4000 Calorie Meal Plan – How To Really Get It Done?

According to many studies, daily calorie intake can affect your body condition. The calories needed for a normal activity day will fall between 1600 calories and 2500 calories. So why do we have a 4000 calorie meal plan? Is such a large amount of calories in a day really necessary? How to build a 4000 calories meal plan for bodybuilding? Follow our honest sharing in this article to know more!

What is a 4000 Calorie Meal Plan?

It is a meal plan with the total calories you take in for a day being 4000 calories. Loading more calories for the body on such a day will help your body have more energy.

Adding 4000 calories will also cause you to eat more food in a day. Usually, people on this diet will eat 5-8 meals daily.

Putting large amounts of calories into the body requires you to have a detailed and clear plan for each day. If you can not control your calorie intake well, you will most likely lose the balance of your body. That will affect your health and weight status more or less.

In addition to needing to make a detailed meal plan, you also have to practice regularly. A balanced diet combined with exercise will bring a healthy body, ideal weight, and toned muscles.

Who Can Follow a 4000 Calories Meal Plan?

As mentioned above, a 4000 calorie meal will load a huge amount of calories into your body every day. Therefore, not everyone can use this eating plan. Before starting a change plan, research it carefully to see if it is right for you. Here are some people who can and should eat 4000 calories a day.

Muscle builders

If you really want to build your muscle, you better have a 4000 calorie meal plan for muscle gain. The large calories will give you more energy and protein for better training and muscle building. If you persevere for a while, you can have a great muscular body.

Athletes

Athletes are among the people who consume the most calories in a day. Basketball or football players can consume 4500 calories per day. Even athletes in endurance sports such as cycling, swimming, marathon running, rowing can consume between 4000 and 8000 calories per day.

Their number of calories is based on their training frequency and plan. However, most of their one-day menu will be around 4000 calories.

People who want to gain weight

If you are a normal person but want to have a muscular body or gain weight, you can use this menu. A 4000 calories meal plan to gain weight can help you gain weight quickly. Loading more calories into your body than required and exercising correctly will help you gain a healthy weight.

See if you really fit into the 4000 calorie diet. It can help you build your body more efficiently. Please follow the next sharing to have a suitable plan if you feel it is appropriate.

How To Calculate Calories Intake With The 4000 Calorie Diet?

Dietary calories come from three macronutrients, carbs, fat, and protein. Calculate the calories in food like this: Protein and carbs provide four calories per gram, and nine calories come from each gram of fat. When you know exactly how many grams of protein, carbs and fat are in any given food, simply multiply the grams by the corresponding number of calories for each.

Macronutrient distribution ranges (AMDRs) recommended by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies for the population are as follows:

• 45-65% of calories should come from carbs
• 20-35% of calories should come from fat
• 10-35% of calories should come from protein

When combined with resistance training and higher protein intake, AMDR has been shown to reduce body fat by increasing muscle mass. Resistance training can promote muscle gain rather than fat gain on a high-calorie diet.

How To Eat 4000 Calories And Still Good For Health?

Loading 4000 calories into the body in a day can make you nervous. However, a detailed plan and a few notes will help the plan be effective and ensure good health.

Adjust substances in reasonable meals

The division into several meals a day to load 4000 calories will bring better results. The division of substances for each meal will also help you significantly.

Start with a well-balanced breakfast

A balanced breakfast of 4000 calories a day requires you to take in 1000 calories at breakfast. For breakfast, the foods you should use are easy to digest, such as oatmeal, cereals, and fruits. You should limit fat in breakfast. Instead of using a lot of fatty meat, you should use chicken and low-fat milk.

Eat a lot of protein at lunch

Even if you eat 3 meals a day and 3 snacks, each main meal should account for 800 to 1000 calories. Your lunch should contain the same number of calories. You should eat more foods low in protein, such as chicken breast, broccoli, bread, cereal, or some low-fat sauce. You can eat more fat than breakfast, but not too much. Eat plenty of protein with this meal.

Good healthy meal

Dinner on a 4,000-calorie diet should contain a variety of healthy nutrients. You should eat a variety of foods such as broccoli, fruits, and vegetables. You should avoid using red meat products high in fat in this meal. You can still eat cakes like tacos, pizza, but their ingredients must be fresh and healthy.

