Fuel — What to Eat, When

// 01 the targets

The numbers that matter

Everything else is detail. Hit these consistently and the body composition follows over months.

120–135 g

protein / day — the muscle-building threshold is 1.6 g/kg, benefits flatten by 2.2 g/kg. Your band: 107–145 g.

~2,400 kcal

eat around maintenance. You're lean — do not diet down. Let training reshape, not restriction.

3–4 L

water / day, especially as protein goes up.

the real gap Your current intake lands around 65–80 g protein on a good day. The whole job of the diet below is closing a ~50 g gap without turning your life into meal-prep — and the worst offender is the office canteen, which the carried lunchbox now fixes.

// 02 fuel

The daily plate

Select a day to see exactly what to eat. Auto-selects today.

Four protein anchors: breakfast → shake → lunch → dinner. Breakfast is first (warm, 08:00), shake second (sip at desk, 10:00). Everything cooked at home is vegetarian; non-veg happens only when eaten out, which lands at office lunch on Tue/Thu. Every breakfast includes 2 boiled eggs (boiled fresh each morning). Every lunch carries a side salad (cucumber + tomato + carrot + beetroot + lemon). Portions below land ~130–140 g at roughly maintenance — eat to satisfaction around the carbs/veg; the number you track is protein, not calories.

Time	Meal	What	Protein
08:00	Breakfast	Besan/moong/sprout chilla + curd + 2 boiled eggs · paneer paratha · poha/upma loaded with peanuts + sprouts · idli/dosa/uttapam + sambar · grilled sandwich. skip chowmein except as a treat nutrition 420 kcal · 31g protein · 18g fat · 31g carbs · 3g fiber Iron 2.4mg · Calcium 120mg · B12 1.0mcg	31
08:30	Veg juice	Lauki / carrot / beetroot blend nutrition 50 kcal · 2g protein · 0g fat · 10g carbs · 1g fiber Vitamin C ~30mg · Folate ~40mcg	2
10:00	Shake	Yogabar Super Muesli 50 g + ground flaxseed 10 g + pumpkin seeds 15 g + 250 ml whole milk + 1 full scoop whey. Sip at desk. nutrition 593 kcal · 46g protein · 25.5g fat · 48g carbs · 10.2g fiber Omega-3 ALA 3g · Zinc 3mg · Magnesium 189mg · Calcium 315mg · Iron 3.8mg shake breakdown Muesli 50g: 185 kcal, 7.5g P, 5.3g F, 30g C, 6.6g fiber Flaxseed 10g: 55 kcal, 1.8g P, 4.2g F, 2.8g C, 2.7g fiber Pumpkin seeds 15g: 83 kcal, 4.5g P, 7g F, 1.5g C, 0.9g fiber Whole milk 250ml: 150 kcal, 8g P, 8g F, 12g C Whey 1 scoop: 120 kcal, 24g P, 1g F, 2g C	46
12:00	Pomegranate	1 full pomegranate, mid-morning at desk nutrition 125 kcal · 2.5g protein · 1g fat · 28g carbs · 6g fiber Vitamin C 17mg · Potassium 340mg · Folate 55mcg	2.5
13:15	Lunch	1 cup dal + soya sabzi (50 g dry soya) or 100 g paneer + 2 roti + 100 g curd + salad (cucumber + tomato + carrot + beetroot + lemon) cook packs it at 07:20 or non-veg out 2–3×/wk nutrition — veg box 550 kcal · 38g protein · 8g fat · 82g carbs · 10g fiber Iron 4.5mg · Calcium 180mg · Potassium 650mg · Vitamin C 15mg (salad + lemon) nutrition — non-veg out 600 kcal · 45g protein · 15g fat · 60g carbs · 3g fiber Iron 2mg · B12 1.5mcg · Zinc 3mg nutrition — paneer biryani (Mani's, alt. Thu) 650 kcal · 18g protein · 22g fat · 65g carbs · 3g fiber Calcium 200mg · lower protein day — compensated by eggs at breakfast	38–45
17:00	Snack	Roasted chana / paneer cubes / fruit + nuts / yogurt custard (seeds + fruits). nutrition 180 kcal · 10g protein · 4g fat · 25g carbs · 5g fiber Iron 1.5mg · Zinc 1mg	10
20:30	Dinner	Veg, rotate: sabzi + dal + 2 roti + curd. 150 g paneer / tofu / soya keema / thick dal + soya / gatte / dal dhokli / lauki ke kofta. nutrition 480 kcal · 28g protein · 10g fat · 68g carbs · 8g fiber Iron 4mg · Calcium 150mg · Zinc 2mg · Magnesium 80mg	28
	Daily total	~2,350 kcal · ~80 g fat · ~290 g carbs · ~40 g fiber macro summary ~2,350 kcal · ~141g protein · ~80g fat · ~290g carbs · ~40g fiber	~141

