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  • How Much Protein to Build Muscle After 50 (It’s More Than You Think)

    How Much Protein to Build Muscle After 50 (It’s More Than You Think)

    BlogMuscle After 5011 min read

    How Much Protein to Build Muscle After 50 (It’s More Than You Think)

    The RDA was never a muscle number, and anabolic resistance means your muscle needs a bigger dose after 50 — here’s how much protein it actually takes.

    Magnus Olafsson
    Magnus Olafsson
    Aug 4, 2026
    How Much Protein to Build Muscle After 50 (It's More Than You Think)

    If you want to know how much protein to build muscle after 50, here’s the honest answer up front: more than the government number, more than you were told, and more than most men your age actually eat. The old RDA of 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight was never a muscle-building number. It was a floor — the minimum to keep a sedentary person from slowly wasting away. It was never meant to grow anything.

    Building muscle after 50 sits well above that floor, and the gap gets wider with every birthday. There’s a physical reason for it, and once you understand it, the plate makes sense. If you want the full eating picture first, start with my complete guide to building muscle after 50 — this piece goes deep on one number that matters more than any other: protein.

    I’m 40. I’ve been on TRT since I was 35, and I already feel the difference from my competition days back in Sweden. The same food does less than it used to. Past 50, that curve gets steeper. So let’s put real numbers on it — per day, per meal, and on the plate — and let’s put the tired kidney fear to bed while we’re here.

    The 0.8 number was never about muscle

    The RDA — 0.8 g/kg — is a public-health minimum. It answers one question: how little protein can a healthy adult eat and not lose ground? That’s a survival number, not a growth number. Nobody built a set of shoulders on it.

    Here’s the part that gets buried: the RDA fails older lifters harder than anyone. It was set on nitrogen-balance studies that lean young. When researchers pooled the modern evidence for older adults, they landed somewhere else entirely. The PROT-AGE expert group — the position paper most geriatric nutrition leans on — put healthy older adults at 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg per day, active older adults at 1.2 g/kg or more, and older adults dealing with illness at 1.2 to 1.5 g/kg.[1] That’s not a small bump. For a 90 kg man (about 198 lb), the RDA says 72 grams. The active-aging recommendation says 108 and up. Same man, a 50 percent difference — and the higher number is the one built on the newer science.

    Anabolic resistance: why muscle listens less after 50

    The reason older men need more protein has a name: anabolic resistance. Your muscle still responds to protein — it just responds less, to the same dose, than it did when you were 25. Feed a young man and an older man the identical amount of protein, and the young man’s muscle-protein synthesis switches on harder. The older man’s muscle is a little deaf. It needs a bigger knock to open the door.

    The clearest measurement of this came from a study that fed men graded doses of protein and measured how hard their muscle turned on. To maximally stimulate myofibrillar protein synthesis, younger men (around 22) needed about 0.24 g/kg of bodyweight in a meal. Older men (around 71) needed about 0.40 g/kg — roughly two-thirds more protein per meal to hit the same ceiling.[2] That single finding is why “just eat the RDA” quietly betrays men over 50. The RDA assumes an efficient machine. After 50, the machine costs more to run.

    Chart showing anabolic resistance: older men need 0.40 g/kg of protein per meal versus 0.24 g/kg for younger men to build muscle after 50
    Chart showing anabolic resistance: older men need 0.40 g/kg of protein per meal versus 0.24 g/kg for younger men to build muscle after 50

    Two things drive this. First, aging muscle is less sensitive to the amino acid leucine — the specific trigger that flips the growth switch. Second, blood flow and nutrient delivery to muscle drop with age. Neither one means you can’t build. Both mean you need a stronger signal. And the way you send a stronger signal is more protein, in the right size dose, more often.

    How much protein per day to build muscle after 50

    Stack the active-aging recommendation on top of what we know about anabolic resistance, and a working daily target for a man over 50 who’s lifting to build muscle lands around 1.4 to 1.6 g/kg of bodyweight — the top of the expert band and a little past it. Not because more is magic, but because your muscle is charging you a tax and you’re paying it with food.

    Protein per kg over 50 is the cleanest way to set the number, so here’s the math laid out by bodyweight:

    BodyweightRDA (0.8 g/kg) — the floorActive aging (1.2 g/kg)Lifting to build (1.6 g/kg)
    70 kg (154 lb)56 g84 g112 g
    82 kg (180 lb)66 g98 g131 g
    90 kg (198 lb)72 g108 g144 g
    100 kg (220 lb)80 g120 g160 g

    Look at that right-hand column and then think about what most men over 50 actually eat: a splash of milk in coffee, a sandwich, a normal dinner. That’s often 70 or 80 grams on a good day — the survival floor, dressed up as “eating fine.” No wonder the muscle won’t come. You’re feeding it to maintain, then wondering why it won’t grow.

    Magnus’s rule

    If you’re lifting after 50 and the scale by the bathroom sink says 90 kg, your protein target isn’t 70 grams. It’s closer to 140. Write it on the fridge. That one number does more than any supplement in the cabinet.

    The number that matters more than the daily total: per meal

    Here’s where most men go wrong even when the daily total is right. They eat almost nothing until dinner, then land 90 grams on one plate at 8 p.m. The daily math checks out. The muscle-building doesn’t — because there’s a per-meal ceiling, and after 50 that ceiling sits higher.

    Remember the 0.40 g/kg figure. That’s the per-meal dose an older man needs to fully switch on muscle-protein synthesis.[2] For a 90 kg man, that’s about 36 grams in a sitting — call it a clean 30 to 40 grams, every meal, with enough leucine in it to trip the switch. Leucine is why animal proteins, dairy, and whey pull their weight here: they’re leucine-dense, so they clear the older man’s higher bar more easily. In the trial that fed sarcopenic older adults a leucine-enriched whey protein, muscle mass and lower-body function both improved over 13 weeks.[3] The trigger is real, and it’s buyable at the grocery store — meat, eggs, dairy, fish.

    Go below that per-meal dose and the meal barely registers for growth. Pile way above it in one sitting and you don’t get a bigger response — you just top out, and the rest gets used for energy or stored. That’s the case for spreading protein across the day instead of hoarding it for dinner.

    Spread it out: four solid doses beat one big one

    The practical version of everything above: aim for roughly four meals of 30 to 40 grams, spaced across your waking hours. Four times you clear the per-meal threshold. Four times your muscle gets the full signal. That’s a fundamentally different day from grazing all afternoon and feasting at night.

    Diagram of a day's protein for building muscle after 50: four meals of about 40 grams each totalling 160 grams, breakfast to bedtime
    Diagram of a day’s protein for building muscle after 50: four meals of about 40 grams each totalling 160 grams, breakfast to bedtime

    Front-load it. Older men tend to eat the least protein at breakfast and the most at dinner — exactly backwards. A real breakfast changes the day. My steak and eggs with spinach lands 40-plus grams before you’ve done anything, and it holds you till lunch. A tuna salad power bowl does the same job at midday without cooking. And the meal men forget is the last one — a slow-digesting dose before bed keeps the signal going overnight. That’s what my casein-loaded overnight oats are built for, and on a lazy night a bowl of my high-protein cottage cheese bowl does it in two minutes flat.

    Best protein sources over 50, and what 40 grams looks like on a plate

    The best protein sources over 50 are the leucine-dense, easy-to-chew, easy-to-digest ones: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy up front, with beans and soy backing them up. The goal isn’t exotic. It’s hitting 30 to 40 grams a meal without a struggle. Here’s what that actually looks like, with real numbers:

    FoodProtein per typical servingTo hit ~40 g
    Cooked chicken breast~31 g per 100 g[5]a 5–6 oz cooked breast
    Lean (90/10) ground beef, cooked~26 g per 100 ga 6 oz cooked patty
    Canned tuna in water, drained~30 g per 5 oz can1 can plus a boiled egg
    Large eggs~6 g each3 eggs + 2 oz cheese, or eggs + yogurt
    Low-fat cottage cheese~25 g per cup1.5 cups, or 1 cup + a scoop of whey
    Greek yogurt, nonfat~17 g per container2 containers, or 1 + a scoop
    Whey protein~24 g per scoop1.5 scoops, or 1 scoop + milk
    Kitchen math

    Forty grams of protein is a real amount of food — a full chicken breast, not a garnish. If a “high-protein” meal fits in your palm, it isn’t one. This is why men undershoot without knowing it: they picture protein, but they plate a portion built for the RDA. Weigh it once or twice. You’ll recalibrate your eye fast.

    A note for the men who can’t chew a steak three times a day, or whose appetite isn’t what it was: this is exactly where a scoop of whey, a tub of Greek yogurt, or blended cottage cheese earns its place. Soft, fast, leucine-rich protein counts every bit as much as the plate that took effort. After 50, getting the grams in beats being a hero about it.

    “But is all that protein bad for my kidneys?”

    You’ve heard it your whole life, probably from a well-meaning doctor or a brother-in-law: too much protein wrecks your kidneys. For a man with healthy kidneys, the evidence doesn’t back it. A systematic review and meta-analysis pooling dozens of trials found that higher-protein diets did not adversely change kidney function — measured as glomerular filtration rate — in healthy adults.[4] Yes, a high-protein diet raises filtration rate in the short term. That’s your kidneys working, the way your legs work harder on a hill. It isn’t damage, and when the researchers compared the actual change in function, there was no difference.

    The honest exception matters, so I’ll say it plainly. If you already have chronic kidney disease, the rules change — protein does get managed in that situation, and that’s a conversation for your doctor and a dietitian, not a blog. And whatever you run, whatever your age, get your bloodwork done. I say that as a man who checks his own. Know your numbers before you change your plate.

    The honest line

    This is nutrition from a cook and a lifter, not medical advice. I don’t diagnose and I don’t prescribe. If you have kidney disease, diabetes, or any medical condition — or you’re on medication — talk to your doctor before you overhaul your protein. Food is powerful. Respect it.

    When I was competing back in Sweden — the B&K Classic, the Grand Prix stage — I weighed my protein to the gram because the stage doesn’t forgive lazy math. I was in my twenties then, and honestly, my body forgave a lot; the muscle came easy and it stayed. Then I hit 35, went on TRT, and something shifted that no dose fixes: the same food just did less. My appetite would drop on a heavier run and I’d coast on too little without noticing. That was my first real taste of the thing this whole article is about. I’m 40 now. I already eat like the older man in that research, because the mirror doesn’t lie and neither do the numbers. If it’s already true for me, big man, it’s true for you — and the fix isn’t a compound. It’s the plate.

    None of this is complicated. It’s just bigger than you were told. Set your daily target by your bodyweight, hit 30 to 40 grams four times a day, lean on the leucine-dense foods, and stop fearing your own kidneys. Do that consistently and the muscle comes — slower than at 25, but it comes.

    If you’d rather not do the arithmetic yourself, that’s what I’m here for. Grab my free eating plan and I’ll set the protein target and the four-meal structure for you, or browse the recipe kitchen and build your own day of 40-gram plates. Either way — you’re going to eat well, and I’ve got you.

    Questions men actually ask

    How much protein per day for a 55-year-old man building muscle?

    Set it by bodyweight, not by age. For a man over 50 lifting to build muscle, aim for about 1.4 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram per day — the top of the active-aging recommendation and a little past it. A 90 kg (198 lb) man lands around 130 to 145 grams; a 100 kg (220 lb) man, around 145 to 160. That’s well above the 0.8 g/kg RDA, which was never a muscle-building number.

    Is 100 grams of protein enough after 50?

    For most lifting men over 50, no. A hundred grams is fine maintenance for a smaller or lightly active man, but if you weigh 90 kg and you’re training to grow, your target is closer to 140. The bigger and more active you are, the more 100 grams undershoots. Check it against your own bodyweight rather than treating 100 as a finish line.

    Is too much protein bad for your kidneys?

    For a man with healthy kidneys, the evidence says no — a meta-analysis of dozens of trials found higher-protein diets did not harm kidney function in healthy adults. The short-term rise in filtration rate is the kidney working, not the kidney failing. The real exception is existing chronic kidney disease, where protein is managed with your doctor. Get bloodwork, know your numbers, then eat.

    What are the best protein sources over 50?

    The leucine-dense, easy-to-digest ones: lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, and whey lead the list, with beans and soy backing them up. Leucine is the amino acid that triggers muscle growth, and after 50 you need a stronger trigger — so animal and dairy proteins clear the bar more easily. If chewing or appetite is a limit, whey, Greek yogurt, and cottage cheese count just as much as a steak.

    Does protein timing matter more after 50?

    Spacing matters more than clock-precision. Because older muscle needs a bigger per-meal dose to fully respond — about 0.40 g/kg, versus 0.24 for younger men — you get more growth from four meals of 30 to 40 grams than from one huge dinner. Front-load breakfast, hit each meal’s threshold, and add a slow protein like casein or cottage cheese before bed. That beats obsessing over a post-workout window.

    References

    1. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association — Bauer et al., Evidence-Based Recommendations for Optimal Dietary Protein Intake in Older People: A Position Paper From the PROT-AGE Study Group (2013)
    2. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A — Moore et al., Protein Ingestion to Stimulate Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis Requires Greater Relative Protein Intakes in Healthy Older Versus Younger Men (2015)
    3. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association — Bauer et al., Effects of a Vitamin D and Leucine-Enriched Whey Protein Nutritional Supplement on Measures of Sarcopenia in Older Adults (the PROVIDE Study) (2015)
    4. The Journal of Nutrition — Devries et al., Changes in Kidney Function Do Not Differ between Healthy Adults Consuming Higher- Compared with Lower- or Normal-Protein Diets: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2018)
    5. USDA FoodData Central — Food composition data, Agricultural Research Service (accessed 2026)
    The honest fine print: I’m a cook and a lifter, not your doctor. Nothing here is medical advice, and nothing here tells you how to obtain or use any substance — that conversation belongs to you, your bloodwork, and a physician. Full details: Nutrition Disclaimer · Medical Disclaimer.
    Magnus Olafsson, the cook behind Slim Diet Era
    Written by

    Magnus Olafsson

    The cook behind Slim Diet Era. Former Swedish stage competitor (B&K Classic Body Show, Swedish Grand Prix), on TRT since 35, cooking high-protein food in Chicago for his husband, two kids, and you. He counts the macros so you don’t have to.

    More about Magnus →

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  • 100g-Protein Meal-Prep Containers

    100g-Protein Meal-Prep Containers

    Recipe · Meal Prep / High-protein / Batch

    100g-Protein Meal-Prep Containers (One Cook, Whole Day)

    One steady Sunday cook that hands you a full 100 grams of protein across the day, boxed and ready — chicken, lean beef, rice, roasted veg and a soft-boiled egg, split into containers so a big number stops feeling like a mountain. Around 900 calories across the day’s boxes, the macros already counted. This is the prep I lean on when life gets loud and I still want to eat well.

    By Magnus Olafsson Updated 28 June 2026 Tested 50+ times
    GoalPrep
    Total time75 min
    Makes1 full day, 3 boxes
    Protein / day100 g
    Calories / day900 kcal
    Three meal-prep containers lined up — chicken, lean beef, rice, roasted vegetables and a soft-boiled egg, portioned under cold light Prep 01 / Boxed

    The first time someone told me to eat 100 grams of protein in a day, I nearly laughed. Not because it’s hard — it isn’t, once you know the trick — but because of how it’s always sold. As a chore. As a punishment. As one of those things you “have to” do, said by someone who clearly doesn’t want you to enjoy a single bite of it. I was about fifteen years into training by then, prepping for a winter of solid work, and I remember sitting in my cold little Stockholm kitchen thinking: there has to be a kinder way to do this. So I started boxing it instead of dreading it.

    That’s all this prep really is, love. A big number, broken into three calm meals you can actually look forward to. I cook everything in one go on a Sunday — chicken in the oven, lean beef in the pan, a pot of rice, a tray of veg, a couple of eggs gently boiled — and then I split it into containers so that by the time Tuesday lunch rolls around, hitting 100 grams of protein is just lifting a lid. No maths at the desk. No panic at 9pm. The whole day’s protein is already done and waiting for you.

    I make this for myself most weeks, and I’ve made it for people who’d never weighed an ingredient in their life and were sure they couldn’t possibly eat “that much protein.” They could. They did. And they came back the next week asking how to do it again. That’s the bit I love. Not the macros — the look on someone’s face when a scary number turns out to be three nice meals in a box. I’ve got you on this one.

    01Who it’s for & when to eat it

    This is built for the person who knows they should hit their protein but keeps losing the war at lunchtime. Cook once, eat all day, no decisions to make when you’re tired. Here’s how I steer the three boxes depending on what you’re chasing.