Enjoy the snacks

Snacks will be an important part of side meals. Each of these snacks will be about 250 to 400 calories. It helps to maximize the energy you have in your body. When to use snacks depends mainly on your plan and schedule.

However, our recommendation is to eat snacks with snacks in between meals. For example, between lunch and breakfast, lunch and dinner, and after dinner.

You can consider time and food to have healthy, filling meals with 4000 calories.

Choose nutrient-rich foods

Nutrient-rich foods will help your body recharge healthier than harmful foods. You should limit foods high in fat, unhealthy sugar or sodium, and simple carbohydrates in your meals. You should use foods that contain a lot of minerals, vitamins and proteins to provide nutrients for the body.

Drink more smoothies and juices

Smoothies and juices contain a lot of vitamins and minerals needed by the body. You can use them as a snack or serve with some other desserts. Fruits and vegetables will provide many nutrients easily tolerated and absorbed by the body for growth.

4000 Calories Meal Plan Grocery List

To make a 4000 calorie bulking meal plan or 4000 calorie meal plan for athletes, you should have a grocery list to know what foods to use. Here are some foods you should have for a perfect 4000 calorie-a-day eating plan.

What foods should be used?

Consuming 4000 calories per day from whole, unprocessed, or minimally processed foods will bring many benefits to your health. The best factor from sources like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein will provide all the nutrients your body needs.

These foods contain many nutrients but are relatively low in calories, so you can eat a much larger volume of food. Experts recommend that you use nutritious whole foods such as:

• Animal protein: salmon, chicken, turkey, bison, eggs, and lean beef, like rib or tenderloin
• Plant-based proteins: tofu, peas and chickpeas
• Grains: oats, rice, bread, pasta and quinoa
• Dairy: milk, cheese, kefir, and greek yogurt.
• Fats and oils: almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, olive and peanut oils or almond butter
• Fruits: pears, oranges, grapes, avocados, berries, apples, bananas, etc
• Vegetables: kale, peppers, zucchini, broccoli, squash, sweet potatoes, peas, tomatoes, cauliflower, etc.

Additionally, protein powders, including whey, casein, and plant-based powders such as rice, soy, or chickpeas, can be placed into smoothies for a nutrient and calorie-packed snack.

Foods that should be limited

It’s pretty easy to consume 4,000 calories from processed foods like bacon, chips, candy, cookies, sweetened cereals, and sugary drinks. These foods are delicious and high in calories, however, because these fast foods lack important nutrients for health.

Processed, nutrient-poor foods should be avoided or limited on a 4000-calorie diet such as:

• Fried foods: French fries, onion rings, donuts, cheese sticks, etc.
• Fast food: tacos, burgers, pizza, hot dogs, etc.
• Sugary foods and drinks: soda water, candy, sports drinks, sugary baked goods, sweet tea, ice cream, sweetened coffee, etc.
• Refined carbs: cookies, chips, sugary cereals, etc

