Here is an article by Alan Aragon..FWIW

Okay.. I would rather teach folks how to fish than hand them a fish, so here we go. A word about specific foods - I firmly believe that food subtypes people should consume is a highly personal thing, and what's optimal for one guy isn't always optimal for another. I can't stand the idea of someone telling me I need to eat this type of grape or that type of potato, this type of rice or that type of bean. I'm gonna eat the wholefood subtype that tastes best to me, and so should everyone else. The food-mood connection is initiated by taste reception, which if highly favorable, can have an opioid effect, alter brain chemistry, and actually influence ergogenesis. I'll even take this a step further & emphasize whole foods & hitting net macro targets over taking an absolutist stance about specific food subtypes. Fudging over one fruit versus another, one type of nut over another, etc, etc is counterproductive. Variety within and across food groups can maximize micronutrition. What one subspecies lacks in micronutrition, another compensates [1]. Nitpicking over glycemic index truthfully amounts to jack ****'s worth of a difference in terms of body composition [2,3]. You can easily override any glycemic index health caution by making sure whole & minimally refined foods predominate your diet. Just do your best to maximize variety within the range of foods YOU like personally.

What I'm gonna list is only a tiny fraction of many possibilities. DO NOT get hung up on them, make up your own, according to your personal preferences & tolerances - not to mention results of trial and error. Individual response is king. I was VERY reluctant to post anything beyond the formulas [4], because I'm not a fan of sample diets or even sample meals. It's way too personal, and what clicks with one guy might not for another. On a more universal note, heres a target bodyweight formula, that might be useful for some of the readers:

Calculating Target Bodyweight (TBW):
1) Get your BF% measured, & realize that this is an educated guess at best. Get your your 1st thing in the morning.weight.
2) Calculate your fat mass (BF% divided by 100, multiply by total weight).
3) Subtract fat mass from total weight, this is your lean body mass (LBM).
4) Decide how much lbs of muscle you wanna gain or lose (hah), then add this to your LBM. If you wanna maintain, then don't mess with this number.
5) Multiply your target LBM by 100.
6) Divide the answer of step 5 by the following calculation: 100 minus whatever BF% you're shooting for. This gives you your target bodyweight (TBW) at your goal body comp.

If you just wanna skip the calculations & base everything on a weight you think you can realistically hit within the duration of the cut, bulk, or maintenance cycle you're currently in, then just call that figure your TBW. I encourage you to run some numbers through the TBW formula, it's a good tool.

Let me state the obvious that workout nutrition is secondary to total nutrition. 'Nother words, your pre/during/post-workout nutrition is of secondary importance to getting your total macro targets hit by the end of the day over a high frequency of meals composed of a variety of quality food sources. Note that all the following are based on someone with a goal of 215 lbs at the end of his current cycle [5]. Keep in mind that I ballparked everything regarding the macros, but I've been doing this long enough to know that they're pretty damn close if you were to double check the values using software. Here are the formulas I've developed. Let me reiterate that the examples have my personal preferences inevitably ingrained within them, so feel free to get some ideas, but ultimately, assemble your own.

60-90 minutes preworkout, have a solid, balanced meal

Protein = 0.25g/lb TBW = 54g
Carbs = 0.35g/lb TBW = 75g
Adding fat at this point is fine, use your discretion as long as it fits into your macro goals.

Example A (have one choice from each bullet point):
● 1.5 scoop whey + 2 tbsp your choice of nutbutter (or) 1/4 cup unsalted nuts, all types
● 3/4 cup old fashioned oats, dry measurement
● 1 cup milk (or) 6oz yogurt
● 1 tbsp brown sugar (or) 1 tbsp honey (or) 1 tbsp maple syrup

--or--

Example B (have one choice per bullet point):
● 3 whole eggs [6] + 1/2 cup salsa, Santa Barbara Deli Style from Costco RULES (or) for those afraid of yolks, 6 egg whites + 1/4 cup unsalted nuts, all types
● 2oz turkey bacon or turkey sausage
● 2 slices whole or multigrain bread + 2 tbsp jam (or) 1 midsize baked potato, appx 6oz, all types (or) 2 buckwheat pancakes, appx 4" diameter
● 1 cup milk (or) 6oz yogurt
● 1 mid-size fruit, any type (or) 2 small fruits such as plum, apricot, fig (or) 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit, any type (or) 1/4 cup dried fruit, any type


20-0 minutes preworkout - (and/or sipped throughout the workout), have a liquid or easily digested meal [7]:

Protein = 0.25g/lb TBW = 54g
Carbs = 0.25g/lb TBW = 54g
Fat should be minimized here. Guidelines aren't hard & fast, but I personally wouldn't exceed 10-15% if the cals of this meal, in other words, keep the fats here incidental, not added.