    On a cut

    Trim the rice

    Keep the protein boxes exactly as they are and cut the rice down to a half portion across the day. You keep all 100g of protein and a big plate of veg for satiety, and the calories drop toward 720. Volume stays high; that’s the whole point on a cut.

    On a bulk

    Add easy calories

    Same protein, more around it. A bigger scoop of rice in each box, a drizzle of olive oil over the veg, a piece of fruit on the side. You’ll clear 1,300+ calories across the day with the same lean base — clean, not heavy.

    On TRT

    Steady through the day

    Three even meals spread the protein and energy out, which keeps you full and supports recovery without a giant evening overshoot. Lean protein plus a fist of carbs in each box is a calm, dependable way to fuel a normal working day.

    Timing: I split it three ways — a box for late morning, one mid-afternoon, one for the evening — but it’s yours to spread however your day runs. Eat a box around training if that suits you; the protein and carbs sit nicely either side of a session.

    02Ingredients

    Makes one full day — 3 boxes, totalling 100g protein and about 900 calories. Cooking for the whole week? Multiply every line by however many days you’re prepping and keep the proportions the same.

    Per box ~33g protein · adjust on the live recipe card
    • Chicken breast, skinless200 g · 7.1 oz
    • Lean beef mince, 5% fat150 g · 5.3 oz
    • Egg soft-boiled1 large
    • White rice, dry120 g · 4.2 oz
    • Broccoli florets200 g · 7.1 oz
    • Bell peppers, sliced150 g · 5.3 oz
    • Olive oil2 tsp · 10 ml
    • Garlic, grated2 cloves
    • Smoked paprika1 tsp
    • Soy sauce, low-sodium1 tbsp · 15 ml
    • Black pepperto taste
    • Saltto taste (go light)

    Swaps I actually use: turkey mince or extra chicken works in place of the beef if you want the day leaner. No white rice? Swap in jasmine, basmati, or cooked quinoa one-for-one. For more fibre, run the rice half-and-half with brown rice. Vegetarian? Drop the meat and lean on a block of firm tofu and a scoop of Greek yoghurt to keep the protein up — the structure of the prep stays exactly the same.

    03Step by step

    Get organised

    Three containers, one clear bench

    Pull out three meal-prep containers and a clear stretch of bench. Set the oven to 190°C (375°F). This is a one-cook prep, so having everything to hand before you start is half the battle — you’ll be running the oven, a pot and a pan at once.

    Magnus says: prep is calmer when the kitchen is. Clear the decks first.

    Three empty meal-prep containers and ingredients laid out on a clear bench under cold light
    The chicken

    Season and roast the breast

    Pat the chicken breast dry, rub it with half the garlic, the smoked paprika, black pepper and a light pinch of salt. Roast at 190°C for 22–26 minutes until it hits 74°C / 165°F in the centre. Rest it five minutes, then slice or cube.

    Magnus says: a dry surface and a hot oven gives you colour. Colour is flavour.

    Seasoned chicken breast roasting on a tray
    The beef

    Brown the lean mince

    While the chicken roasts, brown the 5% beef mince in a dry hot pan — no oil needed, it has enough of its own. Break it up, let it catch a little colour, then stir in the remaining garlic and the low-sodium soy. Cook until no pink remains.

    Lean beef mince browning in a pan with garlic and soy
    The rice

    Cook the rice, fluff and cool

    Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then cook it however you normally do — pot, rice cooker, whatever you’ve got. Fluff it with a fork and spread it on a plate to cool a little before boxing. Cooling it spread out keeps it from going gluey.

    Cooked white rice fluffed and spread on a plate to cool
    The veg

    Roast broccoli and peppers

    Toss the broccoli and peppers with the olive oil, a little black pepper and a light pinch of salt, spread them on a tray and roast alongside the chicken for the last 18–20 minutes until the edges char. Roasting beats boiling here — it survives the fridge far better.

    Magnus says: boiled veg turns sad by Tuesday. Roasted veg holds up all week.

    Broccoli and peppers roasting on a tray with charred edges
    The egg

    Soft-boil one egg

    Lower the egg into gently boiling water for 7 minutes for a just-set yolk, then straight into cold water. Peel it once cool. One egg is your little extra hit of protein and a nice change of texture in the box.

    A peeled soft-boiled egg halved to show a just-set yolk
    Portion

    Split it evenly across three boxes

    Divide everything across the three containers — roughly a third of the chicken, beef, rice and veg in each, with the halved egg shared between two of them. Even portions mean even macros, so each box lands near 33g of protein and 300 calories. Cool fully, lids on, into the fridge.

    Magnus says: cool it before the lid goes on. Trapped steam is what turns prep soggy.

    Three finished meal-prep boxes filled with chicken, beef, rice, roasted veg and egg

    04The spec sheet

    Real numbers, calculated — not guessed. The full day makes 3 boxes, about 900g of food total. Here’s what one box (about 300g) and a flat 100g actually give you, plus the day’s headline of 100g protein.

    Macros — per box & per 100g
    NutrientPer boxPer 100g
    Energy300 kcal100 kcal
    Protein33.3 g11.1 g
    Carbohydrate30.0 g10.0 g
    — of which sugars3.2 g1.1 g
    Fat5.6 g1.9 g
    — of which saturates1.5 g0.5 g
    Fibre3.0 g1.0 g
    Sodium~0.34 g~0.11 g
    Calorie density
    100 kcal / 100g

    Low for a complete meal. That’s the magic of a high-protein, veg-heavy box — you get a genuinely full plate for a modest calorie count, which is exactly what you want whether you’re holding or losing.

    Protein per 100 kcal
    11.1 g / 100 kcal

    A lifter’s metric. Strong for a full meal with rice and veg in it — most of the energy you’re eating is doing protein’s job, which is exactly the point of a prep like this.

    Key micros (per box, approx.)
    • Vitamin C~70 mg · 78% DV
    • Selenium~32 µg · 58% DV
    • Vitamin B6~0.7 mg · 41% DV
    • Niacin (B3)~9 mg · 56% DV
    • Zinc~3.4 mg · 31% DV
    • Iron~2.3 mg · 13% DV

    Macros are calculated from standard food-composition data and will shift a little with your exact ingredients and brands. Micronutrient figures are estimates against general adult Daily Values. Numbers are for guidance, not medical advice — see our Nutrition Disclaimer.

    05Bulk / Cut / TRT variations

    One prep, three jobs. The protein base stays the same — you move the rice and the fat around it. Macros below are per box (a third of the day), adjusted for each goal.

    Cut

    The lean default

    Keep every gram of protein and the full tray of veg, but halve the rice across the boxes. Maximum food on the plate, calories pulled down. This is how I run it when I want the scale moving and still want to feel full at my desk.

    240Kcal
    33G Protein
    5G Fat
    Bulk

    Build it up

    Same protein, a bigger scoop of rice in each box and a teaspoon of olive oil over the veg. Add a piece of fruit on the side if you want it. Clean, calorie-dense, and easy to eat across a busy day.

    440Kcal
    34G Protein
    10G Fat
    TRT

    Steady & balanced

    The standard box, spread evenly across the day. Moderate carbs, lean protein, a little healthy fat from the egg and oil. Full, steady energy without a big evening overshoot.

    300Kcal
    33G Protein
    6G Fat

    06Meal prep & storage

    This whole recipe is a prep, so storage is the main event. Cool everything fully before the lids go on, label the boxes if you’re making several days at once, and treat the rice with a little respect — it’s the one component that doesn’t love being left at room temperature.

    Fridge
    4 days

    Boxed and sealed, the chicken, beef and veg hold beautifully for four days. Cook a Sunday batch and you’re sorted through Wednesday or Thursday.

    Freezer
    2 months

    The protein and rice freeze well; freeze the veg too, knowing it softens a little on thaw. Cool fully, freeze flat, thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

    Reheat
    3 min

    Microwave the box for 2–3 minutes, stirring once, with a splash of water over the rice to bring it back. Add the egg cold after reheating so it doesn’t go rubbery.

    A note on rice, because I’d be a poor cook not to say it: cool it quickly, keep it cold, eat it within a few days, and only reheat it once until it’s piping hot. Treated kindly, rice is the backbone of cheap, easy prep all week long.

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    07Common questions

    Is 100g of protein a day right for me? +

    It depends on your size, your training and your goals, so I can’t put a number on you from here — that’s a conversation for you and a doctor or dietitian if you want one. What I can tell you is that 100g is a common, sensible target for many active adults, and this prep is just a calm way to reach it if it’s the number you’re working toward. Adjust the portions to fit your own plan.

    Can I make a whole week at once? +

    Yes, with a small caveat. Cooked chicken, beef and rice are best eaten within about four days in the fridge, so for a full seven days I cook half fresh and freeze the rest, thawing two days’ worth at a time. That way nothing sits too long and every box still tastes like food, not leftovers.

    How do I keep the rice from going hard? +

    Two things. Cool it spread out rather than in a lump, and when you reheat, add a splash of water over the rice before it goes in the microwave. The steam loosens it right back up. A lid or a damp paper towel over the box while it heats helps too.

    Can I make this vegetarian and still hit the protein? +

    You can. Swap the chicken and beef for a block of firm tofu, browned hard, plus a generous scoop of Greek yoghurt or a vegetarian protein source you like across the day. You’ll need a touch more volume to reach 100g without meat, but the box structure — protein, rice, veg — stays exactly the same.

    Do I have to eat it cold? +

    Not at all — reheat it. A couple of minutes in the microwave with a splash of water over the rice brings the whole box back to life. I add the soft-boiled egg cold after reheating, since eggs go rubbery if you blast them, but everything else is happiest warm.

    From my 7-day plans

    This prep is the backbone of a full week of meals.

    These boxes are the engine room of my meal plans — seven days of high-protein meals with the macros counted and the grocery list written. You pick the goal; I do the maths and the cooking order.

    See the meal plans →
    A week of meal-prep boxes laid out and portioned under cold light

    08Pairs well with

    Five containers of chicken, rice and roasted veg lined up under cold light

    Chicken, rice and veg prep (5 days)

    48G Protein
    520Calories
    Beef and rice meal-prep bowls portioned under cold light

    Beef and rice meal-prep bowls

    50G Protein
    640Calories
    Sheet-pan chicken and roasted vegetables fresh from the oven under cold light

    Sheet-pan chicken and vegetables

    47G Protein
    480Calories

    Browse all recipes →

    Magnus Olafsson in his kitchen — bald, bearded and broad, in his pink apron, under cold light
    About the author

    Magnus Olafsson

    I’m Magnus — twenty years under the iron, from a cold gym in Stockholm to the classic-physique stage, and now mostly in my kitchen in a pink apron. I’ve cut for shows, bulked through winters, and I’ve been on TRT since I was thirty-five. I know what it takes to eat for the body you’re chasing, and I know it shouldn’t come with a side of shame.

    Everything here is food I actually cook and macros I actually count. I don’t diagnose, I don’t promise, and I never make a number up. I just feed you well and tell you the truth.

    B&K Classic Body Show Swedish Grand Prix · Super Series On TRT since 35 20 years training

    Slim Diet Era shares recipes and general nutrition information. It is not medical or dietetic advice, and we do not provide guidance on obtaining or using any controlled substance. See our Medical Disclaimer and Nutrition Disclaimer.

  • Anabolic Banana Bread

    Anabolic Banana Bread

    Recipe · Anabolic / Breakfast / High-protein

    Anabolic Banana Bread

    A proper banana bread loaf, built to feed a lifter — ripe bananas, oat flour, a scoop of protein and a spoon of Greek yoghurt for the crumb. About 20 grams of protein and 290 calories a slice, and it lasts you the whole week. Sturdy, soft, honestly sweet. This is the loaf I keep on the counter, love, and I want you to have it.

    By Magnus Olafsson Updated 28 June 2026 Tested 31 times
    GoalAnabolic
    Total time65 min
    Servings8 slices
    Protein / serving20 g
    Calories / serving290 kcal
    A sliced loaf of high-protein banana bread, golden-topped and soft inside, plated under cold light Plate 01 / Finished

    Every week there are three or four bananas on my counter going past the point where anyone wants to eat them — soft, freckled, a little sad-looking. My partner won’t touch them once they turn. I can’t bear to bin them. So years ago I started turning that little graveyard of fruit into a loaf, and somewhere along the way I taught it to carry real protein. Now those forgotten bananas are the best thing in my kitchen by Wednesday.

    This is not a sad, dry, sawdust loaf. I want to be clear about that, because protein baking has a bad name and it earned most of it. The trick is the yoghurt and the egg whites keeping the crumb tender, the oat flour for body, and only enough protein powder to do the job — not so much it turns to chalk. What comes out is soft, properly banana-sweet, and it slices clean. A slice gives you around 20 grams of protein for 290 calories, which is a genuinely lovely number for something that eats like a treat.

    I bake one loaf on a Sunday and it feeds me all week. A slice with coffee before the gym. A slice in my bag for the drive home. A slice warmed with a smear of peanut butter when I want something kind at the end of a long day. No counting agony, no shame, no wasted fruit. Just a sturdy, honest loaf that’s there when you need it. Make it once and I think you’ll keep those over-ripe bananas on purpose. I’ve got you.

    01Who it’s for & when to eat it

    One loaf, three jobs. The bread itself stays the same; what changes is when you reach for it and what you put alongside. Here’s how I steer it.

    On a cut

    The honest sweet fix

    One slice with your morning coffee or after training, when you want something that tastes like a treat but keeps the calories sensible. High protein, real food, and it scratches the sweet itch so you’re not raiding the cupboard later. No shame in it at all.

    On a bulk

    Easy clean calories

    Two slices with a scoop of Greek yoghurt or a spread of peanut butter on top. Soft, calorie-dense, easy to get down when you’re struggling to eat enough. A painless way to add protein and carbs around training.

    On TRT

    Steady morning fuel

    A slice with a couple of whole eggs makes a balanced, satisfying breakfast — protein, slow carbs from the oats, and just enough sweetness to look forward to. Gentle on the stomach and it keeps you full to lunch.

    Timing: this shines as a breakfast or a post-training slice — the bananas and oats give you carbs to refill on, and the protein does its quiet work. It also packs beautifully, which is the whole point of baking a loaf instead of a single serving.

    02Ingredients

    Makes 8 slices — one standard loaf, cut even. Want more? This doubles cleanly into two tins; keep the banana-to-flour ratio the same so the crumb stays soft.

    Servings 8 · adjust on the live recipe card
    • Ripe bananas the freckled ones3 medium · 330 g
    • Oat flour or blitzed oats160 g · 1⅓ cups
    • Protein powder vanilla or unflavoured60 g · 2 scoops
    • Eggs2 large
    • Egg whites2 · 66 g
    • Greek yoghurt 0% or 2%120 g · ½ cup
    • Baking powder2 tsp · 8 g
    • Cinnamon1 tsp
    • Saltpinch
    • Dark choc chips or walnuts optional40 g · ¼ cup

    Swaps I actually use: no oat flour? Blitz rolled oats in a blender until fine — same thing, cheaper. Whey makes a lighter crumb; a casein or blend bakes denser and a touch moister, so add a splash of milk if your batter looks tight. No protein powder at all? See the variations and the questions below — you can still make a lovely loaf. And if the bananas aren’t quite ripe enough, roast them in their skins for ten minutes to coax the sweetness out.

    03Step by step

    Mash

    Mash the bananas properly

    Peel the bananas into a big bowl and mash them with a fork until almost smooth — a few small lumps are fine, they keep the loaf interesting. The riper they are, the easier this is and the sweeter your bread will be.

    Magnus says: the browner the banana, the better the loaf. Don’t fear the freckles, love.

    Very ripe freckled bananas being mashed with a fork in a large mixing bowl
    Wet mix

    Beat in the eggs and yoghurt

    Crack in the whole eggs, add the egg whites and the Greek yoghurt, and whisk it all into the mashed banana until smooth. This is the part that keeps the crumb soft, so take a moment and get it properly combined.

    Eggs, egg whites and Greek yoghurt whisked into mashed banana until smooth
    Dry mix

    Stir the dry ingredients separately

    In a second bowl, stir together the oat flour, protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon and the pinch of salt. Mixing the dry bits first stops the protein powder clumping when it hits the wet — a small step that saves you lumps.

    Oat flour, protein powder, baking powder and cinnamon stirred together in a bowl
    Fold

    Bring the two together — gently

    Tip the dry into the wet and fold just until you no longer see flour. If you’re adding choc chips or walnuts, fold them through now. The batter should be thick and spoonable; if it’s stiff, loosen it with a splash of milk.

    Magnus says: do not overmix. The second the flour disappears, you stop. Beating it gives you a tough, rubbery loaf.

    Dry ingredients being folded gently into the wet banana batter with a spatula
    Pour

    Into a lined tin

    Line a standard loaf tin (about 9×5 inch / 23×13 cm) with baking paper and scrape the batter in, levelling the top. A few extra banana slices or a scatter of chips on top is nice if you’ve got them.