The Best 4000 Calories In 1 Week Meal Plan for You

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sart	Sun
Breakfast	731 calories   2 eggs 4 slices of toast 2 tablespoons butter 180g blueberries	625 calories   4 pieces of waffles 2 tablespoons syrup 1 tablespoon low-fat cottage cheese Strawberry	750 calories   Cereals 1 cup of milk 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1 tablespoon Flax oil	715 calories   4 pieces of waffles 2 tablespoons syrup 1 tablespoon low-fat cottage cheese Strawberry 1 cup low-fat milk	750 calories   1 omelet (2 eggs, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, diced vegetables) 2 slices of bread 1 cup fat-free milk 1 orange	750 calories   1 Bagel (4 oz smoked salmon, 2 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese) 1 cup nut milk 1 pear	761 calories   1 Burrito (2 eggs, 2 egg whites, 1/2 cup salsa, 1/2 cup low-fat cheese, egg sauce) Half a grapefruit 1/2 cup seedless milk
AM snack	672 calories   275ml Nut milk 150g banana 30g peanut butter 1 cup smoothie with protein powder	600 calories   2 tablespoons Peanut butter Banana and honey sandwich (1 banana, 2 slices of bread, 2 tablespoons of honey) 1 cup of milk	500 calories   1 cup of milk 1 fruit salad 1 stick of mozzarella cheese	658 calories   1 protein shake 1 cup nut milk 1 apple	700 calories   1 can tuna 2 cups brown rice Salsa 2 plums	448 calories   1 serving of high-protein diet biscuits Cottage Cheese 1 cup apple juice	550 calories   1 oz bran (1 cup low-fat milk, dash of cinnamon and topped with 1/4 cup raisins) 2 plums
Lunch	798 calories   314g chicken breast 220g tilapia OR 285g shrimp 420g brown rice 150g cooked broccoli	700 calories   1 serving of pasta with fat-free sauce 1 vegetable salad 1 cup low-fat milk	850 calories   1 taco filled with chicken breast 1 Egg salad 1 banana 1 apple	750 calories   1 tuna sandwich (2 slices of bread, 4 oz tuna-drained, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato) 1 vegetable salad with egg sauce 1 pear	750 calories   1 bowl of brown rice 1 chicken curry with potatoes 1 bunch of small grapes	790 calories   6 oz ham (2 slices of bread, 2 oz of low-fat cheese, tomato, lettuce) Vegetable salad with yogurt sauce 1 cup low-fat milk 1 banana	720 calories   2 frozen burritos Vegetable salad 1 cup orange juice
PM snack	717 calories   60g oatmeal 1 teaspoon honey 1 apple 50g peanut butter	650 calories   Meal replacement shake (1 cup nonfat milk, 1 cup frozen blueberries, 2 tablespoons flax oil)	600 calories   1 cup yogurt 1 cup of blueberries Wheat germ 1 teaspoon honey	668 calories   1 fruit yogurt 1 protein shake	675 calories   1 glasses Berry smoothie 1 low-fat pudding	700 calories   Berries smoothie with Protein 5g nuts	525 calories   1 bowl of bean soup 1 yogurt with nuts
Dinner	1084 calories   180g cooked lean beef 440g sweet potato 150g carrots 350ml orange juice	900 calories   8oz pan-fried chicken breast Grilled Sweet Potato 1 cup Collard green 1 cup fruit juice	700 calories   6 oz grilled salmon 1 large baked sweet potato 1 bowl of fried green beans 1 cup of milk	700 calories   1 chicken cooked with chili 1 bowl of brown rice 1 banana	700 calories   9oz pork chop, grilled Boiled Cauliflower 1 bowl of brown rice	900 calories   8 oz Burger Patty (sirloin burger, on whole-wheat bun) 1 baked sweet potato 1 fruit salad with yogurt 1 cup orange juice	874 calories   7 oz tuna steak 1 cup pasta 1 cup low-fat milk 1 apple
After dinner snack	50 calories   1 cup unsweetened nut milk	525 calories   1 fruit yogurt 1 protein-rich pudding	600 calories   1 Peanut butter smoothie	458 calories   Fruit yogurt	458 calories   Fruit yogurt Vegetable salad	441 calories   Fruit yogurt 1 cup fat-free milk	536 calories   1 fruit salad 1 berry smoothie
Total intake	4052 calories	4000 calories	4000 calories	3949 calories	4033 calories	4029 calories	3966 calories

If you are still feeling confused and anxious in making a detailed plan for a 4000 calorie diet, please refer to our plan below. You can swap out some equally calorie-dense dishes for your favorite meals between the days. Please note the foods that should be used and should be limited to the plan for more perfect results!

Monday

Breakfast (731 calories)

• 2 eggs
• 4 slices of toast
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 180g blueberries

Mid-morning snack (672 calories)

• 275ml Nut milk
• 150g banana
• 30g peanut butter
• 1 cup smoothie with protein powder

Lunch (798 calories)

• 314g chicken breast
• 220g tilapia OR
• 285g shrimp
• 420g brown rice
• 150g cooked broccoli

Afternoon snack (717 calories)

• 60g oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 apple
• 50g peanut butter

Dinner (1084 calories)

• 180g cooked lean beef
• 440g sweet potato
• 150g carrots
• 350ml orange juice

After dinner snack (50 calories)

• 1 cup unsweetened nut milk

Total intake for the whole day: 4052 calories

Tuesday

Breakfast (625 calories)