// 03 shake recipe

The shake

Your single biggest protein hit. Make it at home, sip at your desk from 10:00.

Ingredient	Amount	Protein	kcal
Yogabar Super Muesli	50 g	7.5	185
Ground flaxseed	10 g	1.8	55
Pumpkin seeds	15 g	4.5	83
Whole milk	250 ml	8	150
Whey protein (1 full scoop)	~30 g	24	120
Total		~46 g	~593

how to take it Mix everything in a shaker/jar the night before or in the morning. Sip at your desk — no need to chug. The muesli softens in milk over 20 min. Flax = fiber + lignans (ground, fridge-stored); pumpkin = zinc. Omega-3 comes from the algal DHA cap, not the seeds (ALA→DHA conversion <1%). The fiber (10.2 g) keeps you full until lunch.

// 04 eggs

Eggs — sourcing & daily routine

Akshayakalpa free-range organic — 6-pack via BigBasket / Zepto / Blinkit every 3 days. ~₹150/6-pack (₹25/egg).

Free-range = 3–4× more vitamin D, up to 4× more omega-3 vs conventional. Protein is the same (~6.3 g/egg).

Daily routine (Philips HD9137, in hall)

07:40 — Pierce 2 eggs (flat end), fill cup to "hard" line, start boiler
07:54 — Boiler beeps → immediately transfer to cold water bowl
08:00 — Peel and eat with breakfast

Never batch-boil without a fridge. Boil only what you eat now. Store raw eggs unwashed in carton, pointed end down, coolest hall spot.

Freshness test

Float test: place egg in a glass of water. Sinks and lies flat = fresh. Stands upright = use soon. Floats = discard. Works because the air cell inside grows as the egg ages.

// 05 side salad

The side salad

Every lunch carries a side salad: cucumber + tomato + carrot + beetroot + lemon. Raw, chopped, no dressing beyond lemon. The fiber, vitamin C (lemon boosts iron absorption from dal), and potassium earn their place without adding calories.

monsoon safety During monsoon (Jul–Sep), wash all raw vegetables thoroughly under running water. Avoid pre-cut salads from outside vendors. If in doubt, lightly blanch the carrot and beetroot — the cucumber and tomato are fine raw if washed well.

// 06 dry fruit mix

Daily dry-fruit mix

Keep a jar on your desk — graze through the day. Good fats, magnesium, zinc, iron. ~180 kcal, ~5 g protein.

Item	Amount	Key nutrients
Almonds	8 pieces	Vitamin E, magnesium, fiber
Walnut halves	3 pieces	Omega-3 ALA, copper
Cashews	4 pieces	Zinc, iron, magnesium
Dates	1–2 pieces	Iron, potassium, quick energy

// 07 supplements

Supplements

Creatine + seeds daily. B12 / D / iron / magnesium per bloodwork, only if low.

