3,000-Calorie Meal Plan High-Protein Diet: How to Eat for Muscle Gain and More

A 3,000-calorie meal plan high-protein diet isn’t something a lot of people would consider. When it comes to daily calorie intake, the National Library of Medicine states that the daily average calorie requirement for the average woman is 2,000 kcal and for a man, it’s 2,500 kcal (1).

However, as calorie intake is dependent on multiple factors including your sex, height, weight, activity level, and age (1), some people – especially those in the bodybuilding community – may find that a 3,000-calorie meal plan works best for them.

But what does a high-protein 3,000-calorie diet look like? Can consuming this many calories in a day actually help you gain muscle or are you at a higher risk of gaining fat instead? Read on to find out.

What Is a 3,000-Calorie Meal Plan High-Protein Diet?

This is an eating plan where an individual is required to consume 3,000 calories a day through prioritizing high-protein foods. It means that when calculating your macronutrient (macro) ratios at the end of the day, your protein intake should be higher than both your fat and carbohydrate intakes.

How Can I Get 3,000 Calories a Day?

As discussed above, consuming 3,000 calories a day is quite a bump in caloric intake for the average person. So how do you go about eating an extra 500 to 1,000 calories a day? Here are some tips that could help you out.

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Start Small

As stated previously, the average calorie intake for men and women is 2,500 and 2,000 kcal, respectively. However, not everyone eats like this. Some people consume fewer calories than this and therefore jumping to 3,000 kcal from about 1,600 or 1,800 kcal a day can seem like a lot. If your normal daily caloric intake is 1,000 kcal or less than 3,000, we suggest increasing your intake by 300 or 500 kcal a day to start. Give your body time to get used to this amount of food before you increase the intake again by 100 or 200 kcal. It may take a few weeks to get to the 3,000 kcal/day level, but it will be a much easier process for your body to handle.

Eat Larger Portions

Consuming more food during a meal increases your calorie intake, which can easily help you reach the 3,000 kcal mark by the time you go to bed at night.

Eat Frequently

If you’re unable to eat huge portions in one meal, breaking up the food into smaller portions and eating them throughout the day could be a saving grace. Instead of eating the typical 3 meals a day, try opting to eat 5 or even 6 times a day.

Have More Snacks Throughout the Day

This ties in with the previous points. Generally, snacking is frowned upon, particularly for those who are looking to lose weight. However, those who hope to gain weight or muscle through a higher calorie intake find value in it. Snacking more allows you to eat more frequently, which can prevent a food coma that often comes from eating too much at once, while allowing you to eat more food throughout the day, which increases your daily calorie intake.

Try More Smoothies and Shakes

Sometimes having to sit and chew through copious amounts of food can detract from your desire to consume a meal, reducing your desire to consume the required 3,000 calories. This is where smoothies and shakes come in as it is usually easier to simply drink your calories. 

Pro tip: Make sure to use whey or plant-based protein powder in smoothies to increase their protein content. Finding ways to incorporate fruits with protein into these drinks also increases the protein macros needed to align with this high-protein diet.

Try Meal Planning

Meal planning helps you eat healthier and counting your macros while making your meals ensures that you consume enough calories and protein per meal to reach the goal of a 3,000-calorie meal plan for muscle gain. Meal planning also helps you come up with lunch prep ideas that will help you avoid eating unhealthy foods while you’re at work.

Read more: Best Cereal For Weight Loss: Giving You The Lowdown On Every Healthy Pick On The Supermarket Shelf

Points to Note

1. Budget-Friendly Protein

A high-protein diet can be quite expensive, especially if you’re relying on fresh cuts of meat to satisfy your protein needs. If you’re on a budget, opt for cheaper protein sources such as chicken, eggs, and some varieties of fish. Cheaper cuts of meat can also be a good pocket-friendly option.