    Thick banana batter scraped into a paper-lined loaf tin and levelled
    Bake & cool

    175°C for 45–55 minutes, then wait

    Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is golden and a skewer comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Then — and this is the hard part — let it cool fully in the tin before you slice it.

    Magnus says: cool it completely before slicing. Cut it warm and protein loaves crumble. Patience gives you clean, sturdy slices.

    Baked golden banana bread loaf cooling in the tin before slicing

    04The spec sheet

    Real numbers, calculated — not guessed. The loaf makes 8 slices of roughly 90 grams each. Here’s what one slice and a flat 100 grams actually give you. Your exact figures will shift a little with your protein brand and how big your bananas are.

    Macros — per slice & per 100g
    NutrientPer slicePer 100g
    Energy290 kcal322 kcal
    Protein20.0 g22.2 g
    Carbohydrate30.0 g33.3 g
    — of which sugars12.0 g13.3 g
    Fat7.0 g7.8 g
    — of which saturates2.2 g2.4 g
    Fibre4.0 g4.4 g
    Sodium~0.28 g~0.31 g
    Calorie density
    322 kcal / 100g

    Moderate for a baked good — far gentler than shop banana bread, which often lands well north of 400. The yoghurt and egg whites are doing the heavy lifting here.

    Protein per 100 kcal
    6.9 g / 100 kcal

    Strong for something sweet. A normal banana bread gives you almost none; this one carries real protein in every slice, which is the whole reason it earns a place in your week.

    Key micros (per slice, approx.)
    • Potassium~310 mg · 7% DV
    • Magnesium~42 mg · 10% DV
    • Vitamin B6~0.3 mg · 18% DV
    • Phosphorus~180 mg · 26% DV
    • Manganese~0.9 mg · 39% DV
    • Calcium~70 mg · 5% DV

    Macros are calculated from standard food-composition data and will shift a little with your exact ingredients and brands. Micronutrient figures are estimates against general adult Daily Values. Numbers are for guidance, not medical advice — see our Nutrition Disclaimer.

    05Bulk / Cut / TRT variations

    One loaf, three ways to lean it. The bread is the same; you adjust the slice and what sits on top. Macros below are per slice, with the additions counted in.

    Cut

    The lean slice

    Make it with 0% yoghurt and skip the choc chips, then have one plain slice with your coffee. Maximum protein per calorie, real sweetness from the banana alone. This is the version I keep around when I’m tightening up before a shoot.

    260Kcal
    20G Protein
    5G Fat
    Bulk

    Build it up

    Keep the choc chips or walnuts in, then top a slice with a heaped tablespoon of peanut butter and a spoon of Greek yoghurt. Soft, calorie-dense and easy to eat when your appetite’s lagging in a bulk.

    470Kcal
    27G Protein
    20G Fat
    TRT

    Steady & balanced

    One slice alongside two whole eggs for a full, balanced breakfast — protein, slow carbs and a little healthy fat. Satisfying, gentle on digestion, and nothing overshot for the day ahead.

    440Kcal
    33G Protein
    17G Fat

    06Meal prep & storage

    This loaf was built to be made ahead. I bake it Sunday, cool it fully, slice the whole thing, and I’m set for the week — a real meal-prep bake, not a one-off. Here’s how to keep it good.

    Fridge
    5 days

    Store the cooled, sliced loaf in an airtight container in the fridge. It keeps soft and the flavour actually deepens by day two.

    Freezer
    3 months

    Freeze individual slices with baking paper between them so they don’t fuse. Pull one out the night before, or warm it straight from frozen.

    Reheat or cold
    20 sec

    Eat it cold from the fridge — it’s lovely that way — or warm a slice for 20 seconds in the microwave so it goes soft and the banana smell comes back.

    For prep, I wrap two slices for the gym bag and leave the rest cut in the container. Because the macros are already counted, it slots into any day without fuss — which is exactly what you want from a bake that has to last you a whole week.

    Free · the 7-day “Get Fed” plan

    Want a whole week built around food like this?

    Drop your email and I’ll send you my free 7-day plan — meals, macros already counted, grocery list written. No spam, no lectures.

    No spam. Unsubscribe whenever. See what’s in the plan →

    07Common questions

    My loaf came out dry — what went wrong? +

    Almost always too much protein powder or too long in the oven. Protein powder soaks up moisture as it bakes, so the more you add the drier it gets — stick to the two scoops here. Pull the loaf the moment a skewer shows a few moist crumbs, not bone-dry, and don’t skip the yoghurt. A splash of milk in a tight batter helps too.

    Can I make it without protein powder? +

    You can, love. Swap the 60g of powder for another 60g of oat flour and keep the eggs, whites and yoghurt — they still bring real protein. You’ll land lower, around 13–14g per slice, but it’s a lovely soft banana bread and a fine breakfast. The powder is what pushes it up to 20g; everything else stands without it.

    What can I use instead of oat flour? +

    The cheapest swap is rolled oats blitzed fine in a blender — that is oat flour. Wholemeal or plain flour works too and gives a slightly lighter crumb. If you need it gluten-free, a 1:1 GF baking blend behaves well here. Whatever you use, keep the weight the same so the batter stays the right thickness.

    How ripe do the bananas need to be? +

    Properly ripe — soft, heavily freckled, almost too far gone to eat raw. That’s where the natural sweetness and the easy mash come from, so this is the recipe to save your sad counter bananas for. If yours are still firm and yellow, roast them in their skins at 175°C for about 10 minutes until the skins blacken, then let them cool and mash.

    Can I freeze the baked loaf? +

    Yes, and it freezes beautifully. Cool it fully, slice it, and freeze the slices with baking paper between them so they pull apart easily. They keep about three months. Thaw a slice overnight in the fridge, or warm it straight from frozen in the microwave for 30–40 seconds. Freezing in slices means you only ever defrost what you’ll eat.

    From my high-protein meal plans

    This loaf lives inside a full week of meals.

    A slice of this banana bread is one breakfast in my high-protein meal plans — seven days of food with the macros counted and the grocery list written. You pick the goal; I do the maths and feed you well.

    See the meal plans →
    Sliced high-protein banana bread plated under cold light

    08Pairs well with

    A soft high-protein cinnamon roll with a thin glaze, plated under cold light

    Anabolic cinnamon roll

    26G Protein
    360Calories
    A tall stack of high-protein pancakes plated under cold light

    High-protein pancakes

    38G Protein
    480Calories
    A bowl of creamy peanut-butter protein oats plated under cold light

    Peanut-butter protein oats

    40G Protein
    640Calories

    Browse all recipes →

    Magnus Olafsson in his kitchen — bald, bearded and broad, in his pink apron, under cold light
    About the author

    Magnus Olafsson

    I’m Magnus — twenty years under the iron, from a cold gym in Stockholm to the classic-physique stage, and now mostly in my kitchen in a pink apron. I’ve cut for shows, bulked through winters, and I’ve been on TRT since I was thirty-five. I know what it takes to eat for the body you’re chasing, and I know it shouldn’t come with a side of shame.

    Everything here is food I actually cook and macros I actually count. I don’t diagnose, I don’t promise, and I never make a number up. I just feed you well and tell you the truth.

    B&K Classic Body Show Swedish Grand Prix · Super Series On TRT since 35 20 years training

    Slim Diet Era shares recipes and general nutrition information. It is not medical or dietetic advice, and we do not provide guidance on obtaining or using any controlled substance. See our Medical Disclaimer and Nutrition Disclaimer.

  • Foods to Avoid While on Steroids: What Stays Out of My Kitchen on Cycle

    Foods to Avoid While on Steroids: What Stays Out of My Kitchen on Cycle

    BlogOn-Cycle Nutrition11 min read

    Foods to Avoid While on Steroids: What Stays Out of My Kitchen on Cycle

    On cycle your margins shrink, so the food that was fine off cycle starts to cost you — here’s my honest out-list and the why behind each one.

    Magnus Olafsson
    Magnus Olafsson
    Jul 31, 2026
    Foods to Avoid While on Steroids: What Stays Out of My Kitchen on Cycle

    Off cycle, a Friday burger is just dinner. On cycle, it’s a line on a blood panel.

    Nobody gets shamed in my kitchen for a burger — hear that first. But when you’re running something, your body is already working overtime on the quiet things food touches: blood pressure, your lipids, your liver, the water sitting under your skin. So the honest answer to which foods to avoid while on steroids has nothing to do with willpower or being “clean.” It’s about margins. On cycle your margins shrink, and food that was neutral off cycle stops being neutral.

    I’ve been on TRT since I was 35, and I still run a heavier cycle now and then, off the competitive stage. I’ve watched my own bloodwork move because of what was on my plate, not just what was in the syringe. This is the out-list I actually keep — every item, and exactly why it earns its place.

    Why “fine” food stops being fine on cycle

    Here’s the thing I wish someone had said to me plainly years ago. Testosterone and the compounds stacked with it push on a handful of markers at once. They tend to drop your good cholesterol, nudge your blood pressure up, park extra water under the skin, and lean on the liver — especially with orals in the mix. None of that is the food’s fault. But it means you start every day with less headroom than a natural lifter has.

    So what not to eat on cycle isn’t a moral list. It’s a math problem. If your blood pressure is already sitting higher than you’d like, a 2,000 mg-sodium takeout meal is a bigger deal than it was last year. If your HDL is already suppressed, the deep-fryer isn’t a treat — it’s a second hit on a marker that’s already down. Same food, different body, different cost.

    Diagram showing how blood pressure, cholesterol, liver, and water margins shrink on a steroid cycle versus off cycle
    Diagram showing how blood pressure, cholesterol, liver, and water margins shrink on a steroid cycle versus off cycle

    Read the table below as the short version. The rest of the article is me explaining each line, because you deserve the why, not just the “don’t.”

    What I keep out (or way down)The marker it leans onWhat I reach for instead
    AlcoholLiver load, estrogen, recovery, sleepSparkling water, or nothing, on the heavy weeks
    Sodium bombs (fast food, cured meats, salty snacks)Blood pressure, water retentionHome-salted whole food, potassium-rich plates
    Trans fats and deep-fried foodCholesterol (raises LDL, lowers HDL)Olive oil, oily fish, air-fryer or oven
    Added-sugar floods (soda, candy, sweet coffee)Blood pressure, triglycerides, appetiteFruit, real carbs around training
    Grapefruit, if you take daily medsDrug metabolism (a caveat, not a ban)Other citrus — check with your doctor

    Alcohol on cycle: the one I dig my heels in on

    If I could only pull one thing off your plate on a heavy week, it’d be the drink. Alcohol on cycle hits three of the exact systems your cycle is already stressing, all at once.

    Start with the liver. Your liver is already the busiest organ on a cycle, and it’s the one clearing your alcohol too. Ask it to process a stack and a night of drinking on the same shift and something gives. The literature on alcohol and the male reproductive system is blunt about it: heavy drinking damages hormone handling at the liver, the testes, and the brain’s signalling all together[4]. That’s not a moral point. That’s your recovery organ doing two hard jobs at once.

    Then estrogen. Your liver is where a chunk of your hormone metabolism happens, and drinking tilts that balance in the direction most guys on cycle are already fighting. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that heavy alcohol intake is associated with lower testosterone in men, and named alcohol overuse a genuinely destructive factor for the whole testosterone axis[3]. On cycle you’ve got exogenous test covering the T side, but the estrogen tilt and the recovery cost don’t care that your levels look fine on paper.

    Last, recovery. Booze wrecks the sleep you’re counting on to actually turn food and training into muscle. You didn’t run a cycle to sleep badly and eat worse the next day. That’s the real tax — not the calories in the beer, but the loose, salty, late-night eating that rides in behind it.

    Magnus’s rule

    Less is always safer than more, with everything we’re talking about here. I’m not going to pretend I’ve never had a glass of wine with my husband. But on a heavy week, I keep it off the table — not out of guilt, out of respect for the organ doing the cleanup. More was never the thing that helped me.

    Sodium on cycle: the bombs that puff you up and push your pressure

    Salt gets a bad name it only half deserves. Sodium isn’t poison — you need it, and if you train hard and sweat you need a fair bit. The problem with sodium on cycle is two-sided: it pulls water, and it leans on blood pressure that your compounds may already be raising.

    The water piece is the one you see in the mirror. That puffy, smooth, blurry look — the face that isn’t quite yours — is often a sodium swing riding on top of the water your cycle already holds. It’s not fat. It moves in a day. But it tells you your balance is off.

    The blood pressure piece is the one you don’t see, and it’s the one that matters more. The American Heart Association puts the ceiling at 2,300 mg of sodium a day, with an ideal closer to 1,500 mg for most adults, and notes that cutting back by about 1,000 mg a day measurably improves blood pressure[1]. Now look at where sodium actually comes from — it’s almost never your salt shaker.

    Ranked bar chart of high-sodium foods to avoid on a steroid cycle, from fast food to home cooking, against the AHA 1,500 mg daily target
    Ranked bar chart of high-sodium foods to avoid on a steroid cycle, from fast food to home cooking, against the AHA 1,500 mg daily target
    Kitchen math

    A single fast-food combo can hand you 2,000 mg or more of sodium in one sitting — past a whole day’s ideal before dinner’s even done. Salt your own cooking to taste and you’ll still land under it, easily. The shaker was never the villain. The drive-through is.

    The fix isn’t a low-sodium punishment plan. It’s cooking your own food so you’re the one holding the salt, and building plates around potassium-rich stuff — greens, potatoes, fish — that helps balance the scale. A plate like my baked cod and greens is exactly the shape I’m talking about: lean protein, real vegetables, and I decide every gram of salt that touches it.

    Trans fats and the deep-fryer: your cholesterol on cycle

    This is the one guys underrate the most, and it’s the one your cardiologist would care about first. Anabolics are hard on your lipids on their own. A study of young men using anabolic-androgenic steroids found their HDL — the cholesterol that clears the junk out of your arteries — did its job measurably worse, and a quarter of the users already had early plaque in more than one coronary artery, in men who none of the non-users could match[5]. Your cycle is already spending your cholesterol margin.

    Now bring in trans fats and heavy deep-fried food. The American Heart Association is clear that trans fats raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol and lower your good (HDL) cholesterol, and that a diet high in them raises the risk of heart disease and stroke — with some evidence artificial trans fats are worse for your heart than saturated fat[2]. That’s the same HDL your cycle is already knocking down. Two hits, same marker. That’s why the fryer comes off the menu on cycle even though it’s “just a bit of fat.”

    I don’t eat zero fat — that’s its own mistake, and your hormones need dietary fat. I eat the right fats. Olive oil, whole eggs, oily fish. Sardines are one of my quiet weapons here; a plate like my grilled sardines and greens brings the omega-3s that your lipid panel actually likes, for about the price of a coffee. The oven and the air-fryer do the work the deep-fryer used to. You lose nothing but the number on the panel you didn’t want.

    The added-sugar flood

    Sugar itself won’t undo a cycle. A square of chocolate is a square of chocolate. What I pull back on is the flood — the litre of soda, the sweet coffee twice a day, the candy that shows up when appetite is roaring and you’re bulking anyway.

    Two reasons. Added sugar in big daily volumes pushes on the same blood pressure and triglyceride numbers we’ve been protecting this whole time. And on cycle your appetite can be a liar — hungry all day, never quite full — so a sugar flood becomes a calorie flood you didn’t decide on, riding under a “dirty bulk” excuse. Real carbs around your training do everything the soda promised and none of the damage. Rice, potatoes, oats, fruit. That’s fuel with a job. The soda is just water spending your markers.

    The sneaky one here is liquid sugar, because it doesn’t fill you up. A plate of rice tells your body it ate. A bottle of soda tells it almost nothing, so you drink it and eat your full dinner on top. On cycle, when you’re already primed to eat big, that’s how a couple of hundred “invisible” calories a day turn into a gut you didn’t plan for and a triglyceride number that creeps. If you want something sweet, I’d rather you have the real thing on a plate, sat down, and enjoy it — fruit, a square of good chocolate, honest dessert. It’s the mindless litre-a-day drip that costs you, not the enjoyment.

    The grapefruit caveat

    This one’s short and it’s a caveat, not a scare. If you take any daily medication, grapefruit is worth a second thought — and this is general information, not medical advice, so the real answer comes from your doctor and your pharmacist.

    Grapefruit isn’t unhealthy. The issue is that it blocks a liver enzyme called CYP3A4 that your body uses to break down a long list of drugs. Peer-reviewed work shows grapefruit’s furanocoumarins shut that enzyme down and can push the blood level of an affected drug up — in some cases several-fold, lasting around a day[6]. If you’re on a statin, a blood pressure med, or anything your doctor put you on, that interaction is a real thing, and it has nothing to do with your cycle specifically — it’s just the kind of quiet detail that’s easy to miss. Other citrus doesn’t do this. Ask, then decide.