Item	Dose	When	Note
Creatine monohydrate	5 g	daily · incl. rest days	ON Micronized · in shake
Flax + pumpkin seeds	10 g + 15 g	daily · in shake	True Elements · flax = fiber + lignans · pumpkin = zinc
Algal DHA	2 caps (~200 mg DHA)	daily · with a meal (fat)	Carbamide Forte Veg Omega-3 1000mg · veg diet has zero DHA
B12 · D · iron · mag	per bloodwork	—	only if low — doctor-guided

Why these — what each does for you

Item	What it does	Why you need it
Creatine	muscle power, faster recovery between sets	vegetarians carry 30–50% lower baseline muscle creatine — you respond more
Algal DHA	brain, heart, reduces inflammation, joint support	veg diet has zero DHA — body converts ALA→DHA at <1%
Flaxseed	fiber (2.7 g), lignans (antioxidant), gut health	not for omega-3 — fiber + lignans are the real value
Pumpkin seeds	zinc (1.5 mg), magnesium, iron	zinc is a real gap on veg diets — immunity, recovery

Seeds — storage & usage

Seed	Qty	Job	How
Flaxseed	10 g	fiber + lignans	must be ground (whole seeds pass undigested) · store in fridge/freezer (oils oxidize fast)
Pumpkin seeds	15 g	zinc	raw, as-is · shelf-stable

Both go in the daily shake. They are not an omega-3 source — ALA→DHA conversion is <1%. Your omega-3 comes from the algal DHA cap.

// 08 protein toolkit

Protein toolkit — memorize these

soya chunks (dry) ~52 g/100g · paneer ~18–20 g/100g · whey ~24 g/scoop
chicken breast ~27–31 g/100g · eggs (Akshayakalpa free-range) ~6.3 g each · curd ~10 g/100g
cooked dal ~8–9 g/cup (thin dal is mostly water — people overestimate this) · milk ~8 g/glass · roasted chana ~7 g/30g

yogurt / curd note Daily curd: Akshayakalpa (organic, best probiotics). For higher protein: Epigamia Greek yogurt (~7.2 g/100g) or Milky Mist Greek (~7–8 g/100g) — use for yogurt custard snack (Week 2/3 Wed) and optionally on low-protein sabzi nights. Regular curd is only ~3–4 g/100g.

// 09 hydration

Hydration

3–4 L water per day, especially as protein intake goes up. Keep a bottle at your desk and refill it — most people undershoot because they wait for thirst.

A banana around training (~30 min before badminton/strength, or with the post-workout shake) provides energy + potassium for cramps. Nariyal pani is electrolyte hydration — best after sweating, which the Sunday post-gym timing nails. Prefer whole fruit over juice; don't overload the sugary ones.

// 10 read this

The honest caveats

1 · Diet permits muscle; training builds it. The food closes your protein gap, but the growth comes from progressive overload + going near failure. Neither alone is enough.

2 · Belly fat doesn't spot-reduce. No amount of core work burns it directly. It comes off as overall body fat drifts down at maintenance calories while muscle goes up — slow, months-long, sustainable.

3 · I'm not a dietitian or doctor. At a healthy weight with no flagged conditions this is low-risk, but if you get bloodwork or have specific concerns, a registered professional is the right call.

// 11 nutrition audit

RDA vs your plate

What a healthy 26y Indian male (67 kg, active) needs vs what this diet delivers. Based on ICMR-NIN 2020 + ISSN sports nutrition guidelines. Update the "you get" column after blood work.

Macronutrients

Nutrient	RDA	You get	Status	Note
Calories	~2710 kcal	~2350 kcal	✓ mild deficit	Recomp sweet spot — fat loss while muscle preserved
Protein	107–134 g (1.6–2.0 g/kg)	~140 g	✓ optimal	ICMR says 56 g (sedentary) — irrelevant for your load
Carbs	340–405 g	~290 g	✓ adequate	Lower-mid range, correct for recomp. Add roti/banana if energy flags.
Fat	60–75 g (20–25%)	~80 g	✓ fine	Slightly above — from nuts, eggs, paneer, cooking oil. Not a concern.
Omega-3 ALA	2.2 g	~3.0 g	✓ covered	Flaxseed in shake (2.3 g) + muesli seeds (0.65 g)
Omega-3 DHA/EPA	250–500 mg	~200 mg	∼ adequate	Carbamide Forte Veg Omega-3 1000mg ×2 caps/day. Without supplement: zero.
Fiber	40 g	~30–35 g	∼ borderline	Dal + roti + sabzi + muesli. Add salad consistently to reach 40 g.