Beans, lentils, and tofu products are also budget-friendly high-protein vegan foods that you can add to your weekly meal plan. These plant-based protein options in addition to eggs and fish can be of use on a 3,000-calorie meal plan vegetarian diet.

2. Opt for Healthier Food Options

It cannot be denied that 3,000 calories is a lot of food. Regardless of how much you enjoy eating, you can get tired of eating so much food on such a diet. This may make you consider fast food as it’s generally higher in calories and could make you reach your caloric goal faster. 

As tempting as this may be, remember that by doing this, you’re not providing your body with ample nutrition for muscle building. Fast foods are high in simple carbs and unhealthy fats, which are not nearly as beneficial to your body as whole, natural foods. 

Over time, the consumption of such unhealthy high-calorie foods with low-quality nutrition profiles will only lead to unwanted fat and weight increases and not the desired lean muscle gains. In addition to weight gain, the consumption of highly processed fast foods leads to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, premature aging, dementia, mental illness, cancer, and many more chronic health conditions (2).

3. Look for Sales, Shop in-Season and in Bulk

Finding sales, shopping for in-season foods, and buying in bulk can help save you money in the long term. If you have the space, it’s often better to shop in bulk as stores typically sell bulk goods at a cheaper price. Shopping in-season also allows you to save some money. As produce is in abundance when it’s in season, you can often get it at a cheaper price.

Can You Build Muscle on 3,000 Calories?

Yes, you can. Diets that call for a calorie intake that is over the normal 2,500 kcal for men and 2,000 kcal for women are usually used for bulking. Bulking is a phrase that is often used in the bodybuilding community and it refers to a phase where someone eats a lot more than they normally would – more than their body needs – in order to gain weight.

The progressive increase of calorie intake is always accompanied by intense weight training as people who are bulking are looking to add weight in the form of more muscle – not fat. During this phase, bodybuilders are recommended to increase their daily caloric intake by 10 to 20% (3).

Read more: How To Lose Lower Belly Fat: Shedding That Extra Fluff Around Your Tummy In A Couple Of Easy Steps

One review published in 2015 found that on average, male and female bodybuilders in the bulking phase of their training programs tend to increase their calorie intakes in preparation for competition with their intakes of protein being particularly high compared to what is considered normal (4).

In a more recent review of nutritional recommendations for athletes, researchers stated that male bodybuilders can consume up to 3,800 calories a day in preparation for contests (5). 

From these 3 studies, it can be seen that it’s possible to build muscle on a 3,000-calorie high-protein diet plan.

How Much Protein Should I Eat on a 3,000-Calorie Diet?

According to an older study published in the Current Sports Medicine Reports journal, the recommended macros for a healthy diet are as follows (6)

• Carbohydrates – 45% to 65% of your daily calories
• Healthy fats – 20% to 35% of your daily calories
• Proteins – 10% to 35% of your daily calories

Now, let’s say you were to use these values to determine your protein intake in a 3,000-calorie meal plan: 

(3,000 x 10) ÷ 100 = 300 calories

(3,000 x 35) ÷ 100 = 1,050 calories

From this, we know that carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram, protein provides 4 calories per gram, and fat provides 9 calories per gram (7). So how many grams should you be consuming?

If you choose to have just 10% of your calorie intake from protein, then you should be consuming approximately 75 g of protein a day:

(300 kcal ÷ 4 kcal/g) = 75 grams

If you choose to increase the number to 35% of your daily calories from protein, then you should be consuming around 263 g of protein a day:

(1,050 kcal ÷ 4 kcal/g) = 262.5 grams

But how much protein should you eat on a high-protein diet for muscle gain?

Recommended Protein Intake for a 3,000-Calorie Plan for Muscle Gain

There’s no doubt that as a macronutrient, protein is essential for increasing muscle mass and strength (8). However, when you’re looking to build muscle, how much of this macronutrient should you be eating a day? The recommended protein intake that will prevent a deficiency is 0.8 g protein per kg body weight per day (9). 