    “Dirty bulk everything” — the mindset, not a food

    The most damaging thing on this whole list isn’t a food at all. It’s a mindset: I’m on cycle, I’m anabolic, it all goes to muscle, so I can eat anything. I understand the appeal. When you’re growing and hungry and strong, it feels like the rules got suspended.

    They didn’t. Your muscles might forgive the junk. Your blood pressure, your liver, and your lipids keep the receipts. That’s the difference between a cycle you look back on proud and one your fifty-year-old self has to clean up after. Eating with some care on cycle isn’t clean-eating moralism — it’s the same bloodwork math, just taken seriously because the stakes went up.

    The first time I really sat with my own lipid panel after a cycle, I didn’t like what I saw. My HDL had dropped, and I couldn’t blame the compound alone — I’d been eating like the rules were off. I’d competed back in Sweden, at the B&K Classic and the Grand Prix; I knew how to be strict when a stage demanded it. But somewhere off the stage I’d let “anabolic” become an excuse for the fryer and the drive-through. That panel was the day I stopped treating my kitchen like it didn’t count. Nothing dramatic changed. I just started cooking again, salting my own food, and leaving the beer for the light weeks. The next panel thanked me.

    If you want the full picture of how I actually build plates on a heavier run — not just the out-list but the in-list — I laid it all out in how I really eat on cycle, and the bigger framework for eating to grow lives on my bulking guide. This article is the fence; those two are the field inside it.

    None of this is about fear, and none of it is about shame. It’s about keeping your margins wide enough that the good stuff — the strength, the size, the recovery — actually lands, and the invisible costs stay small. Cook your own food. Salt it yourself. Save the drink for the easy weeks. Build your plates around protein and real carbs and the fats your heart likes. A weeknight like my salmon, sweet potato and asparagus does more for you on cycle than any supplement in the cupboard.

    And if you’d rather not think about all of it every night, I built a free eat-well plan that does the balancing for you — real macros, real food, plates that keep your markers quiet without asking you to earn a single meal. Take it. I’ve got you.

    Questions men actually ask

    Can you drink alcohol on cycle?

    You can — nobody’s stopping you and you won’t undo a cycle with one glass. But alcohol leans on the three things your cycle is already stressing: your liver, your hormone balance, and your recovery sleep. On a heavy week I keep it off entirely and save a glass for the lighter weeks. Less is always safer than more here.

    Does salt really matter on cycle?

    More than it did off cycle. Sodium pulls water — that’s the puffy, smooth look in the mirror — and it pushes on blood pressure that your compounds may already be raising. The AHA ideal is around 1,500 mg a day, and one fast-food meal can blow past that alone. Cook your own food and salt it to taste and you’ll land well under, easily.

    Can you eat junk food and still grow on cycle?

    Your muscles might grow anyway — that’s exactly what makes the “dirty bulk everything” trap so easy to fall into. But your blood pressure, liver, and cholesterol keep the receipts even when the scale and the mirror don’t. You can grow on junk. You just pay for it on a panel you’d rather not read.

    What foods help blood pressure on cycle?

    The ones you cook yourself, salted by your own hand, built around potassium-rich foods — leafy greens, potatoes, fish, beans — that help balance sodium’s pull. Oily fish for the omega-3s your lipids like. And plain water instead of the soda and the beer. It’s less about magic foods and more about who’s holding the salt.

    Do you need to eat clean on steroids?

    Not “clean” in the shame sense — nobody earns their food in my kitchen. But you do need to eat with more care than a natural lifter, because your margins on blood pressure, liver, and cholesterol are already spent by the cycle. It’s not moralism. It’s bloodwork math with the stakes turned up.

    References

    1. American Heart Association — How Much Sodium Should I Eat Per Day? (2024)
    2. American Heart Association — Trans Fat (2024)
    3. Cureus — Association of Alcohol Consumption on LH, FSH, and Testosterone in Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2024)
    4. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews (NIAAA) — Alcohol’s Effects on Male Reproduction
    5. Journal of Applied Physiology — Diminished Cholesterol Efflux Mediated by HDL and Coronary Artery Disease in Young Male Anabolic Androgenic Steroid Users (2019)
    6. Pharmaceuticals — Impact of Grapefruit Consumption on Plasma Concentrations of Medications Through CYP3A4 Inhibition
    The honest fine print: I’m a cook and a lifter, not your doctor. Nothing here is medical advice, and nothing here tells you how to obtain or use any substance — that conversation belongs to you, your bloodwork, and a physician. Full details: Nutrition Disclaimer · Medical Disclaimer.
    Magnus Olafsson, the cook behind Slim Diet Era
    Written by

    Magnus Olafsson

    The cook behind Slim Diet Era. Former Swedish stage competitor (B&K Classic Body Show, Swedish Grand Prix), on TRT since 35, cooking high-protein food in Chicago for his husband, two kids, and you. He counts the macros so you don’t have to.

    More about Magnus →

    Hungry for a plan, not just a post?

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  • High-Protein Loaded Nachos

    High-Protein Loaded Nachos

    Recipe · Anabolic / Dinner / High-protein

    High-Protein Loaded Nachos

    A whole plate of loaded nachos built to feed one hungry lifter properly — seasoned lean mince, a sensible pile of baked chips, light cheese, and a cold drift of Greek-yoghurt “sour cream” on top. About 42 grams of protein and 560 calories, and not one ounce of shame on the plate. This is sharing food made just for you.

    By Magnus Olafsson Updated 28 June 2026 Tested 30 times
    GoalAnabolic
    Total time25 min
    Servings1 plate
    Protein / serving42 g
    Calories / serving560 kcal
    A loaded plate of high-protein nachos topped with seasoned mince, melted cheese, Greek-yoghurt sour cream, salsa and jalapeños under cold light Plate 01 / Finished

    The thing I missed most when I started eating for the stage wasn’t the food itself — it was the sharing of it. A big communal plate of nachos in the middle of the table, everyone’s hands going in at once, somebody arguing over who took the last chip with the most cheese on it. That’s a warm thing. And for a long while I thought I had to give it up entirely, that nachos were simply off the table for a man counting his macros. I was wrong about that, and somebody should have told me sooner.

    So I built my own version. Not a sad pile of plain chips with a spoon of beans — a proper loaded plate, made to feed one big hungry person all on its own. Lean mince, seasoned until it actually tastes of something. A measured handful of baked chips instead of a whole greasy bag. Light cheese where it counts, and a cold spoonful of Greek yoghurt standing in for the sour cream so well you won’t miss the real thing. It lands at around 42 grams of protein and 560 calories for the whole plate, and it eats like a treat because it is one.

    There’s no catch here, love. You’re not paying for this later, you didn’t have to be good all day to deserve it, and nothing about it is a slip. It’s just a smart, satisfying plate of food that happens to love you back. Make it on a Friday night, put your feet up, and eat the whole thing. I’ve got you.

    01Who it’s for & when to eat it

    This is one base plate that bends to whatever week you’re in. The nachos stay the same; what you do is nudge the chip count, the cheese, and the mince to fit your numbers. Here’s how I steer it.

    On a cut

    Lean it down

    Use turkey mince and high-protein lentil chips, drop the cheese to a light scatter, and pile on extra salsa and jalapeños for flavour and volume. You still get a full loaded plate — just lighter and even higher in protein per calorie.

    On a bulk

    Build it up

    Add another handful of chips, a few more grams of cheese, and a scoop of black beans or guacamole. Easy extra calories with the same comfort. Numbers are in the variations below.

    On TRT

    Steady fuel

    The plate as written is a tidy balance — lean protein, a moderate carb portion, a sensible bit of fat. Good as an evening meal that keeps you full and supports recovery without overshooting.

    Timing: this is a brilliant post-training dinner — fast carbs from the chips, a big slug of protein from the mince and yoghurt, and enough on the plate that you actually feel fed. It’s also my honest answer to a Friday-night craving, no negotiation required.

    02Ingredients

    Makes 1 big plate — one full serving, built to fill up one hungry lifter. Want to feed two? Double every line; the only thing that matters is keeping the chip portion honest so the macros hold.

    Servings 1 · adjust on the live recipe card
    • Baked tortilla chips or high-protein chips45 g · 1.6 oz
    • Lean beef or turkey mince 5% fat120 g · 4.2 oz
    • Taco seasoning, cumin & paprika blend2 tsp
    • Light grated cheese30 g · 1.1 oz
    • 0% Greek yoghurt “sour cream”60 g · 2.1 oz
    • Salsa3 tbsp · 45 g
    • Pickled jalapeñosto taste
    • Spring onion, sliced1 stalk
    • Lime to finish½, wedged
    • Fresh coriandersmall handful

    Swaps I actually use: shredded cooked chicken breast works beautifully in place of the mince — same seasoning, same numbers, less washing up. For a deeper cut, lentil or chickpea chips push the protein up and the calories down. No fresh coriander? Leave it out; never sub dried, it does nothing here. And a spoon of mashed black beans folded into the mince stretches the plate and adds fibre without much fuss.

    03Step by step

    Brown the mince

    Sear it hard, then season

    Get a dry non-stick pan properly hot. Add the lean mince and leave it alone for a minute so it catches and browns before you break it up — lean mince needs that heat or it just goes grey and sad. Once it’s broken down and cooked through, stir in the taco seasoning, cumin and paprika with a splash of water and let it bubble for a minute.

    Magnus says: lean mince has no fat to fry in, so the pan does the work. Hot pan, patience, then season.

    Lean mince browning in a hot dry non-stick pan with taco seasoning being stirred in
    Arrange the chips

    Lay them out in one even layer

    Spread your measured chips across an ovenproof plate or small tray in a single layer, not a tall heap. You want every chip to get a little something on it, and a flat bed melts and crisps far more evenly than a pile.

    Baked tortilla chips spread in a single even layer across an ovenproof plate
    Layer it up

    Mince and cheese over the top

    Scatter the hot seasoned mince evenly across the chips, then sprinkle the light cheese over the lot. Try to get a bit of both into every corner so there are no bare chips left out in the cold.

    Magnus says: spread, don’t dump. A plate where every chip is loaded is the whole point of loaded nachos.

    Seasoned mince and grated cheese scattered evenly over the layer of chips
    Melt the cheese

    Grill until just bubbling

    Slide the plate under a hot grill for two to three minutes, until the cheese melts and turns glossy and the chip edges go golden. Watch it the whole time — thin baked chips catch fast, and there’s no saving a burnt one.

    The loaded plate under a grill with the cheese melting and bubbling over the mince
    Add the cold bits

    Spoon on the yoghurt, salsa & jalapeños

    Out it comes. Now spoon the Greek yoghurt over in soft dollops, add the salsa, scatter the jalapeños, spring onion and coriander, and finish with a hard squeeze of lime. The cold against the hot melted cheese is the best part — don’t rush it on while everything’s scalding.

    Magnus says: the yoghurt is your sour cream, and a good one. Cold, tangy, and it carries a third of your protein.

    Greek yoghurt, salsa, jalapeños and coriander being spooned over the hot loaded nachos
    Serve fast

    Eat it while it’s hot and crisp

    Nachos wait for no one, love. Carry the plate straight to the table and dig in while the chips are still crisp and the cheese still pulls. This is a plate built to be eaten now, with your hands, happily.

    The finished loaded nachos plated and ready to eat, cheese pulling, chips crisp

    04The spec sheet

    Real numbers, calculated — not guessed. The recipe makes one full plate of roughly 330g. Here’s what the whole serving gives you, and the same plate flattened to a per-100g view so you can compare it against anything else in your week.

    Macros — per serving & per 100g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100g
    Energy560 kcal170 kcal
    Protein42.0 g12.7 g
    Carbohydrate45.0 g13.6 g
    — of which sugars6.0 g1.8 g
    Fat22.0 g6.7 g
    — of which saturates8.0 g2.4 g
    Fibre5.0 g1.5 g
    Sodium~0.9 g~0.27 g
    Calorie density
    170 kcal / 100g

    Moderate. For a plate that eats like a proper treat, that’s a kind number — you get real volume, real cheese, real chips, and still a sensible total. Volume on your side.

    Protein per 100 kcal
    7.5 g / 100 kcal

    Solid for comfort food. The mince and the Greek yoghurt do the heavy lifting here, turning a snack-shaped plate into a meal that actually holds you.

    Key micros (per serving, approx.)
    • Zinc~7 mg · 64% DV
    • Vitamin B12~2.4 µg · 100% DV
    • Selenium~25 µg · 45% DV
    • Niacin (B3)~7 mg · 44% DV
    • Iron~3 mg · 17% DV
    • Calcium~200 mg · 15% DV

    A quick honest word on sodium: it sits moderate here, coming mostly from the chips, the seasoning and the salsa. If you’re watching it, reach for low-salt chips and a no-added-salt salsa and you’ll bring it down nicely. Macros are calculated from standard food-composition data and shift a little with your exact brands. Micronutrient figures are estimates against general adult Daily Values, for guidance, not medical advice — see our Nutrition Disclaimer.

    05Bulk / Cut / TRT variations

    One plate, three jobs. The build stays the same — you adjust the chips, the cheese, and the protein to fit the week. Macros below are for the full plate with the changes listed.

    Cut

    The lean default

    Turkey mince and lentil chips, cheese dropped to a light scatter, double the salsa and jalapeños for volume. Still a full loaded plate — just lighter, leaner, and even higher in protein for the calories. My pick when the numbers are tight.

    440Kcal
    45G Protein
    12G Fat
    Bulk

    Build it up

    Another handful of chips, a bit more cheese, and a scoop of black beans plus a spoon of guacamole on top. Easy extra calories with the same comfort, and the fibre and fats round it out into a big, satisfying plate.

    780Kcal
    50G Protein
    34G Fat
    TRT

    Steady & balanced

    The plate as written, with a few avocado slices added for healthy fat. Lean protein, a moderate carb portion, balanced fats — full, satisfied, and nothing overshot for an everyday evening meal.

    620Kcal
    43G Protein
    28G Fat

    06Meal prep & storage

    The trick with nachos and prep is simple: prep the parts, never the plate. Cook the components ahead, keep them separate, and build the plate fresh in five minutes when you want it. Here’s how I store each piece.

    Fridge
    4 days

    The seasoned mince keeps beautifully in an airtight container for up to four days. Reheat it in the pan or microwave just before you build the plate.

    Freezer
    3 months

    The cooked mince freezes well — portion it flat in bags so it thaws fast. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat through before topping fresh chips.

    Assemble
    Fresh

    Chips, cheese, yoghurt, salsa and the cold bits go on at the last minute only. Built fresh, the whole plate comes together in about five minutes.

    Please don’t assemble these ahead, love — it’s the one rule. Chips go soft and sad the moment they sit under wet toppings, and a soggy nacho is a betrayal. Prep the mince in batches, keep everything else apart, and load a fresh crisp plate each time. Five minutes, every time, properly good.

    Free · the 7-day “Get Fed” plan

    Want a whole week built around food like this?

    Drop your email and I’ll send you my free 7-day plan — meals, macros already counted, grocery list written. No spam, no lectures.

    No spam. Unsubscribe whenever. See what’s in the plan →

    07Common questions

    Which chips should I use to keep calories down? +

    Baked tortilla chips are the easy win over fried — same crunch, far less fat. For the leanest plate, reach for lentil or chickpea chips: they bring a little extra protein and fibre and let you eat a slightly bigger handful for the same calories. Whatever you pick, weigh the portion once so the maths stays honest, then you’ll know it by eye.

    How do I keep the chips from going soggy? +

    Two rules. Spread the chips in a single layer so heat and cheese reach all of them evenly, and put every wet topping — yoghurt, salsa, jalapeños — on right at the end, off the heat, and eat straight away. The cold bits sitting on hot chips for any length of time is what turns them limp. Build fast, serve faster.

    Turkey or beef mince — which is better here? +

    Both work and both are good. Lean 5% beef gives you more iron and a richer flavour; lean turkey is a touch lighter and even leaner. On a hard cut I lean to turkey for the slightly better protein-per-calorie; the rest of the time I cook whichever’s in the fridge. Either way, season it well — lean mince needs the cumin and paprika to sing.

    How do I make these spicier? +

    Plenty of room to turn the heat up. Add chilli powder or a pinch of cayenne to the mince, choose a hot salsa, and be generous with the jalapeños. A few drops of hot sauce over the finished plate costs you almost nothing in calories and lifts the whole thing. Build the heat in layers and taste as you go.

    Can I make this vegetarian? +

    Easily, and it stays high in protein. Swap the mince for a tin of black beans (drained and seasoned the same way) or a good soy mince. Beans add fibre and bring the protein along nicely; soy mince keeps it closest to the original in texture. Same chips, same cheese, same cold toppings — the plate barely notices the difference.