Vitamins

Vitamin	RDA	You get	Status	Key sources in your diet
A	1000 mcg	~800–1000	✓	Sabzis (lauki, palak, carrot in salad), curd, eggs
B1 / Thiamine	1.4 mg	~1.5	✓	Whole wheat roti, dal, muesli
B2 / Riboflavin	2.0 mg	~1.8	✓	Milk, curd, eggs, whey, almonds
B3 / Niacin	14 mg	~16	✓	Peanuts, dal, chicken (out-lunch days)
B5 / Pantothenic	5 mg	~5–6	✓	Eggs, dal, curd, mushrooms
B6	1.9 mg	~2.0	✓	Chickpeas, banana, poha, chicken
B9 / Folate	300 mcg	~280–320	✓	Dal (esp. masoor), green sabzis, beetroot in salad
B12	2.2 mcg	~2.5–3.0	∼ borderline	Eggs (1.0), milk (1.0), curd (0.4). Supplemented 2–3×/wk. Get blood test.
C	80 mg	~60–90	✓	Salad (tomato, lemon), pomegranate, veg juice. Variable — depends on salad consistency.
D	600 IU (15 mcg)	~2000 IU	✓ supplemented	D3 2000 IU daily. Without supplement: almost certainly deficient (office worker).
E	10 mg	~10–12	✓	Almonds, pumpkin seeds, cooking oil, muesli
K	55 mcg	~80–100	✓	Green sabzis (palak, beans, lauki leaves)

Minerals

Mineral	RDA	You get	Status	Key sources / action
Calcium	1000 mg	~900–1100	✓	Milk 500ml (600), curd (250), paneer, roti. Heavy dairy covers it.
Iron	19 mg	~14–18	∼ borderline	Masoor dal (3.7), eggs (2.4), roti (2), chana. Non-heme — pair with lemon/vitamin C. Get ferritin tested.
Zinc	17 mg	~10–13	✗ low	Pumpkin seeds (1.2), dal (1.5), eggs (1.2), cashews. Phytates block 40–60%. Supplement via ZMA or more pumpkin seeds.
Magnesium	440 mg	~250–300	✗ low	Pumpkin seeds (82), muesli (80), dal (40), roti (30). Supplemented 200 mg before bed.
Phosphorus	1000 mg	~1100	✓	Dal, paneer, milk, eggs, roti. Abundant in Indian diet.
Potassium	3510 mg	~2000–2500	∼ low	Banana, coconut water, dal, pomegranate, potato. Add 1 banana daily + coconut water on badminton days.
Sodium	<2000 mg	~2500–3500	∼ high	Indian cooking uses 8–10 g salt/day. Not critical at your activity level (sweat losses), but don’t add extra salt at table.
Selenium	40 mcg	~35–45	✓	Whole grains (atta, muesli), eggs, mushrooms
Iodine	150 mcg	~150–200	✓	Iodized salt. Covered if you use it.
Copper	2 mg	~1.5–2.0	✓	Cashews, lentils, sesame, dark chocolate
Manganese	4 mg	~3.5–4.5	✓	Whole grains, nuts, tea, muesli
Chromium	50 mcg	~30–50	✓	Whole grains, broccoli, dal

Hydration

Item	Target	You get	Status
Total water	3.0–3.5 L/day	3–4 L	✓
Badminton days	+500 ml/hour of play	Coconut water post-game	✓

action items from this audit ✗ Fix: Zinc (more pumpkin seeds or ZMA supplement) · Magnesium (supplement 200 mg/day — already in plan)
∼ Watch: Iron + B12 + Potassium — get blood work (ferritin, serum B12, 25-OH vitamin D) and update this table with real values
✓ Covered: Protein, calories, carbs, fat, omega-3, calcium, phosphorus, all other vitamins and minerals

Source: ICMR-NIN 2020 RDA for Indian adult males + ISSN 2017 position stand for active individuals. “You get” column is estimated from the 3-week meal plan — update after blood report.