2 Chicken Apple Sausages Sausages
• 2 Cups Air Fryer Broccoli
• 1 Orange
5. Quick Chicken Salad w/ Frozen Veggies
• 8oz Chicken Breast Chopped
• 2 Cups Frozen Normandy Vegetables (microwaved)
• 2-3 TBSP Homemade Mayo or Primal Kitchen Mayo
• 4oz Chicken Breast Chopped
• 2 Cups Frozen Normandy Vegetables (microwaved)
• 2-3 TBSP Homemade Mayo or Primal Kitchen Mayo
60
6. Hard Boiled Eggs, Cheese, & Fruit Plate
• 6oz Cheddar Cheese
• 1 Large Apple
• 3oz Cheddar Cheese
• 1 Large Apple
7. Scrambled Egg Whites, Greek Yogurt, Fruit
• 2 cup of egg whites scrambled
• 1 Cup Greek Yogurt
• ½ Cup Blueberries
• 1 cup of egg whites scrambled
• ½ Cup Greek Yogurt
• ½ Cup Blueberries
61
8. Quick Tuna Salad
• 12 oz canned tuna in Water
• 1 chopped scallion
• 1 small diced carrot
• 2-3 TBSP homemade mayo
• Dash of paprika
• 6 oz canned tuna in Water
• 1 Chopped Scallion
• 1 Small Diced Carrot
• 2-3 TBSP homemade mayo (SEE SAUCE RECIPE THAT FOLLOWS)
• Dash of paprika
9. Pork Rinds & Fruit
• 8 oz Epic Brand Pork Rinds
• 1 Medium Banana
• 1 Medium Orange
• 4 oz Epic Brand Pork Rinds
• 1 Medium Banana
• 1 Medium Orange
62
10. Smoked Salmon and Veggies
• 12 oz Smoked Salmon
• 2 Dill Pickles
• 4 Cups Sauteed Kale
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 6 oz Smoked Salmon
• 2 Dill Pickles
• 4 Cups Sauteed Kale
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
11. Ground Bison, Rice, and Steak Sauce
• 10 oz Ground Bison
• 2 Cups Quick Cooked Rice
• 2-4 Tbsp Steak Sauce
• 5 oz Ground Bison
• 2 Cups Quick Cooked Rice
• 2-4 Tbsp Steak Sauce
63
12. Simple Salad with Canned Sardines
• 12 oz Canned Sardines
• 2-4 Cups Greens or Lettuce
• 1 Bell Pepper Chopped Thin
• 6 oz Canned Sardines
• 2-4 Cups Greens or Lettuce of your choice
• 1 Bell Pepper Chopped Thin
13. Avocado Toast w/ Pork Breakfast Sausages
• 12 oz Pork Sausage
• 1 Avocado cut in half
• 1-2 Pieces of Sliced Bread toasted
• 6 oz Pork Sausage
• 1 Avocado cut in half
• 1-2 Pieces of Sliced Bread toasted
64
14. Rotisserie Chicken w/ Apple and Almond Butter
• 12 oz Store Bought Rotisserie Chicken
• 1 Apple sliced
• 1-2 Tbsp Almond Butter for dipping apples
• Carolina BBQ Sauce is perfect for the chicken to dip
• 6 oz Store Bought Rotisserie Chicken
• 1 Apple sliced
• 1-2 Tbsp Almond Butter for dipping apples
• Carolina BBQ Sauce is perfect for the chicken to dip
15. Goat Cheese, Honey, and Salami (High Fat, High Protein)
• 4 oz Goat Cheese
• 6 oz Salami
• 1 Tbsp Honey Drizzled on the Goat Cheese
• 2 oz Goat Cheese
• 3 oz Salami
• 1 Tbsp Honey Drizzled on the Goat Cheese
65
16. Cheeseburger Patty w/ raw veggies
• 8 oz Burger Patty
• 2 oz Gouda Cheese
• 1 Bell Pepper chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 Cup Sugar Snap Peas
• 4 oz Burger Patty
• 1 oz Gouda Cheese