• 4 pieces of waffles
• 2 tablespoons syrup
• 1 tablespoon low-fat cottage cheese
• Strawberry

Mid-morning snack (600 calories)

• 2 tablespoons Peanut butter
• Banana and honey sandwich (1 banana, 2 slices of bread, 2 tablespoons of honey)
• 1 cup of milk

Lunch (700 calories)

• 1 serving of pasta with fat-free sauce
• 1 vegetable salad
• 1 cup low-fat milk

Afternoon snack (650 calories)

• Meal replacement shake (1 cup nonfat milk, 1 cup frozen blueberries, 2 tablespoons flax oil)

Dinner (900 calories)

• 8oz pan-fried chicken breast
• Grilled Sweet Potato
• 1 cup Collard green
• 1 cup fruit juice

After dinner snack (525 calories)

• 1 fruit yogurt
• 1 protein-rich pudding

Total intake for the whole day: 4000 calories

Wednesday

Breakfast (750 calories)

• Cereals
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon Flax oil

Mid-morning snack (500 calories)

• 1 cup of milk
• 1 fruit salad
• 1 stick of mozzarella cheese

Lunch (850 calories)

• 1 taco filled with chicken breast
• 1 Egg salad
• 1 banana
• 1 apple

Afternoon snack (600 calories)

• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 cup of blueberries
• Wheat germ
• 1 tablespoon honey

Dinner (700 calories)

• 6 oz grilled salmon
• 1 large baked sweet potato
• 1 bowl of fried green beans
• 1 cup of milk

After dinner snack (600 calories)

• 1 Peanut butter smoothie

Total intake for the whole day: 4000 calories

Thursday

Breakfast (715 calories)

• 4 pieces of waffles
• 2 tablespoons syrup
• 1 tablespoon low-fat cottage cheese
• Strawberry
• 1 cup low-fat milk

Mid-morning snack (658 calories)

• 1 protein shake
• 1 cup nut milk
• 1 apple

Lunch (750 calories)

• 1 tuna sandwich (2 slices of bread, 4 oz tuna-drained, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato)
• 1 vegetable salad with egg sauce
• 1 pear

Afternoon snack (668 calories)

• 1 fruit yogurt
• 1 protein shake

Dinner (700 calories)

• 1 chicken cooked with chili
• 1 bowl of brown rice
• 1 banana

After dinner snack (458 calories)

• Fruit yogurt

Total intake for the whole day: 3949 calories

Friday

Breakfast (750 calories)

• 1 omelet (2 eggs, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, diced vegetables)
• 2 slices of bread
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 1 orange

Mid-morning snack (700 calories)

• 1 can tuna
• 2 cups brown rice
• Salsa
• 2 plums

Lunch (750 calories)

• 1 bowl of brown rice
• 1 chicken curry with potatoes
• 1 bunch of small grapes

Afternoon snack (675 calories)

• 1 glasses Berry smoothie
• 1 low-fat pudding

Dinner (700 calories)

• 9oz pork chop, grilled
• Boiled Cauliflower
• 1 bowl of brown rice

After dinner snack (458 calories)

• Fruit yogurt
• Vegetable salad

Total intake for the whole day: 4033 calories

Saturday

Breakfast (750 calories)

• 1 Bagel (4 oz smoked salmon, 2 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese)
• 1 cup nut milk
• 1 pear

Mid-morning snack (448 calories)

• 1 serving of high-protein diet biscuits
• Cottage Cheese
• 1 cup apple juice

Lunch (790 calories)

• 6 oz ham (2 slices of bread, 2 oz of low-fat cheese, tomato, lettuce)
• Vegetable salad with yogurt sauce
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1 banana

Afternoon snack (700 calories)

• Berries smoothie with Protein
• 5g nuts

Dinner (900 calories)

• 8 oz Burger Patty (sirloin burger, on whole-wheat bun)
• 1 baked sweet potato
• 1 fruit salad with yogurt
• 1 cup orange juice

After dinner snack (441 calories)

• Fruit yogurt
• 1 cup fat-free milk

Total intake for the whole day: 4029 calories

Sunday

Breakfast (761 calories)