    From my high-protein meal plans

    This plate lives inside a full week of meals.

    These loaded nachos are one dinner in my high-protein meal plans — a full week of satisfying, macro-counted meals with the grocery list already written. You pick the goal; I do the maths.

    See the meal plans →
    A loaded plate of high-protein nachos as featured in Magnus's meal plans, under cold light

    08Pairs well with

    A bowl of high-protein anabolic mac and cheese under cold light

    Anabolic mac and cheese

    46G Protein
    560Calories
    A high-protein flatbread pizza sliced on a board under cold light

    High-protein flatbread pizza

    44G Protein
    560Calories
    A loaded beef burrito bowl with rice, mince and toppings under cold light

    Loaded beef burrito bowl

    50G Protein
    780Calories

    Browse all recipes →

    Magnus Olafsson in his kitchen — bald, bearded and broad, in his pink apron, under cold light
    About the author

    Magnus Olafsson

    I’m Magnus — twenty years under the iron, from a cold gym in Stockholm to the classic-physique stage, and now mostly in my kitchen in a pink apron. I’ve cut for shows, bulked through winters, and I’ve been on TRT since I was thirty-five. I know what it takes to eat for the body you’re chasing, and I know it shouldn’t come with a side of shame.

    Everything here is food I actually cook and macros I actually count. I don’t diagnose, I don’t promise, and I never make a number up. I just feed you well and tell you the truth.

    B&K Classic Body Show Swedish Grand Prix · Super Series On TRT since 35 20 years training

    Slim Diet Era shares recipes and general nutrition information. It is not medical or dietetic advice, and we do not provide guidance on obtaining or using any controlled substance. See our Medical Disclaimer and Nutrition Disclaimer.

  • Edible Protein Cookie Dough

    Edible Protein Cookie Dough

    Recipe · Anabolic / Snack / High-protein

    Edible Protein Cookie Dough

    A bowl of soft, scoopable cookie dough you eat by the spoon — no raw egg, no raw flour, just a base that’s safe to dig straight into. One bowl gives you a flat 24 grams of protein for around 300 calories, with dark chocolate chips folded all the way through. This is the snack I make when I want something that tastes like a treat and still pulls its weight.

    By Magnus Olafsson Updated 28 June 2026 Tested 30 times
    GoalAnabolic
    Total time~5 min
    Servings1 bowl
    Protein / serving24 g
    Calories / serving300 kcal
    A small bowl of soft protein cookie dough studded with dark chocolate chips, a spoon resting in it, under cold light Plate 01 / Finished

    When I was a boy in Sweden, my mother would mix a batch of cookie dough on a Saturday and turn her back for ten seconds, and ten seconds was all I needed. I’d take a fingerful straight from the bowl while it was still raw — that soft, sweet, half-mixed dough — and she’d catch me every time and laugh and swat my hand away. The cookies were always good. The dough was better. I think a lot of us carry that exact memory, and I think a lot of us got told somewhere along the way that we weren’t allowed to want it anymore.

    So here’s a grown-up version. Same soft, scoopable dough I loved as a kid, built so you can eat the whole bowl on purpose instead of stealing it. No raw egg and no raw flour — I’ll explain why that matters in a moment, plainly, because it does. In their place, a base of oat flour or chickpeas, a scoop of vanilla protein, a spoon of nut butter, and dark chocolate chips folded through so every bite finds one. It comes out at 24 grams of protein for about 300 calories. Real numbers, counted, not wishful.

    I make this most often as a late-evening snack, after training, when I want something sweet and I want it to actually do a job. It is not a sad protein bar pretending to be dessert. It is dough, eaten by the spoon, the way you wanted it at eight years old — and this time, love, nobody’s going to swat your hand away. I’ve got you.

    01Who it’s for & when to eat it

    One bowl, one base — but the way it fits your day changes with the goal. The dough stays the same; you nudge the portion and what you fold in. Here’s how I steer it.

    On a cut

    The sweet you can keep

    A single bowl, made with the oat-flour base and a level spoon of nut butter, lands light and satisfying. High protein for the calories, properly filling, and it scratches the dessert itch so you don’t go hunting for something heavier later in the evening.

    On a bulk

    Easy calories that taste good

    Add a second spoon of nut butter and a few extra chocolate chips. Suddenly you’ve got a calorie-dense, high-protein snack that’s genuinely pleasant to eat — useful when appetite is the bottleneck and you need the numbers up. See the variations below for the maths.

    On TRT

    Steady evening fuel

    A moderate bowl with a normal scoop of protein and a sensible spoon of nut butter. Protein to support recovery, a little slow carb from the oats or chickpeas, and a treat that keeps you full without overshooting the day’s calories.

    Timing: this is a beautiful post-training snack or a quiet end-of-day one. The protein helps you recover; the oats or chickpeas give it a slow, settling carb so it doesn’t spike and crash. Eat it cold from the fridge with a spoon — that’s how it’s best.

    02Ingredients

    Makes 1 bowl — one generous serving you eat by the spoon. Want two? Double every line; this scales cleanly because there’s no baking and no binding to balance. Pick one base: oat flour or chickpeas.

    Servings 1 · adjust on the live recipe card
    • Oat flour heat-treated — see step 130 g · ¼ cup
    • — or drained chickpeas instead of oat flour90 g · ½ cup
    • Vanilla protein powder25 g · 1 scoop
    • Nut butter peanut or almond15 g · 1 tbsp
    • Maple syrup or sweetener to taste10 g · 2 tsp
    • Milk to loosen30–45 ml · 2–3 tbsp
    • Salt1 pinch
    • Dark chocolate chips10 g · 1 tbsp
    • Vanilla extract½ tsp

    Swaps I actually use: the chickpea base makes a softer, more truly dough-like texture and you’d never taste the bean once the vanilla and chocolate are in — it’s my favourite. The oat-flour base is quicker and a touch nuttier. Out of maple? A little honey, a date paste, or a calorie-free sweetener all work; adjust to your own sweet tooth. Any milk does the job — dairy, soy, oat, almond — it’s only there to bring the dough together.

    03Step by step

    Make it safe

    Heat-treat the oat flour first

    If you’re using oat flour, spread it on a tray and bake at 160°C (320°F) for about 8 minutes, or microwave it in 30-second bursts until it reaches 74°C / 165°F. Let it cool. Raw flour and oats can carry bacteria, so this little step makes the dough genuinely safe to eat raw. Using chickpeas instead? They’re already cooked — skip straight to the next step.

    Magnus says: this isn’t fussiness, love — it’s the one part I won’t let you skip. Heat-treated flour, no raw egg, and the bowl is safe to dig into.

    Oat flour spread thin on a baking tray being heat-treated in the oven
    The base

    Blend or mash until smooth

    For the chickpea base, tip the drained chickpeas into a small blender or bowl and blitz or mash until completely smooth — no lumps, that’s what makes it eat like dough. For the oat-flour base, just have your cooled, heat-treated flour ready in a bowl; no blending needed.

    Drained chickpeas being blended smooth in a small food processor
    Build it up

    Add protein and nut butter

    Stir in the vanilla protein powder, the nut butter, the maple or sweetener, the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. The salt matters more than you’d think — it’s what stops a sweet thing tasting flat and makes it taste like a proper cookie.

    Magnus says: taste as you go. Protein powders vary in sweetness, so add the maple last and to your own mouth.

    Vanilla protein powder and a spoon of nut butter being stirred into the base
    Loosen it

    Add milk a splash at a time

    Now bring it to a dough. Add the milk a tablespoon at a time, stirring between each, until it’s soft and scoopable but not runny — thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon. Protein powder drinks up liquid, so go slow; you can always add more, you can’t take it back.

    Milk being added a splash at a time and stirred into a thick scoopable dough
    Finish

    Fold in the chips and serve

    Fold the dark chocolate chips through so they’re spread all the way to the edges, then scoop it into a bowl. Eat it straight away with a spoon, or chill it for ten minutes if you like it firmer and colder — I usually can’t wait that long.

    Magnus says: that’s it. No oven, no waiting, no guilt — just a bowl of dough that’s good for you and good to you.

    The finished protein cookie dough scooped into a bowl with dark chocolate chips folded through

    04The spec sheet

    Real numbers, calculated — not guessed. One bowl weighs around 120g all in. Here’s what that single serving gives you, and a flat 100g for comparison.

    Macros — per serving & per 100g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100g
    Energy300 kcal250 kcal
    Protein24.0 g20.0 g
    Carbohydrate26.0 g21.7 g
    — of which sugars10.0 g8.3 g
    Fat10.0 g8.3 g
    — of which saturates2.6 g2.2 g
    Fibre5.0 g4.2 g
    Sodium~0.22 g~0.18 g
    Calorie density
    250 kcal / 100g

    Moderate — exactly where you want a sweet snack to sit. Filling enough to satisfy, light enough that one honest bowl fits comfortably inside most days.

    Protein per 100 kcal
    8.0 g / 100 kcal

    Strong for a dessert. For a snack that eats like cookie dough, getting a third of the calories from protein is genuinely good going.

    Key micros (per serving, approx.)
    • Magnesium~70 mg · 17% DV
    • Phosphorus~190 mg · 27% DV
    • Manganese~0.9 mg · 39% DV
    • Iron~2.0 mg · 11% DV
    • Folate~60 µg · 15% DV
    • Potassium~260 mg · 6% DV

    Macros are calculated from standard food-composition data and will shift a little with your exact base, protein brand and chosen sweetener. Micronutrient figures are estimates against general adult Daily Values. Numbers are for guidance, not medical advice — see our Nutrition Disclaimer.

    05Bulk / Cut / TRT variations

    One bowl, three jobs. The dough stays the same — you adjust the nut butter, the chips, and the portion. Macros below are for the full serving as described.

    Cut

    The lean bowl

    The oat-flour base, a level spoon of nut butter, sweetener instead of maple, and a light scatter of chips. Maximum satisfaction, minimum calories — the version I reach for when the day’s getting tight but I still want something sweet.

    250Kcal
    24G Protein
    7G Fat
    Bulk

    Build it up

    A double spoon of nut butter, a full pour of maple, and extra chocolate chips folded through. Calorie-dense and easy to eat when appetite is the thing holding your day back. A real, pleasant way to get the numbers up.

    470Kcal
    28G Protein
    22G Fat
    TRT

    Steady & balanced

    The chickpea base, a normal spoon of nut butter, maple to taste. A little more slow carb and fibre from the beans, lean protein, a sensible amount of fat — full, satisfied, and nothing overshot.

    320Kcal
    25G Protein
    11G Fat

    06Meal prep & storage

    This keeps well, which makes it a smart thing to have waiting for you. I’ll often make a triple batch on a Sunday so there’s a sweet, high-protein snack ready the moment I want one.

    Fridge
    4 days

    Keep it in an airtight container. It firms up a little as it chills, which I love — eat it cold, straight from the tub, with a spoon.

    Freezer
    2 months

    Freezes well. Thaw a portion overnight in the fridge, or roll it into bites first (see right) and eat them part-frozen for a firmer texture.

    Dough-bites
    12 balls

    Roll a triple batch into small balls and chill or freeze them. Portioned, grab-and-go, and the maths is already done for you — one bite, known macros.

    For prep, the dough-bites are the move: roll, chill, and you’ve got a week of small, exact snacks ready to grab. No melting, no fuss — they hold their shape and stay soft enough to eat the moment you take one out.

    Free · the 7-day “Get Fed” plan

    Want a whole week built around food like this?

    Drop your email and I’ll send you my free 7-day plan — meals, macros already counted, grocery list written. No spam, no lectures.

    No spam. Unsubscribe whenever. See what’s in the plan →

    07Common questions

    Is it really safe to eat raw? +

    Yes — that’s the whole point of how it’s built. There’s no raw egg in it at all. The only thing to handle is the flour: raw flour and raw oats can carry bacteria, so if you use the oat-flour base you heat-treat it first (step 1) until it hits 74°C / 165°F, then cool it. If you use the chickpea base, the beans are already cooked, so there’s nothing to treat. Done either way, the bowl is genuinely safe to dig straight into.

    Chickpea or oat base — which tastes better? +

    Honestly, both are good. The chickpea base is softer and more truly dough-like, and once the vanilla, sweetener and chocolate are in you’d never guess there’s a bean in there — it’s my personal favourite. The oat-flour base is quicker (no blending) and a touch nuttier with a little more chew. Try both and see which mouth-feel you like; there’s no wrong answer.

    Can I make it without protein powder? +

    You can, though you’ll lose the headline protein number. Swap the scoop for a few extra spoons of your base and a little more sweetener and milk to balance it, or stir in a couple of tablespoons of dried milk powder for some protein without the powdery aftertaste some scoops have. It’ll be more of a sweet treat than a 24g protein snack, but it’ll still taste lovely.

    Mine came out too dry — or too wet. What now? +

    Easy fix, love. Too dry: add milk a teaspoon at a time, stirring, until it loosens to a soft, scoopable dough — protein powder soaks up liquid fast, so it’s usually just thirsty. Too wet: stir in a little more of your base (oat flour or mashed chickpea) or an extra half-scoop of protein to thicken it back up. Add slowly either way and you’ll land it.

    Can I make it vegan? +

    Yes, and it works beautifully. Use a plant-based vanilla protein, a plant milk (soy and oat both go creamy), maple syrup rather than honey, and dairy-free dark chocolate chips. The chickpea base is naturally plant-based already, so that’s the simplest route — everything else just swaps one-for-one.

    From my high-protein meal plans

    This bowl belongs inside a full week of food.

    This dough is one of the snacks I build into my high-protein meal plans — a whole week of meals with the macros counted and the grocery list written. You pick the goal; I do the maths and feed you well.

    See the meal plans →
    A bowl of protein cookie dough with dark chocolate chips, plated under cold light

    08Pairs well with

    No-bake peanut butter protein bars cut into squares, plated under cold light

    No-bake peanut butter protein bars

    22G Protein
    260Calories
    A scoop of anabolic protein ice cream in a bowl, plated under cold light

    Anabolic protein ice cream

    30G Protein
    300Calories
    A warm chocolate protein mug cake in a mug, plated under cold light

    Chocolate protein mug cake

    28G Protein
    330Calories

    Browse all recipes →

    Magnus Olafsson in his kitchen — bald, bearded and broad, in his pink apron, under cold light
    About the author

    Magnus Olafsson

    I’m Magnus — twenty years under the iron, from a cold gym in Stockholm to the classic-physique stage, and now mostly in my kitchen in a pink apron. I’ve cut for shows, bulked through winters, and I’ve been on TRT since I was thirty-five. I know what it takes to eat for the body you’re chasing, and I know it shouldn’t come with a side of shame.

    Everything here is food I actually cook and macros I actually count. I don’t diagnose, I don’t promise, and I never make a number up. I just feed you well and tell you the truth.

    B&K Classic Body Show Swedish Grand Prix · Super Series On TRT since 35 20 years training

    Slim Diet Era shares recipes and general nutrition information. It is not medical or dietetic advice, and we do not provide guidance on obtaining or using any controlled substance. See our Medical Disclaimer and Nutrition Disclaimer.

  • Anabolic Cinnamon Roll

    Anabolic Cinnamon Roll

    Recipe · Anabolic / Breakfast / High-protein

    Anabolic Cinnamon Roll

    One warm, soft cinnamon roll with a thick protein cream-cheese glaze — 26 grams of protein and 360 calories in a single serving. A Greek-yoghurt dough, a cinnamon swirl, and breakfast that tastes like a treat and feeds you like a meal. This is the one I make on slow mornings, and I want you to have it too.

    By Magnus Olafsson Updated 28 June 2026 Tested 32 times
    GoalAnabolic
    Total time35 min
    Servings1 roll
    Protein / serving26 g
    Calories / serving360 kcal
    A warm high-protein cinnamon roll with a thick protein cream-cheese glaze, plated under cold light Plate 01 / Finished

    When I was a boy in Stockholm, Saturday meant kanelbulle. My grandmother would walk me past the bakery on the corner, the window steamed up, the whole street smelling of cinnamon and cardamom, and she’d buy me one roll the size of my small fist. I have never once forgotten the warmth of it. That smell is half my childhood. I’m not going to pretend a protein recipe can replace a real bakery bun — it can’t, and I won’t lie to you about it.

    But here’s what it can do. It can give you that same soft, cinnamon-swirled comfort on a Tuesday morning when you’ve got macros to hit and a long day ahead, and it can do it for 26 grams of protein and 360 calories. The dough is just Greek yoghurt and self-raising flour, no waiting around for yeast to rise, no kneading for an hour. The glaze is protein powder folded into light cream cheese, thick enough to sit on top in a proper ribbon. It comes together in about half an hour, start to plate.