Example A (have one choice from each bullet point):
● 1/2 cup oats, unground measurement
● 1 tbsp dextrose (appx 20g)
● 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
● 2 scoops whey
● Water

--or--

Example B (have one choice from each bullet point):
● 1.5 scoops whey
● 1 mid-size fruit, any type such as banana, apple, orange, etc (or) 2 small fruits such as plum, apricot, fig (or) 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit, any type
● 6oz yogurt (or) 8oz milk



Sooner the better postworkout - within 30 minutes, but optimally ASAP [8], have either a liquid or solid meal:

Protein = 0.25g/lb TBW = 54g
Carbs = 0.5g/lb TBW = 108g
Fats here should be kept minimal to moderate.

Example A, solid meal (have one choice from each bullet point):
● 6oz flesh of your choice (ie, beef, fish, poultry, Asian girls, etc). If possible, have at least 2 types through the course of the day, 3 types through the course of a week. .
● 2.5 cups rice, any/all types (or) 2 midsize potatoes, any/all types, appx 6oz ea (or) 4 slices whole grain bread
● 1 mid-size fruit, any type (or) 2 small fruits such as plum, apricot, fig (or) 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit, any type
● Optional: 1 or more cups raw or cooked fibrous veggies

--or--

Example B, shake [9], have one choice from each bullet point:
● 1 cup old fashioned oats (unground measurement) [10]
● 1.5 scoops whey
● 12oz milk [11]
● 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa [12]
● 1 tablespoon dextrose, appx 20g
● 1 mid-size fruit, any type (or) 2 small fruits such as plum, apricot, fig (or) 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit, any type [13]

Within 2-3 hours post-postworkout

No need to get all cute here. The post-postworkout meal is simply your next scheduled meal, and it should preferably be a solid balanced wholefood meal.

Footnotes & stuff worth reading

1) Assumptions about the superiority of one food subtype vs another are counterproductive. What one lacks, another packs.

2) I elucidate the conclusion of a recent review of literature in this post here.

3) Extensive reading on the questionable applicability of GI can be found right here and here.

4) Formulas are merely a means to determine starting points to adjust according to individual response. If you run your numbers through a formula & the answers don't sit right with you, adjust it as necessary. Realize that formulas are designed to get you in the ballpark; they are by no means the gospel or the bottom line. Feel free to fudge the numbers up/down to suit your sensibilities. By the way, these are original formulas I've concocted. Their prior postings can be found in the nutrition forum, these are their latest incarnations, which haven't changed much at all through the years.

5) Egg yolks have been a victim of bodybuilding dogma for a good part of the last couple decades. However, recent research is validating what the old-old school bodybuilders did with them, which is eat them instead of chucking them. If you like whole eggs & can fit them into your fat gram target for the day, have at it. Check this out.

6) I don't believe that you MUST consume a during-training shake, especially if an immediate pre-workout shake was consumed. You'll be in the absorptive phase of it for the entire workout, as long as it's as constructed as I suggest. There's a limit to the amount of substrate the body can absorb in any given unit of time (appx 200-350 kcals/hr depending on solution osmolarity). Of important note for 1st-thing-in-the-morning trainees who have a very narrow time window between waking & training, skip the pre-preworkout meal & just use this one.

That said, if you choose to sip a shake during training, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, and it may even improve workout performance - not by physiological means per se, but rather by psychosomatic & central means (food-mood). So have at it, no complaints from me. The benefit of preworkout prot + carbs on both protein synthesis & nutrient partitioning has been summed up here. On a side note, 1.5 scoops of WPI has equal the BCAA content of an Xtend serving. On another side note, as much as I endorse the use of BCAA-rich food like milk & supps like whey, going hog-wild on BCAA supplementation might not be necessary. Here's a well written skeptical look at BCAA supp'ing in the published scientific literature, enjoy.