However, this is the absolute minimum amount and studies over the years have shown that for muscle growth, you need to consume more protein per day than this. One study published in 2020 even stated that increasing your intake of this macronutrient by just 0.1 g per kg of body weight per day can help maintain or increase muscle mass (10).

If you really want to get the most out of your protein for muscle growth, studies state that increasing your protein intake to 1.5 g to 1.6 g per kg of body weight will provide the best results (11, 12).

Please note that eating more protein alone won’t help you increase muscle growth and you must also incorporate exercise, especially weight training, to get the best results.

How Much Protein Should I Eat for Maximum Weight Loss?

Increasing your protein intake to the above-mentioned range of 1.5 g to 1.6 g per kg of body weight could also help with steady and sustainable weight loss. Remember that this macronutrient doesn’t benefit muscle gain alone. 

Research has shown that it can help with weight loss and management through increased satiety, increased thermogenesis (i.e. calorie burning) and increased fat-free mass (aka muscle), which also helps with calorie burning (13).

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The Ultimate 3,000-Calorie Meal Plan

Below is a simple 3,000-calorie meal plan to show you how a day of eating high-protein meals on such a diet can look:

• Breakfast 

Whey protein, banana, and peanut butter shake  – Cals: 849. Fats: 40 g, Carbs: 71 g, Protein: 55g

Avocado rice cake – Cals: 116. Fats: 8 g, Carbs: 12 g, Protein: 2 g

• Lunch

Salmon salad – Cals: 568. Fats: 38 g, Carbs: 30 g, Protein: 33 g

Apple and cottage cheese snack – Cals: 343. Fats: 3 g, Carbs: 49 g, Protein: 29 g

• Dinner

Tuna steak salad – Cals: 945. Fats: 50 g, Carbs: 55 g, Protein: 74 g

Broccoli with hummus topped with sesame seeds – Cals: 192. Fats: 9 g, Carbs: 22 g, Protein: 11 g

Total intake for the day: Calories: 2,993. Fats: 147 g, Carbs: 249 g, Protein: 203 g.

All the recipes can be found on Eat This Much (14).

Frequently Asked Questions

• Should you consume 3,000 calories in one meal?

No, you shouldn’t. As stated several times previously, 3,000 kcal is quite a large amount of food, particularly if you consume it through healthy, nutritious foods. Trying to eat this much food in one sitting will likely make you feel sick and you’ll be unable to finish it all.

• Can too much protein hurt weight loss?

Not quite. High-protein diets are generally considered to be safe for both weight loss and muscle gain. However, Harvard Health warns that eating too much protein can lead to an increased risk of kidney stones (15). 

In addition, if your protein of choice is red meat, then your risk of heart disease and certain cancers such as colon cancer is increased. To prevent consuming too much protein, it’s advised to avoid consuming more than 2 grams per kg of your body weight a day (15).

• Why am I only losing 100g a day?

A loss of 100 g a day is likely due to a loss of water weight and not fat loss. Remember that healthy weight loss means a loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week (454 g to 907 g a week 16). Please note, weighing yourself daily while on a weight loss journey is not advisable. Try to weigh yourself just once a month or bi-weekly if you feel a month is too long.

• Is it better to count calories or protein?

Doing both is ideal as it helps you stay on track with your dietary needs as you work toward your fitness goals.

• Is it OK to eat more protein than calories?

It’s not possible to eat more protein than calories.

The Bottom Line

If you’re hoping to increase muscle gains and strength, a 3,000-calorie meal plan high-protein diet may be an advisable plan for you. However, it’s important to note that not all caloric surpluses will work for everyone. If your current daily intake isn’t close to 3,000, then perhaps starting with a smaller number would be better, and over time, you can work your way up to this number.

It’s also important to remember that diet alone won’t help with muscle gains – a good resistance training workout plan is also essential. Be sure to do weight training 3 to 5 times a week. Remember to prioritize rest and hydration at all times.