• 1 Bell Pepper chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 Cup Sugar Snap Peas
17. Deli Meat and Veggie Rolls w/ Sweet Potatoes
• 12 oz Deli Roasted Turkey
• 1 Carrot cut into strips
• 1 Cucumber cut into strips
• 1 medium sweet potato microwaved for 10-12mins
• 6 oz Deli Roasted Turkey
• 1 Carrot cut into strips
• 1 Cucumber cut into strips
• 1 medium sweet potato microwaved for 10-12mins
66
18. Chicken Breast w/ Airfryer Squash and Tomatoes
• 6 oz Grilled Chicken Breast
• 1-2 Cups Butternut Squash
• 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes
*Last 3 ingredients in an airfryer for 15 mins on high
• 6 oz Grilled Chicken Breast
• 1-2 Cups Butternut Squash
• 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes
*Last 3 ingredients in an airfryer for 15 mins on high
Ground Chicken, Pasta Sauce and Parmesan Cheese
• 8 oz Pan Cooked Ground Chicken
• ½ -1 Cup Sugar Free Store Bought Pasta Sauce
• ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese
• 4 oz Pan Cooked Ground Chicken
• ½ -1 Cup Sugar Free Store Bought Pasta Sauce
• ¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese
67
20. Shrimp Taco w/ Sweet and Sour Sauce
• 12 oz Frozen Fully Cooked Shrimp (reheated in pan)
• 4 Store Bought Corn Tortillas
• Shredded Cabbage
• 1-2 Tbsp Sweet and Sour Sauce
• 6 oz Frozen Fully Cooked Shrimp (reheated in pan)
• 2 Store Bought Corn Tortillas
• Shredded Cabbage
• 1-2 Tbsp Sweet and Sour Sauce
68
SAUCES, DRESSINGS, and DIPS
Here’s where the flavor comes in - without the added sugar and sub-par oils often found in bottled
sauces and dressings. These sauces are extremely fast to make, they often don’t require any extra
shopping once you have some basics in your pantry, and they’ll make your meals more exciting. A
great place to try new spices and flavors and have some fun!
Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce (Carb Heavy)
Ingredients – Bulk Prep
• 1 cup Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 cup Maple Syrup
• 1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Directions:
• Mix Together
Honey Mustard Sauce (Carb Heavy)
• 1 cup Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 Cup Honey
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
• 4 Tbsp Lemons Juiced
• 1/8 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Directions:
• Mix Together
69
STEAK SAUCE
• 3 oz Tomato Paste
• ½ Cup Yellow Mustard
• ½ Cup – Gluten Free Worcestershire Sauce
Directions:
• For a single serving mix all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and drizzle over your meal
• For bulk preparation place all ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth. Transfer to a
squeeze bottle or jar and store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
*Watch Marcus Cook