    I make one for myself most weekends now, love, usually still in the pink apron, coffee going cold beside me because I get distracted watching the glaze melt into the warm top. It is not a sad imitation of a treat. It is a real, good breakfast that happens to have the protein of a chicken breast tucked inside it. Make it once and I think it earns a place in your mornings. I’ve got you.

    01Who it’s for & when to eat it

    This is a high-protein breakfast that flexes to your goal. The roll itself stays the same soft, cinnamon-swirled base; you nudge the glaze and the portion to match what you’re doing. Here’s how I steer it.

    On a cut

    The smart treat

    Make the glaze with a sugar-free sweetener and lighter cream cheese, and let this one roll be the satisfying centrepiece of breakfast. High protein, sensible calories — the kind of morning that keeps you full and keeps you from feeling deprived.

    On a bulk

    Build it up

    Same roll, more around it. Serve it next to a couple of whole eggs or a scoop of Greek yoghurt and berries, and use the brown sugar in the filling for easy extra calories. Comfortable, calorie-dense, still high in protein.

    On TRT

    Steady fuel

    A balanced morning plate — one roll with some fruit and a coffee. Lean protein and slow carbs to start the day full and even, without overshooting. Easy on the stomach first thing too.

    Timing: this shines as a weekend or rest-day breakfast when you’ve got ten quiet minutes. It also works beautifully after a morning session — fast carbs and a solid hit of protein to start recovery while you’re still warm from training.

    02Ingredients

    Makes 1 roll — one good serving. Want a batch? Scale every line in proportion and bake them together in a small dish; the dough ratio (equal parts yoghurt to flour, by feel) is what keeps it soft, so hold that.

    Servings 1 · adjust on the live recipe card
    • Greek yoghurt dough · 0% or 2%60 g · ¼ cup
    • Self-raising flour or plain + ¾ tsp baking powder60 g · ½ cup
    • Salt dough1 pinch
    • Butter or light spread, softened filling5 g · 1 tsp
    • Ground cinnamon filling1 tsp · 3 g
    • Brown sugar or granulated sweetener filling1 tbsp · 12 g
    • Vanilla or plain protein powder glaze15 g · ½ scoop
    • Light cream cheese glaze30 g · 2 tbsp
    • Milk glaze · to loosen1–2 tsp · 5–10 ml

    Swaps I actually use: no self-raising flour? Use plain flour with ¾ teaspoon of baking powder stirred through — same result. For a deeper cut, swap the brown sugar for a granulated sweetener and use fat-free cream cheese in the glaze. Casein or a thicker whey blend makes the nicest glaze; a thin whey can go runny, so add the milk a few drops at a time. Out of cinnamon? A little mixed spice or cardamom leans it Swedish.

    03Step by step

    Make the dough

    Stir yoghurt and flour into a soft dough

    In a bowl, mix the Greek yoghurt, self-raising flour and a pinch of salt with a spoon until it clumps, then bring it together with your hands. It should be soft and a little tacky, not wet. If it’s sticking badly, work in a teaspoon more flour at a time.

    Magnus says: don’t drown it in flour out of fear. A slightly tacky dough bakes up softer than a dry one.

    Greek yoghurt and flour being mixed into a soft dough in a bowl
    Roll & fill

    Roll it flat, spread the cinnamon swirl

    On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle about 5mm thick. Spread the softened butter right to the edges, then scatter the cinnamon and brown sugar evenly over the top. Press it in gently with the back of the spoon so it stays put when you roll.

    Rolled-out dough rectangle spread with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar
    Shape the roll

    Roll it up tight and tuck the seam

    From the long edge, roll the dough up into a snug log, keeping it tight so you get a proper spiral. For one big roll, curl the log into a coil and tuck the end underneath. For a small batch, slice the log into rounds and stand them cut-side up.

    Magnus says: tight rolling is the whole trick to a swirl that holds. Loose dough unwinds in the heat.

    Dough rolled into a tight log and coiled into a single cinnamon roll
    Bake

    180°C for 18–22 minutes, until golden

    Set the roll in a small lined or lightly greased dish and bake at 180°C (355°F) for 18 to 22 minutes, until the top is golden and the centre is set, not doughy. Let it cool for five minutes — warm is perfect, but glaze too soon and it’ll slide straight off.

    Magnus says: a skewer in the middle should come out clean. Pale and wobbly means a few minutes more.

    A baked cinnamon roll, golden on top, resting in a small dish
    Make the glaze

    Whip protein into the cream cheese

    While it cools, stir the protein powder into the light cream cheese until smooth, then loosen with milk a few drops at a time until it’s thick but pourable — like soft icing. Add the milk slowly; you can always thin it, but you can’t easily thicken it back up.

    Protein powder being whisked into light cream cheese to make a thick glaze
    Glaze & serve

    Ribbon it over the warm roll

    Spoon the glaze over the still-warm roll so it softens and melts down into the swirl. Eat it right away while the middle is soft and the glaze is just starting to run. This is the moment, love — don’t let it go cold on you.

    Magnus says: a little glaze on the plate to drag each bite through is not optional in my kitchen.

    Protein cream-cheese glaze being spooned over the warm cinnamon roll

    04The spec sheet

    Real numbers, calculated — not guessed. One serving is the whole roll plus its glaze, about 140g of finished food. Here’s what that serving and a flat 100g actually give you.

    Macros — per serving & per 100g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100g
    Energy360 kcal257 kcal
    Protein26.0 g18.6 g
    Carbohydrate45.0 g32.1 g
    — of which sugars12.0 g8.6 g
    Fat8.0 g5.7 g
    — of which saturates4.0 g2.9 g
    Fibre3.0 g2.1 g
    Sodium~0.42 g~0.30 g
    Calorie density
    257 kcal / 100g

    Moderate, for a sweet breakfast. For something that eats like a bakery treat, that’s a kind number — and the protein and fibre keep you full far longer than a shop-bought bun would.

    Protein per 100 kcal
    7.2 g / 100 kcal

    Strong for a cinnamon roll. A normal one is mostly flour and sugar; this one carries the protein of a small meal in the same warm, soft package.

    Key micros (per serving, approx.)
    • Calcium~200 mg · 15% DV
    • Phosphorus~260 mg · 37% DV
    • Selenium~22 µg · 40% DV
    • Vitamin B12~0.9 µg · 38% DV
    • Manganese~0.5 mg · 22% DV
    • Iron~1.4 mg · 8% DV

    Macros are calculated from standard food-composition data and will shift a little with your exact ingredients, brands and protein powder. Micronutrient figures are estimates against general adult Daily Values. Numbers are for guidance, not medical advice — see our Nutrition Disclaimer.

    05Bulk / Cut / TRT variations

    One roll, three jobs. The base bakes the same — you adjust the filling sweetener, the glaze, and what you put alongside it. Macros below are for the full serving plus the additions listed.

    Cut

    The lighter swirl

    Swap the brown sugar for a granulated sweetener and use fat-free cream cheese in the glaze. Same warm, cinnamon-rolled comfort, fewer calories — a satisfying breakfast that still leaves room in your day.

    290Kcal
    27G Protein
    5G Fat
    Bulk

    Build it up

    Keep the brown sugar, glaze it generously, and serve the roll next to two whole eggs or a bowl of Greek yoghurt with berries. Easy extra calories around a high-protein centre — comfortable fuel for a hard training day.

    560Kcal
    40G Protein
    18G Fat
    TRT

    Steady & balanced

    One roll with a piece of fruit and a black coffee. Lean protein, slow carbs, a little fat — full and even to start the day, with nothing overshot. The morning plate I reach for most.

    430Kcal
    29G Protein
    9G Fat

    06Meal prep & storage

    This one’s best fresh and warm, but it preps well if you keep the glaze separate. I’ll bake a small batch on a Sunday, cool them fully, and glaze each one as I eat it through the week.

    Fridge
    3 days

    Store baked, unglazed rolls in an airtight container. Keep the glaze in a separate pot and spoon it on just before eating so the roll doesn’t go soggy.

    Freezer
    2 months

    Freeze the cooled, unglazed rolls wrapped individually. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm through before glazing. Make the glaze fresh.

    Reheat
    30 sec

    A short blast in the microwave brings back the soft, warm centre. Or a few minutes in a low oven if you’ve got time. Glaze after, not before.

    For meal prep, I treat the rolls and the glaze as two separate jobs — bake a batch, keep a tub of glaze in the fridge, and you’ve got a warm, high-protein breakfast in under a minute on a rushed morning. That little bit of planning is what makes it stick.

    Free · the 7-day “Get Fed” plan

    Want a whole week built around food like this?

    Drop your email and I’ll send you my free 7-day plan — meals, macros already counted, grocery list written. No spam, no lectures.

    No spam. Unsubscribe whenever. See what’s in the plan →

    07Common questions

    My dough is too sticky to roll — what do I do? +

    Don’t panic, love. Work in a teaspoon of extra flour at a time until it’s tacky but manageable, and flour your surface and rolling pin lightly. Different Greek yoghurts hold different amounts of water, so the exact flour can wander a little. Aim for soft and just-slightly-sticky, not dry — that’s what keeps the baked roll tender.

    I don’t have protein powder — can I still make the glaze? +

    You can. Whisk the light cream cheese with a spoon of Greek yoghurt and a little sweetener and vanilla for a tangy, lighter glaze — you’ll lose a few grams of protein but it’s still good. Or stir the cream cheese with a touch of milk and sweetener on its own. The protein powder just bumps the macros and thickens it up.

    Can I swap the self-raising flour? +

    Yes. Plain (all-purpose) flour with ¾ teaspoon of baking powder stirred through gives the same lift. Wholemeal works too — it’ll be a touch denser and nuttier, so add a splash more yoghurt if it feels dry. A 1:1 gluten-free blend also rolls fine; just handle it gently as it can be more delicate.

    Can I make this ahead for the week? +

    Absolutely, and it’s how I do it. Bake a small batch, cool them fully, and store the rolls unglazed with the glaze in a separate pot. Warm a roll and glaze it fresh each morning — that keeps the swirl soft and the top from going sticky. See the meal prep section above for fridge and freezer times.

    Can I make it dairy-free? +

    You can get close. Use a thick dairy-free yoghurt for the dough and a dairy-free cream cheese plus a plant protein powder for the glaze. The dough behaves a little differently depending on the yoghurt’s thickness, so adjust the flour by feel. The macros will shift with your chosen products, so check the labels and recalculate.

    From my high-protein meal plans

    This roll lives inside a full week of meals.

    This cinnamon roll is one breakfast in my high-protein meal plans — full weeks of food with the macros counted and the grocery list written for you. You pick the goal; I do the maths.

    See the meal plans →
    The high-protein cinnamon roll with its protein cream-cheese glaze, plated under cold light

    08Pairs well with

    A stack of high-protein pancakes with yoghurt and berries, plated under cold light

    High-protein pancakes

    38G Protein
    480Calories
    A sliced loaf of high-protein banana bread, plated under cold light

    Anabolic banana bread

    20G Protein
    290Calories
    A warm chocolate protein mug cake with a molten centre, plated under cold light

    Chocolate protein mug cake

    28G Protein
    330Calories

    Browse all recipes →

    Magnus Olafsson in his kitchen — bald, bearded and broad, in his pink apron, under cold light
    About the author

    Magnus Olafsson

    I’m Magnus — twenty years under the iron, from a cold gym in Stockholm to the classic-physique stage, and now mostly in my kitchen in a pink apron. I’ve cut for shows, bulked through winters, and I’ve been on TRT since I was thirty-five. I know what it takes to eat for the body you’re chasing, and I know it shouldn’t come with a side of shame.

    Everything here is food I actually cook and macros I actually count. I don’t diagnose, I don’t promise, and I never make a number up. I just feed you well and tell you the truth.

    B&K Classic Body Show Swedish Grand Prix · Super Series On TRT since 35 20 years training

    Slim Diet Era shares recipes and general nutrition information. It is not medical or dietetic advice, and we do not provide guidance on obtaining or using any controlled substance. See our Medical Disclaimer and Nutrition Disclaimer.

  • Chocolate Protein Mug Cake

    Chocolate Protein Mug Cake

    Recipe · Anabolic / Dessert / High-protein

    Chocolate Protein Mug Cake

    A warm, gooey chocolate cake in a mug — ready in about five minutes, with 28 grams of protein and 330 calories. Soft in the middle, deep and cocoa-dark, the kind of late-night sweet thing you can actually fit into your day. One mug, one fork, no fuss. I made this so you’d never have to stand at the cupboard at 10pm feeling like you’d done something wrong.

    By Magnus Olafsson Updated 28 June 2026 Tested 60+ times
    GoalAnabolic
    Total time~5 min
    Servings1 mug
    Protein / serving28 g
    Calories / serving330 kcal
    A dark chocolate protein mug cake with a gooey centre, steam rising, plated under cold light Plate 01 / Finished

    There’s a particular hour — late, quiet, the dishes done and the gym bag packed for the morning — when a person starts wanting chocolate. I know it well. For years I’d stand in front of the cupboard at that hour, hungry but not really hungry, just wanting something warm and sweet to close the day, and I’d talk myself out of it or talk myself into something I’d feel daft about afterwards. Neither felt good. So one night I stopped negotiating with myself and built this instead.

    It started rough. The first few were dry little hockey pucks — protein powder will do that to you if you let it. But I kept tinkering: a spoon of cocoa for proper depth, a little oat flour so it bakes like cake and not like a sponge, an egg white to keep it tender, and the trick that changed everything, which is to pull it out of the microwave while the middle is still soft. After about sixty goes I had it. Deep, dark, gooey in the centre, 28 grams of protein, 330 calories, and done before the kettle’s even boiled.

    I want you to have this one, love. Not as a reward you’ve got to deserve and not as something to whisper about — just as a good, warm thing you can make on a Tuesday night and eat with a fork straight from the mug. It fits the day. It tastes like cake. And the next time that quiet hour comes round, you’ll have a plan instead of a worry. I’ve got you.

    01Who it’s for & when to eat it

    This is a single-serving dessert with a serious protein hit, which makes it useful far beyond just being a treat. The mug cake stays the same; what changes is how you slot it into your day. Here’s how I steer it.

    On a cut

    The evening sweet

    Make it with egg white and skip the chocolate chips. You get a warm, satisfying dessert for around 300 calories with the protein still high — exactly what you want when there’s a little room left in the day and a craving you’d rather feed than fight.

    On a bulk

    An easy 400+

    Use a whole egg, a splash more milk, a spoon of peanut butter and the chocolate chips. Calorie-dense, properly chocolatey, and an easy way to land more food when you’re struggling to eat enough. See the variations below for the numbers.

    On TRT

    Steady & satisfying

    The default build is a tidy, balanced dessert — decent protein, moderate carbs, low fat. A sensible way to close out the evening that keeps you full and content without overshooting the day’s calories.

    Timing: this shines as a post-dinner dessert or a slow-digesting bite before bed — protein and a little carb to settle the evening. It’s also a fine post-training sweet if you’ve got calories to spend and a chocolate craving to answer.

    02Ingredients

    Makes 1 mug cake — one generous serving, eaten straight from the mug. Doubling for two? Use two separate mugs rather than one big one; a single deep mug cooks unevenly and you’ll end up with raw middle and rubbery edges.

    Servings 1 · adjust on the live recipe card
    • Chocolate protein powder whey or blend30 g · 1 scoop
    • Cocoa powder unsweetened10 g · 1 tbsp
    • Oat flour or plain flour15 g · 2 tbsp
    • Baking powder2 g · ½ tsp
    • Egg or egg white binder1 (or 2 whites)
    • Milk any kind60 ml · ¼ cup
    • Sweetener to tasteto taste
    • Salt1 pinch
    • Dark chocolate chips optional10 g · 1 tbsp

    Swaps I actually use: egg white in place of the whole egg keeps it leaner; a whole egg makes it richer and more cake-like. No oat flour? Plain flour works, or blitz a tablespoon of oats fine in a grinder. Any milk does the job — dairy, oat, soy — soy and dairy add a touch more protein. For sweetener, a little granulated stevia or erythritol keeps the calories where they are; a teaspoon of honey or maple adds a few. Use a good chocolate protein powder you actually like the taste of — it’s most of the flavour here, so a bad one shows.

    03Step by step

    Dry first

    Whisk the dry mix right in the mug

    Pick a roomy microwave-safe mug — bigger than you think, because it rises. Add the protein powder, cocoa, oat flour, baking powder, sweetener and a pinch of salt. Stir them together with a fork until there are no streaks of cocoa hiding at the bottom.

    Magnus says: mix the dry properly now and you won’t bite into a pocket of raw baking powder later. Worth the ten seconds.