Now is a good time to reiterate that many folks have it misconstrued that during-training consumption of carbs inhibits fat oxidation, and therefore should be avoided. Talk about missing the facts. I've discovered that it's not always enough to use the all-too-obvious marathoner versus sprinter illustration, so I move on to citing objective research, and just cross my fingers that some of the readers with actually get it. Read this very carefully, then read it again. Once again, I'll pose the question, is it best to absorb carbs when your metabolic engine is revving in its highest gear, or when it's significantly down-shifted? To put things technically, peak insulin sensitivity + peak blood flow = optimal time to absorb carbs + aminos for muscle protein synthesis and inhibition of protein breakdown, and thus optimal nutrient partitioning, recovery, and growth. This is merely fact as demonstrated by science, its not some opinion or baseless trend.

7) Alas, we come to a critical point of contention. One of the biggest misconceptions is that bodybuilding training is not glycogen-depleting. Okay, sounds convenient, but let's look at the research. Roy & Tarnopolsky studied the effects of resistance training on healthy young men and observed an average muscle glycogen decrease of 36% [J Appl Physiol. 1998 Mar;84(3):890-6]. The striking aspects here are this was after 9 total sets of 10 reps, and taking sets to failure was not specifically prescribed. Perhaps most importantly, the subjects were NOT fasted leading into the trial. In fact, they each consumed 3 mixed meals approximately 3 hrs apart leading into the trial, which was 3 hours after the last meal. The subjects' daily intake was just over 3000 kcals, so they were far from starving.

Taking the above data into account, the following scenarios stand a good chance of significantly depleting glycogen: Many bodybuilders do much more volume per muscle than what was done in that trial (9 sets total for quads), and in some cases follow up the training bout with cardio. Many bodybuilders train first thing in the morning, and neglect pre, during, and/or post-training carb intake for a variety of unfounded reasons. Many bodybuilders will group up bodyparts in such a way that pushing muscles & pulling muscles are trained together on separate days, increasing the overlap of muscular work especially in the bi's & tri's. Often times lower-extremity cardio (cycling, walking, jogging, stair stepping, etc, etc) will be done in close proximity if not back to back with leg training, and overlap occurs there as well. The magnitude of overlap only increases in pre-contest training where cardio volume and general rep volume tends to increase, all this during a reduction of carb intake.

Now, one can always play devil's advocate and say that their plan has absolutely no overlap of muscles within any given 24-48hr period, and thus glycogen can be replenished by the time the next training bout hits. Well, think of it this way - those who replenish muscle (& liver) glycogen to capacity quicker will spend greater durations with fully hydrated/swollen cells. Thus, they will remain anabolic for longer periods before the next training bout than those who barely approach local glycogen replenishment by the time the next workout arrives. Just some food for thought to chew on.

8) I'm not adamant about a shake-only policy postworkout, especially if you properly dialed in your pre &/or during-workout nutrition. Let me take this opportunity to mention that this shake may be combined with the immediate pre-workout shake (Example B), and utilized as a monsterous catchall pre/during/post-workout shake if you have the inclination to use it as such. This simplifies prep, and in the long run, simplicity is a good thing.

9) Grinding oats for a shake is best done like this: Grind the oats up in a blender dry by themselves first, then add whatever else. It makes the grinds more fine & palatable, less like chunks of particle board.

10) I'm a proponent of milk, not only because I can digest it like a champ, but science is in support of casein for purposes that we as bodybuilders give a damn about. For further reading, go here, here, and here. If you have lactose intolerance, then you may bash milk all you want from a strictly personal perspective - but not a general one.

11) Cocoa is a wonderfully paradoxical food. It raises insulin acutely (great for anabolic/anticatabolic purposes surrounding training), but it also increases insulin sensitivity on a chronic basis (great for general health & improvement of fuel disposal). Not only that, but it has a greater antioxidant effect than red wine, green tea, or black tea. FYI, the body of research on the benefits of dark chocolate is like a bottomless pit. Man, I love my cocoa. I get the unsweetened cocoa powder by Nestle, & mix it right into my shakes.

12) If you don't think a small amount of fructose is beneficial - if not OPTIMAL for training recovery nutrition, then read this, and get back to me. On the subject of recovery, antioxidation is a priority surrounding training (and in general). However, some negative stuff has been witnessed regarding antiox supps surrounding training, at least in inflammatory conditions via eccentric resistance. Childs et al [Free Radic Biol Med. 2001 Sep 15;31(6):745-53] actually saw a temporary pro-oxidative effect of vitamin C (12.5 mg/kg body weight) and NAC (10 mg/kg body weight). Some of the typical antiox supps might have the potential to backfire. Use antioxidant whole foods as much as possible (as opposed to supplementing isolated micronutrients), and this possibility is close to zip.