This Meal Here
Asian Inspired Peanut Sauce (Fat Heavy)
• 400 Grams Creamy Peanut Butter
• 200 Grams Tamari
• 100 Grams Sriracha Sauce
• 200 Grams Lemon Juice
Directions:
• In a common bowl, weigh each individual ingredient
• Leave the lemon juice for last and be sure to combine all the ingredients with a whisk or fork first.
• Start adding the lemon juice to help thin out the sauce.
• You can add a little additional lemon juice to make it thinner and more tart if you’d like.
*Watch Marcus Cook

This Meal Here
70
Avocado Yogurt Sauce (Fat Heavy Macro)
• 300g Avocado
• 2 lemons juices
• 1/4 C Cilantro
• 1/2 C water
• 1/2 C greek yogurt
• salt and pepper
• optional 1 TSP Garlic Powder
Directions:
• Mix Together
Carolina BBQ Sauce (Low Macro)
• 340grams Spicy Brown Mustard (full container)
• 11 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
• 1/2 Tbsp Black Pepper
• 20g Honey
Directions:
• Mix Together and ENJOY this on a wide variety of dishes!
*Watch Marcus Cook

This Meal Here
71
SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE
• 4 Tbsp Tomato Paste
• 4 Tbsp Yellow Mustard
• 4 Tbsp Maple Syrup
• 2 Tbsp Tamari
• 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Directions:
• Place all ingredients into a small bowl and wish with a fork until completely homogenized
• If you are preparing the bulk sauce then combine ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth.
Transfer to a squeeze bottle or jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks
*Watch Marcus Cook

This Meal Here
Homemade Mayo
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon spicy mustard
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1 cup avocado oil
Directions:
• Combine egg, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and avocado oil in a jar
• Using an immersion blender, start at the bottom of the jar and blend the ingredients together.
72
Maple Glaze
• ½ Cup Maple Syrup
• ¼ Cup Tamari
• ¼ Cup Spicy Mustard
Directions:
• Single serving amounts go into a small bowl and you can fork whisk them together
• Bulk ingredients should go into a jar or blend that you can cover and pulse or shake vigorously
to combine. Save for up to 4 weeks.
CAN’T BE BEAT Salad Dressing
• 1 Cup Olive Oil
• ½ Cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
*Always use a 2 parts Oil to 1 part Vinegar recipe - You can exchange different vinegars that you
like. Stick to Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Avocado Oil for your oil of choice.
Directions:
• Place all ingredients in a blender
• Blend until all ingredients are combined and there is a smooth texture
• Store in a small container in the fridge for up to a month
73

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Welcome back to my kitchen.

LE T ’S TA LK PRAC TICA L P ROT E IN

Visit https://functional-bodybuilding.com/practical-protein-challenge/ for current challenge

1. Determine how much protein is right for you.

3. Using one of the following tracking methods:

• Weigh and measure all of your food in a food tracking app

1. Weigh In - Beginning, then daily or weekly, and end

2. Photographs - Beginning, then weekly, and end

3. Body Composition - Beginning and end

1. Protein Can Increase Your Metabolism (“Calories Out”)

How to calculate your Daily Calorie needs:

1. Burn 1500 cals/day - eat 115grams protein/day

Low Protein - Bodyweight in lbs x .65

Moderate Protein - Bodyweight in lbs x .875

High Protein - Bodyweight in lbs x 1

Heavy Protein Bodyweight in lbs x 1.1

About Protein Consumption

You have your daily number of protein grams to shoot

Can you eat too much protein overall?

It is possible to eat too much protein. But don’t stress

You want to think about this over the course of many

Bodybuilders in extreme weight cuts will sometimes

The likelihood of you overdoing it is very low. Following

How Should I Space Protein Throughout the Day?

Should I eat protein right after training?

Should the amount change if I want to gain, lean, or maintain?

Maintain Weight: Calories In = Calories Out

Lose Weight: Calories In < Calories Out

Gain Weight: Calories In > Calories Out

Do you need more if you’re pregnant or nursing?

Method 1: Just Eat Protein at Every Meal

Method 3: Eyeball Method (for experienced macro trackers)

Method 4: Track Only Protein in an App

Two apps to help you track your food:

Common Offensive Foods - toxic and difficult to digest

• Grains - all types

• Nuts, Seeds, Legumes - all types

• Nightshade Vegetables (Tomatoes, peppers, potatoes)

• Cruciferous Vegetables (Broccoli Cauliflower)

Check Protein Quality

Don’t Rush Meals

• Contain the highest density of amino acids

• Contain a lower density of Amino Acids

• Almost always accompanied by carbohydrates

• Often accompanied by digestive irritants and inflammatory proteins

Which category do you fall under?

• Vegan - All animal products are excluded.

Is extra supplementation needed?

Vegan and vegetarian protein sources:

• Peanut Butter or Peanut Butter Powder

• Grass-Fed & Grass-Finished

Fake meats, protein powders, and bars

• Animal protein is not healthy

At the end of the day here is what you need to know:

Fish and mercury

• Tilefish (Gulf of Mexico)

• Anchovies • Hake • Shrimp

• Atlantic croaker • Herring • Skate

• Atlantic and Pacific chub mackerels • American spiny lobster • Smelt

• Black sea bass • Mullet • Sole

• Butterfish • Oyster • Squid (calamari)

• Catfish • Perch • Tilapia