    Chocolate protein powder, cocoa and dry ingredients whisked together in a mug with a fork
    Add the wet

    In with the egg and milk

    Crack in the egg (or pour in the egg whites) and add the milk. Tip in the chocolate chips now too if you’re using them — they’ll melt into little molten pockets, which is half the joy of this.

    An egg and milk being added to the dry chocolate mix in a mug
    Stir smooth

    Beat it to a smooth, thick batter

    Stir hard with the fork until the batter is smooth and lump-free — like a thick brownie mix. Scrape down the sides and get into the corners of the mug. If it looks too stiff to fall off the fork, loosen it with a splash more milk.

    Magnus says: a smooth batter bakes even. Lumps mean dry bits next to gooey bits, and not in the good way.

    A smooth, thick chocolate protein batter stirred together in a mug
    Microwave

    60–90 seconds, and watch it

    Microwave on full power for 60 seconds first, then check. It should be risen and set at the edges but still soft and a little wet on top. If it needs more, go in 10-second bursts until just done. Most mugs land somewhere between 60 and 90 seconds.

    Magnus says: stop while the middle still looks slightly underdone — that’s where the gooey comes from. Protein cake turns to rubber the second you overcook it, and there’s no coming back. Pull it early, every time.

    A risen chocolate mug cake in the microwave, soft and gooey on top
    Rest & top

    Let it settle, then dig in

    Give it a minute to rest — it firms up as it cools and the centre stays molten. Top it however you like: a spoon of plain yoghurt, a drizzle of peanut butter, a few berries, or nothing at all. Eat it warm, straight from the mug.

    The finished chocolate protein mug cake topped with yoghurt, a fork resting in the gooey centre

    04The spec sheet

    Real numbers, calculated — not guessed. The recipe makes one mug cake weighing roughly 150g once baked. Here’s what the whole serving gives you, and what a flat 100g works out to for comparison.

    Macros — per serving & per 100g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100g
    Energy330 kcal220 kcal
    Protein28.0 g18.7 g
    Carbohydrate30.0 g20.0 g
    — of which sugars6.0 g4.0 g
    Fat9.0 g6.0 g
    — of which saturates3.4 g2.3 g
    Fibre5.0 g3.3 g
    Sodium~0.34 g~0.23 g
    Calorie density
    220 kcal / 100g

    Moderate for a dessert, and low for chocolate cake. You get a warm, filling sweet thing for the calories of a couple of biscuits — and a lot more protein to show for it.

    Protein per 100 kcal
    8.5 g / 100 kcal

    Strong for a dessert. Most sweets give you next to nothing here; this one carries real protein, which is why it actually keeps you satisfied instead of leaving you hunting for more.

    Key micros (per serving, approx.)
    • Phosphorus~260 mg · 37% DV
    • Magnesium~95 mg · 23% DV
    • Iron~2.6 mg · 14% DV
    • Calcium~160 mg · 12% DV
    • Vitamin B12~1.0 µg · 42% DV
    • Selenium~18 µg · 33% DV

    Macros are calculated from standard food-composition data and will shift a little with your exact protein powder, milk and sweetener. Micronutrient figures are estimates against general adult Daily Values. Numbers are for guidance, not medical advice — see our Nutrition Disclaimer.

    05Bulk / Cut / TRT variations

    One mug, three jobs. The base stays the same — you adjust the egg, the extras and the topping. Macros below are for the whole mug cake as built.

    Cut

    The lean version

    Made with 2 egg whites instead of a whole egg, skim or unsweetened plant milk, a zero-calorie sweetener and no chocolate chips. Still deep and chocolatey, still gooey, just lighter — the dessert I lean on when there’s a little room left in the day.

    300Kcal
    30G Protein
    6G Fat
    Bulk

    Build it up

    Use a whole egg, full-fat milk, the chocolate chips and a heaped spoon of peanut butter swirled through before it bakes. Rich, molten and calorie-dense — an easy way to add good food when you’re fighting to eat enough.

    520Kcal
    34G Protein
    22G Fat
    TRT

    Steady & balanced

    The default build with a whole egg, the chocolate chips, and a spoon of plain Greek yoghurt and a few berries on top. Solid protein, moderate carbs, sensible fat — a satisfying close to the evening with nothing overshot.

    360Kcal
    30G Protein
    11G Fat

    06Meal prep & storage

    A mug cake is meant to be made fresh — that’s the whole charm of it. But you can do the boring part ahead so it’s a thirty-second job when the craving lands. Here’s how I keep mine ready.

    Dry-mix jars
    1 month

    Whisk the dry ingredients — powder, cocoa, oat flour, baking powder, sweetener, salt — and portion them into small jars or bags. When you want one, just add the egg and milk, stir and microwave.

    Fridge
    2 days

    Made one and can’t finish it? Cover and chill. It firms up cold but is still good; a cooked mug cake keeps a day or two in the fridge without trouble.

    Reheat
    20 sec

    Bring a chilled one back to life with 15–20 seconds in the microwave — just enough to soften the middle again. Go easy; over-zapping tightens it up.

    My honest advice: make the dry-mix jars. Five minutes on a Sunday gets you a week of dessert that’s ready in the time it takes to find a fork. That’s the kind of small set-up that makes eating well feel easy instead of like work.

    Free · the 7-day “Get Fed” plan

    Want a whole week built around food like this?

    Drop your email and I’ll send you my free 7-day plan — meals, macros already counted, grocery list written. No spam, no lectures.

    No spam. Unsubscribe whenever. See what’s in the plan →

    07Common questions

    Mine came out rubbery — what went wrong? +

    You cooked it a touch too long, love. Protein powder sets fast and then keeps tightening, so even ten extra seconds turns it dry and bouncy. Next time, stop at 60 seconds, check it, and add time in small bursts only if the edges aren’t set. It should look slightly underdone on top when you pull it — it carries on cooking in the mug as it rests.

    Does the type of protein powder matter? +

    It does. Whey or a whey blend gives the softest, most cake-like result and is the easiest to work with. Casein bakes denser and absorbs more liquid, so if you use it, add an extra splash of milk and watch it doesn’t dry out. Plant proteins vary a lot — some go gritty — so if yours does, an extra spoon of oat flour and a little more milk smooths things over. Most of all, use one whose chocolate flavour you actually enjoy.

    No microwave — can I bake it in the oven? +

    Yes. Pour the batter into a small oven-safe ramekin and bake at 180°C (355°F) for about 12–15 minutes, until risen and just set with a soft centre. Same rule as the microwave: pull it while the middle still looks a little underdone, or it’ll dry out. It takes longer but the texture is lovely.

    Can I leave out the flour, or swap it? +

    The flour gives it structure so it bakes like cake rather than a wobbly sponge, so I’d keep some in. Oat flour and plain flour are interchangeable here. If you want it grain-free, a tablespoon of almond flour works but bakes denser and a bit richer. Leaving flour out entirely tends to give a rubbery, eggy result — not what we’re after.

    How do I make it gooier in the middle? +

    Two easy moves. First, undercook it slightly — pull it the moment the edges set and the centre still looks wet. Second, press a square of dark chocolate or a teaspoon of peanut butter into the centre of the batter before it goes in; it melts into a molten core. A splash more milk in the batter helps too. Gooey is a timing thing more than anything else.

    Can I make it without any egg? +

    You can. Skip the egg and use a little more milk to get the batter loose, or stir in a tablespoon of plain yoghurt or mashed banana to keep it moist and bind it. It’ll be a touch denser and the protein drops a little, but it still works well. Adjust the liquid by feel — you want a thick, pourable batter.

    From my high-protein meal plans

    This mug cake lives inside a full week of meals.

    A dessert like this is one plate in my high-protein meal plans — full weeks of food with the macros counted and the grocery list written, so the sweet things and the savoury things all add up the way they should. You pick the goal; I do the maths.

    See the meal plans →
    A gooey chocolate protein mug cake plated under cold light

    08Pairs well with

    A bowl of thick chocolate protein ice cream plated under cold light

    Anabolic protein ice cream

    30G Protein
    300Calories
    A bowl of edible protein cookie dough studded with chocolate chips, plated under cold light

    Edible protein cookie dough

    24G Protein
    300Calories
    A soft anabolic cinnamon roll with a glaze, plated under cold light

    Anabolic cinnamon roll

    26G Protein
    360Calories

    Browse all recipes →

    Magnus Olafsson in his kitchen — bald, bearded and broad, in his pink apron, under cold light
    About the author

    Magnus Olafsson

    I’m Magnus — twenty years under the iron, from a cold gym in Stockholm to the classic-physique stage, and now mostly in my kitchen in a pink apron. I’ve cut for shows, bulked through winters, and I’ve been on TRT since I was thirty-five. I know what it takes to eat for the body you’re chasing, and I know it shouldn’t come with a side of shame.

    Everything here is food I actually cook and macros I actually count. I don’t diagnose, I don’t promise, and I never make a number up. I just feed you well and tell you the truth.

    B&K Classic Body Show Swedish Grand Prix · Super Series On TRT since 35 20 years training

    Slim Diet Era shares recipes and general nutrition information. It is not medical or dietetic advice, and we do not provide guidance on obtaining or using any controlled substance. See our Medical Disclaimer and Nutrition Disclaimer.

  • No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Bars

    No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Bars

    Recipe · Anabolic / Snack / High-protein

    No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Bars

    Peanut butter, whey, oats and a little honey pressed into a tin and chilled — no oven, no faff. Each bar lands at 22 grams of protein for 260 calories, with a thin dark-chocolate top if you want it. A real snack that survives a gym bag and beats anything in the shop. I made this one for you.

    By Magnus Olafsson Updated 28 June 2026 Tested 36 times
    GoalAnabolic
    Total time15 min + 2h chill
    Servings8 bars
    Protein / serving22 g
    Calories / serving260 kcal
    A stack of no-bake peanut butter protein bars with a thin dark chocolate top, cut into neat squares under cold light Plate 01 / Finished

    For years I kept buying those shop protein bars — the shiny ones by the till, four quid each, the wrapper bigger than the bar inside. Half of them tasted like sweet cardboard and the other half melted into a sad puddle the second they sat in my bag past lunchtime. I’d be three hours from home, hungry, training in a couple of hours, and reaching for something that cost me a fortune and let me down. One winter I’d finally had enough, came home grumbling, and decided I’d just make my own. How hard could it be.

    Turns out, not hard at all. Peanut butter, a couple of scoops of whey, rolled oats, a spoon of honey to bring it together, a splash of milk so it presses clean. Mix it in one bowl, press it into a lined tin, chill it, slice it. That’s the whole job. No oven, no thermometer, no standing over a pan. And the maths is honest: 22 grams of protein per bar for 260 calories, which is a genuinely useful snack rather than a sugar bomb pretending to be one.

    These have lived in my fridge ever since. I wrap two in baking paper, drop them in my bag, and they’re still firm and good hours later — no puddle, no cardboard. My partner steals them, which is the highest praise food gets in this house. Make a batch on a Sunday and you’ve got a real snack sorted for the week, made by you, for a fraction of the price. I’ve got you on this one, love.

    01Who it’s for & when to eat it

    This is a portable, high-protein snack that bends to whatever you’re doing. The bar stays the same; what changes is when you eat it and how many. Here’s how I steer it.

    On a cut

    One, on purpose

    A single bar at 260 calories is a satisfying snack that holds you over between meals — 22g of protein does a lot of the heavy lifting for fullness. Box it, plan it in, and it keeps your hand out of the biscuit tin in the afternoon slump.

    On a bulk

    Easy calories, anywhere

    When you’re trying to eat enough and your appetite’s flagging, these are gold — calorie-dense, no chewing through plain food. Have one with the chocolate top, or two on a hard training day. See the variations below for the bulk numbers.

    On TRT

    Steady between meals

    A balanced little snack with protein, some carbs and a bit of fat from the peanut butter. Keeps you even between meals and supports recovery without overshooting the day. One bar with a coffee does the job nicely.

    Timing: these are brilliant in a gym bag or a desk drawer — they don’t need a fork and they don’t melt on you. I’ll have one an hour or so before training, or as the snack that stops a long afternoon turning into a raid on the fridge.

    02Ingredients

    Makes 8 bars — one bar is one serving. Want a bigger batch? Scale every line in proportion and use a larger tin; the ratio of peanut butter to powder to oats is what gives you a bar that slices clean instead of crumbling.

    Servings 8 · adjust on the live recipe card
    • Natural peanut butter smooth250 g · 1 cup
    • Vanilla whey or casein protein powder120 g · 4 scoops
    • Rolled oats120 g · 1¼ cups
    • Honey or maple syrup binder60 g · 3 tbsp
    • Milk to loosen60–90 ml · ¼–⅓ cup
    • Fine salt1 pinch
    • Dark chocolate, 70% optional top60 g · 2 oz

    Swaps I actually use: any nut butter works — almond, cashew, or a sunflower-seed butter if there’s a nut allergy in the house. Casein gives a softer, fudgier bar than whey, so use it if you find whey makes things dry. No honey? Maple syrup binds just the same; a mashed ripe banana works too but adds a little moisture, so go easy on the milk. The chocolate top is entirely up to you — lovely, but the bar is good plain.

    03Step by step

    Mix dry

    Stir the powder and oats together first

    In a big bowl, stir the protein powder, rolled oats and the pinch of salt together until they’re evenly mixed. Doing the dry stuff first means no dusty clumps of powder hiding once the wet goes in.

    Magnus says: mixing dry first sounds fussy, but it’s the difference between smooth and lumpy. Thirty seconds, worth it.

    Add the wet

    Stir in peanut butter and honey

    Add the peanut butter and the honey, then start folding everything together. It’ll look dry and stiff at first — that’s normal. Keep going until the dry stuff is mostly coated and you’ve got a thick, shaggy dough.

    Check the texture

    Add milk a splash at a time

    Now add the milk a little at a time, mixing as you go, until the dough just holds together when you press it between your fingers — soft and pliable, not wet or sticky. Different powders drink different amounts, so add slowly. You can always add more; you can’t take it out.

    Magnus says: you want it like soft cookie dough. If it’s sticking to your hands it’s too wet — work in a spoon more oats.

    Press

    Pack it into a lined tin, firm and even

    Line a small square tin — about 20cm / 8in — with baking paper. Tip the dough in and press it down hard and even with the back of a spoon or your hands. Really pack it; loose dough makes crumbly bars. Smooth the top flat.

    Magnus says: press harder than feels necessary. A firm, dense slab is what holds together in your bag later.

    Top & chill

    Optional chocolate, then into the fridge

    If you want the chocolate top, melt the dark chocolate gently and pour it over, tilting the tin so it spreads thin. Then chill the whole thing in the fridge for at least two hours, until firm. Lift it out by the paper and slice into 8 bars with a sharp knife.

    Magnus says: a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry cuts clean lines through the chocolate. Patience here pays off, darling.

    04The spec sheet

    Real numbers, calculated — not guessed. The batch makes 8 bars, and one bar weighs roughly 65g (a little more with the chocolate top). Here’s what one bar and a flat 100g actually give you.

    Macros — per bar & per 100g
    NutrientPer barPer 100g
    Energy260 kcal400 kcal
    Protein22.0 g33.8 g
    Carbohydrate22.0 g33.8 g
    — of which sugars9.0 g13.8 g
    Fat9.0 g13.8 g
    — of which saturates2.2 g3.4 g
    Fibre3.0 g4.6 g
    Sodium~0.18 g~0.28 g
    Calorie density
    400 kcal / 100g

    Denser than a cooked meal — that’s just what a bar is, with the peanut butter and oats packed tight. So treat it as one portioned snack: one bar is one bar. Eat it on purpose and it’s a genuinely useful 260 calories.

    Protein per 100 kcal
    8.5 g / 100 kcal

    Strong for a snack you can carry in a bag. Plenty of the calories are doing real work here, which is more than I can say for most things sold off a shelf.

    Key micros (per bar, approx.)
    • Magnesium~70 mg · 17% DV
    • Phosphorus~150 mg · 21% DV
    • Niacin (B3)~3.5 mg · 22% DV
    • Vitamin E~2.0 mg · 13% DV
    • Manganese~0.8 mg · 35% DV
    • Potassium~220 mg · 5% DV

    Macros are calculated from standard food-composition data and will shift a little with your exact peanut butter, protein powder and brands. Micronutrient figures are estimates against general adult Daily Values. Numbers are for guidance, not medical advice — see our Nutrition Disclaimer.

    05Bulk / Cut / TRT variations

    One base, three jobs. The bar stays the same — you tweak a couple of ingredients for the cut and the bulk. Macros below are per bar.

    Cut

    The lean default

    Use a powdered peanut butter (rehydrated) in place of half the regular peanut butter and skip the chocolate top. You keep the flavour and the protein but shave the fat and calories right down. One bar, planned in, is a satisfying snack on a deficit.