• 1 Burrito (2 eggs, 2 egg whites, 1/2 cup salsa, 1/2 cup low-fat cheese, egg sauce)
• Half a grapefruit
• 1/2 cup seedless milk

Mid-morning snack (550 calories)

• 1 oz bran (1 cup low-fat milk, dash of cinnamon and topped with 1/4 cup raisins)
• 2 plums

Lunch (720 calories)

• 2 frozen burritos
• Vegetable salad
• 1 cup orange juice

Afternoon snack (525 calories)

• 1 bowl of bean soup
• 1 yogurt with nuts

Dinner (874 calories)

•  7 oz tuna steak
• 1 cup pasta
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1 apple

After dinner snack (536 calories)

• 1 fruit salad
• 1 berry smoothie

Total intake for the whole day: 3966 calories

Does the 4,000 calorie meal plan for gaining weight work?

Certainly yes. If you stick to this plan according to the right schedule and practice seriously, you can increase your dumbness after a short period of time. More calories and protein intake will be converted to build muscle mass in your body. What you need to absolutely pay attention to is limiting harmful fats.

Here are some foods that will help you gain weight better when eating a 4000 calorie diet:

Types of eggs

At the top of the list of foods that help you gain weight when eating, eggs are one of the foods that cannot be ignored. Eggs contain a lot of healthy ingredients such as protein, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and healthy cholesterol. So eggs not only add many nutrients to the body but also help you gain weight healthily and quickly. To help gain weight well you should eat at least 1 egg in the morning and it can quickly help you gain weight after 1 month.

Cereals

Some cereals are commonly used for weight loss, but there are many that are used for weight gain. When buying cereals, you should carefully ask the salesperson which ones are used to gain weight and which ones are not. But you should also note using grain products for the best effect.

Cheese

Cheese can be made from goat, buffalo, or cow milk, fermented and cold-brewed, so it is considered a food rich in protein, calcium, good fats, and good cholesterol. It can help you gain weight in a healthy way. You can combine cheese with many dishes such as bread, meat to gain weight effectively. However, you should also not take advantage of eating cheese to gain weight because eating too much cheese will increase cholesterol levels in the body. A moderate amount of cheese can help you gain weight reasonably, build muscle to help your body fit.

Starchy foods

When you eat starchy foods, especially rice, it will provide you with good fats, providing a great number of carbs at every meal.

FAQs

Is a high protein diet healthy?

Top Bodybuilders often use a lot of protein and eat foods that contain it to their heart’s content. This is truly a professional way of eating, and high in protein and low in junk food is a huge part of a healthy diet.

Scientific studies today have shown no adverse effects of protein on the liver, kidneys, and bones in normal healthy individuals without pre-existing medical problems! There is also no evidence that high protein intake harms lipid or blood glucose levels.

Confounding factors also abound as high protein usually means high calories. High protein levels in older people may also prevent neurological decline or age-related muscle loss. One option is to mix protein-intensive phases and protein-reducing phases. Although the study was still only in mice, that may mitigate longevity concerns.

High protein intake is not poisonous to the liver, kidneys, or bones. The concern about longevity is there, but it is difficult to study directly.

Eating a lot of protein in one meal is redundant?

The answer is no. It’s outdated to say that you can only absorb 30g of Protein per meal. Not to mention that most savvy bodybuilders consume their protein intake at multiple meals throughout the day to maximize muscle mass.

Eating more than 30-40g of protein for 1 meal is normal for everyone, not harmful. This amount of protein is not wasted anywhere. It will be absorbed by the body and converted into energy for the body.

Should I use supplements to gain muscle when doing a 4000 calorie meal plan?

At any given time, many supplements do not leave any side effects on the body. Unfortunately, this is an underrated area and often has more questions than answers. Also, I see studies pointing to the positives of supplements because they’re really good.

No trials are comparing very high versus low intake of dietary supplements. Therefore, no one knows the effects of prolonged use of such amounts. However, the chances are high that the benefits of supplements far outweigh the risks for everyone.

Conclusion

Many different dishes can help you build the perfect 4000 calorie meal plan. However, you need to look to know for sure which dish is right for you. You should also monitor your health regularly to make sure you can continue with the plan. The above are honest shares based on our experience of the 4000 calorie diet. Hopefully, our sharing will help you better. Thanks for reading!