    210Kcal
    23G Protein
    5G Fat
    Bulk

    Build it up

    Keep the full peanut butter and the chocolate top, and stir a small handful of chopped nuts or some dark chocolate chips through the dough. Calorie-dense, easy to eat when your appetite’s gone walkabout. Two of these is a real snack on a heavy day.

    330Kcal
    23G Protein
    16G Fat
    TRT

    Steady & balanced

    The standard bar as written, chocolate top optional. Balanced protein, carbs and fat, easy to carry, gentle on the day. One with a coffee mid-morning keeps you even without overshooting.

    260Kcal
    22G Protein
    9G Fat

    06Meal prep & storage

    These are meal prep — that’s the whole point of them. Make a batch on a Sunday, slice them, and you’ve got a week of real snacks sorted with the macros already counted. No melting, no fuss, ready when you are.

    Fridge
    1 week

    Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. They firm up nicely cold and hold their shape — this is where they’re happiest and where I store mine.

    Freezer
    3 months

    Wrap each bar individually and freeze. Thaw one in the fridge overnight, or eat it half-frozen on a warm day — honestly lovely that way.

    Grab-and-go
    ~4 hrs out

    Wrap two in baking paper and they’ll hold firm in a bag for a few hours. Past that on a hot day, keep them cool — but they won’t puddle like the shop ones.

    For the week ahead, I cut the slab into 8, wrap them in pairs, and stash them so they’re ready to grab on the way out the door. A snack you made yourself, sorted before the week even starts — that’s prep doing its job.

    Free · the 7-day “Get Fed” plan

    Want a whole week built around food like this?

    Drop your email and I’ll send you my free 7-day plan — meals, macros already counted, grocery list written. No spam, no lectures.

    No spam. Unsubscribe whenever. See what’s in the plan →

    07Common questions

    Can I swap the protein powder? +

    Yes. Whey, casein, or a plant blend all work — just know they behave differently. Casein and plant powders soak up more liquid and give a softer, fudgier bar, so add the milk slowly and stop when it just holds. Whey makes a slightly firmer bar. Vanilla or chocolate flavour both suit peanut butter; an unflavoured powder is fine too, you’ll just want a touch more honey.

    My mix is too dry and crumbly — what do I do? +

    Add more milk, a small splash at a time, until the dough just holds together when you press it. Don’t panic, love — protein powders vary a lot in how much liquid they drink, so the milk amount is always a guide, not a rule. A little extra honey or peanut butter also helps bring a stubborn dry mix together.

    And if it’s too wet to press? +

    Easy fix: work in a spoon more oats or a little extra protein powder until it firms up to a soft, pressable dough. If it’s sticking all over your hands, it’s too wet — add dry ingredients a bit at a time. It comes together quickly, so go slow so you don’t overshoot the other way.

    Can I make these without protein powder? +

    You can, but they won’t be high-protein bars anymore — they’ll be more of an oaty peanut snack. Replace the powder with extra oats and a little milk powder for body. Lovely to eat, but the macros change a lot: you’ll lose most of the 22g of protein, so adjust your expectations and your numbers.

    How do I make them vegan? +

    Use a plant protein powder, maple syrup instead of honey, and a plant milk such as soya or oat. Plant powders are thirstier, so add liquid carefully. Pick a dairy-free dark chocolate for the top if you’re using it. The texture stays soft and good, just keep an eye on the milk as you mix.

    Is the chocolate top necessary? +

    Not at all. The bar is properly good plain, and skipping the chocolate saves a few calories and fat — handy on a cut. The top is there because it’s nice and it makes them feel like a proper treat, but it’s optional every single time. Your bar, your call.

    From my high-protein meal plans

    This bar lives inside a full week of meals.

    These bars are one of the snacks in my high-protein meal plans — full weeks of food with the macros counted and the grocery list written. You pick the goal; I do the maths and make sure you’re fed.

    See the meal plans →
    No-bake peanut butter protein bars stacked and ready, part of a high-protein meal plan, under cold light

    08Pairs well with

    A bowl of edible protein cookie dough with chocolate chips, under cold light

    Edible protein cookie dough

    24G Protein
    300Calories
    A bowl of thick anabolic protein ice cream, under cold light

    Anabolic protein ice cream

    30G Protein
    300Calories
    A warm chocolate protein mug cake in a ramekin, under cold light

    Chocolate protein mug cake

    28G Protein
    330Calories

    Browse all recipes →

    Magnus Olafsson in his kitchen — bald, bearded and broad, in his pink apron, under cold light
    About the author

    Magnus Olafsson

    I’m Magnus — twenty years under the iron, from a cold gym in Stockholm to the classic-physique stage, and now mostly in my kitchen in a pink apron. I’ve cut for shows, bulked through winters, and I’ve been on TRT since I was thirty-five. I know what it takes to eat for the body you’re chasing, and I know it shouldn’t come with a side of shame.

    Everything here is food I actually cook and macros I actually count. I don’t diagnose, I don’t promise, and I never make a number up. I just feed you well and tell you the truth.

    B&K Classic Body Show Swedish Grand Prix · Super Series On TRT since 35 20 years training

    Slim Diet Era shares recipes and general nutrition information. It is not medical or dietetic advice, and we do not provide guidance on obtaining or using any controlled substance. See our Medical Disclaimer and Nutrition Disclaimer.

  • High-Protein Flatbread Pizza

    High-Protein Flatbread Pizza

    Recipe · Anabolic / Dinner / High-protein

    High-Protein Flatbread Pizza

    A proper pizza night that loves you back. The base is a two-ingredient yoghurt dough, the sauce is honest passata, and the top is lean protein and light cheese — so one whole pizza lands at 44 grams of protein for 560 calories. No tiny portions, no lecture. Just a big plate of pizza with the macros sorted.

    By Magnus Olafsson Updated 28 June 2026 Tested 31 times
    GoalAnabolic
    Total time35 min
    Servings1 pizza
    Protein / serving44 g
    Calories / serving560 kcal
    A whole high-protein flatbread pizza topped with melted light mozzarella and lean pepperoni, sliced and plated under cold light Plate 01 / Finished

    The first time I made this, it was a Friday and my partner wanted pizza. Properly wanted it — the kind of craving you don’t argue with. I was deep in a building phase, trying to keep my protein honest, and I did not want to spend the evening feeling like I’d ordered out and given up. So I stood at the counter, stirred Greek yoghurt into self-raising flour with a wooden spoon, and made a dough out of two things. Rolled it thin, baked it, topped it, and twenty minutes later we had a real pizza on the table. She had no idea it was the “good for you” version until I told her.

    That’s the whole point of this one. A two-ingredient yoghurt base gives you a soft, chewy flatbread crust without a long proof or a packet of dry yeast, and the yoghurt quietly adds protein to the dough itself. Then you keep the toppings lean — passata instead of an oily sauce, light mozzarella instead of a mountain of full-fat cheese, and a proper hit of chicken or turkey pepperoni for the meat. The numbers come out beautiful: 44 grams of protein across the whole pizza, all of it for 560 calories. You eat the lot. Not a sliver.

    I make this most weeks now, and I want you to have it too, love. It is not a sad imitation of pizza — it is pizza, built so a person chasing a body can still sit down to a full plate on a Friday and feel like they’re being looked after. Make it once and I think it earns a permanent spot in your kitchen. I’ve got you.

    01Who it’s for & when to eat it

    This is a high-protein anabolic plate that flexes to whatever you’re doing. The base and the build stay the same; what you change is how much cheese and how big the topping pile gets. Here’s how I steer it.

    On a cut

    Lean it out

    Roll the base a touch thinner, drop to a light scatter of cheese, and load up on veg — peppers, mushrooms, rocket on top after baking. Same big pizza, fewer calories, still well over 40g of protein. A genuinely filling dinner when you’re keeping things tight.

    On a bulk

    Build it up

    This is its home. The full pizza as written sits at a clean 560 calories, and it’s easy to push higher — more cheese, a second protein, a drizzle of oil. Big, satisfying, protein-dense fuel for a building phase. See the variations below for the numbers.

    On TRT

    Steady fuel

    The standard build is a balanced plate as it is — solid protein, moderate carbs from the base, a sensible amount of fat. Add a side salad if you want more volume. Easy on the evening, kind to recovery, nothing overshot.

    Timing: this is a brilliant post-training dinner — a real carb-and-protein plate when your body’s asking for it. It’s also a proper Friday-night meal that doesn’t blow the week. Leftovers reheat well too, so a spare slice makes a tidy lunch.

    02Ingredients

    Makes 1 whole pizza — one generous serving. Want two? Double every line; the dough is a simple 1:1 ratio of flour to yoghurt by weight, so it scales without any fuss.

    Servings 1 · adjust on the live recipe card
    • Self-raising flour the base80 g · 2.8 oz
    • Greek yoghurt, 0–2% the base80 g · 2.8 oz
    • Passata sauce60 g · ¼ cup
    • Low-moisture mozzarella, light, grated50 g · 1.8 oz
    • Chicken or turkey pepperoni40 g · 1.4 oz
    • Dried oregano½ tsp
    • Garlic powder¼ tsp
    • Olive oil to brush1 tsp · 5 ml
    • Fresh basil to finisha few leaves
    • Salt & black pepperto taste (go light)

    Swaps I actually use: no self-raising flour? Use 80g plain flour plus ¾ teaspoon baking powder. Dairy-free? A thick plant yoghurt and a melting vegan cheese both work, though the protein dips a little. For the meat, lean shredded chicken breast, lean ham, or even tinned tuna all top this happily — keep it lean and the macros stay honest. Half a low-fat cottage-cheese base under the sauce sneaks in even more protein if you want it.

    03Step by step

    The dough

    Stir flour and yoghurt into a shaggy ball

    Tip the self-raising flour into a bowl with a pinch of salt. Add the Greek yoghurt and stir with a spoon until it clumps together, then bring it into a ball with your hands. It’ll feel sticky and rough — that’s right. Don’t add water.

    Magnus says: equal weights of flour and yoghurt is the whole trick. Weigh them, don’t eyeball it.

    Knead & roll

    Knead briefly, then roll it thin

    Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a minute or two until it’s smooth and no longer sticking to your hands. Roll it out into a round about 25cm wide and an even thinness — thin bakes crisp, thick bakes bready. Either is good; pick your pizza.

    Par-bake

    Bake the bare base first

    Lift the base onto a lined tray, brush it lightly with the olive oil, and prick it a few times with a fork. Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 6–8 minutes, until it’s set and just starting to colour. Par-baking is what stops a soggy middle once the toppings go on.

    Magnus says: a few fork holes keep it from ballooning. Pop any big bubbles when it comes out.

    Sauce & season

    Spread the passata, scatter the herbs

    Stir the oregano, garlic powder and a little black pepper through the passata, then spread it over the par-baked base, leaving a thin border for the crust. Keep the layer modest — too much sauce drowns the base. A little goes a long way.

    Top it

    Cheese, then the protein

    Scatter the grated light mozzarella over the sauce, then lay the chicken or turkey pepperoni on top so every slice gets some. This is where the protein really lands, so spread it evenly — no bare slices, no overloaded ones.

    Bake & serve

    Back in the oven, then slice

    Return the pizza to the oven at 220°C (425°F) for 8–10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is golden. Slide it onto a board, tear over the fresh basil, slice it, and eat the whole thing — that’s the serving.

    Magnus says: let it sit two minutes before you cut it, or the cheese slides off the slice. Worth the wait.

    04The spec sheet

    Real numbers, calculated — not guessed. The recipe makes one whole pizza, which is one serving of roughly 280g. Here’s what that whole pizza and a flat 100g actually give you.

    Macros — per serving & per 100g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100g
    Energy560 kcal200 kcal
    Protein44.0 g15.7 g
    Carbohydrate55.0 g19.6 g
    — of which sugars6.0 g2.1 g
    Fat18.0 g6.4 g
    — of which saturates7.5 g2.7 g
    Fibre3.5 g1.3 g
    Sodium~1.1 g~0.39 g
    Calorie density
    200 kcal / 100g

    Moderate, and that’s by design — this is a full, satisfying pizza, not a tiny portion. You get a real plate of food and the calories still land at a sensible 560 for the whole thing.

    Protein per 100 kcal
    7.9 g / 100 kcal

    Strong for a pizza. Most pizzas are mostly bread and fat; this one carries real protein in every slice, which is exactly what you want when you’re building.

    Key micros (per serving, approx.)
    • Calcium~360 mg · 28% DV
    • Phosphorus~470 mg · 67% DV
    • Selenium~38 µg · 69% DV
    • Vitamin B12~1.4 µg · 58% DV
    • Niacin (B3)~11 mg · 69% DV
    • Zinc~3.2 mg · 29% DV

    Macros are calculated from standard food-composition data and will shift a little with your exact ingredients and brands — the cheese and the pepperoni move the fat and sodium most. Micronutrient figures are estimates against general adult Daily Values. Numbers are for guidance, not medical advice — see our Nutrition Disclaimer.

    05Bulk / Cut / TRT variations

    One base, three jobs. The dough and the method stay the same — you adjust the cheese and the toppings to fit the week. Macros below are for the whole pizza built each way.

    Cut

    The lean default

    Roll the base thinner, drop the cheese to 30g, and pile on peppers, mushrooms and a handful of rocket after baking. A whole pizza that fills the plate and the belly while keeping the calories tight, with protein still well past 40g.

    440Kcal
    41G Protein
    11G Fat
    Bulk

    Build it up

    Push the cheese to 70g, add a second protein — shredded chicken alongside the pepperoni — and finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Bigger crust, bigger top, easy calories without losing the protein-per-bite that makes it worth eating.

    760Kcal
    58G Protein
    28G Fat
    TRT

    Steady & balanced

    The pizza as written, with a side salad of leaves and a little olive oil. Solid protein, moderate carbs, a sensible amount of fat — a full, balanced evening plate that keeps you satisfied and supports recovery without overshooting.

    620Kcal
    45G Protein
    22G Fat

    06Meal prep & storage

    Pizza isn’t most people’s idea of meal prep, but this one holds up better than you’d think. I’ll make two bases ahead, par-bake them, and stash them so a finished pizza is ten minutes away on a busy night.

    Fridge
    3 days

    Store a cooked, cooled pizza in an airtight container or wrapped tight. Cold pizza from the fridge is a fine lunch, honestly — or reheat it for the proper experience.

    Freezer
    2 months

    Freeze par-baked bare bases between sheets of paper, or freeze finished slices flat. Thaw bases in the fridge; cook slices straight from frozen.

    Reheat
    8 min

    Oven at 200°C for about 8 minutes brings the crust back crisp and the cheese back to melted. Skip the microwave if you can — it turns the base soft and sad.

    If you’re prepping for the week, par-bake your bases on a Sunday and keep the toppings ready in the fridge. Building and finishing a fresh pizza then takes barely longer than waiting for a delivery, and the macros are already sorted for you.

    Free · the 7-day “Get Fed” plan

    Want a whole week built around food like this?

    Drop your email and I’ll send you my free 7-day plan — meals, macros already counted, grocery list written. No spam, no lectures.

    No spam. Unsubscribe whenever. See what’s in the plan →

    07Common questions

    Why par-bake the base before topping it? +

    Because a yoghurt dough holds moisture, and a wet base under wet sauce gives you a soggy middle every time. Baking the bare base for a few minutes first sets the structure so it can take the toppings and still come out with a proper bottom. It’s a small extra step that makes the difference between a pizza and a puddle.

    Can I make this without self-raising flour? +

    Yes. Use 80g of plain flour and add ¾ teaspoon of baking powder — that’s essentially what self-raising flour is. Stir the powder through the flour before you add the yoghurt so it spreads evenly. The dough behaves exactly the same way.

    How is it 44g of protein for the whole pizza? +

    Three sources stacking up. The Greek yoghurt in the base brings a good chunk, the light mozzarella adds more, and the lean chicken or turkey pepperoni does the heavy lifting on top. Keeping the cheese light and the meat lean is what lets the protein stay high while the calories stay at 560. Swap in a fattier cheese and the fat climbs while the protein barely moves.

    Can I use a normal pepperoni instead of chicken or turkey? +

    You can, and it’ll taste great — just know the macros shift. Pork pepperoni is much fattier, so the calories climb toward 700 and the fat roughly doubles while the protein stays about the same. Lovely for a bulk; for a leaner plate, the chicken or turkey version keeps things in check.

    The dough is sticking to everything — what now? +

    Don’t panic, love. Yoghurt dough starts sticky and that’s normal. Dust your surface and your hands with a little flour and keep kneading for a minute — it’ll come together and stop clinging. Resist the urge to add water; a touch more flour is all it needs.

    Can I add vegetables on top? +

    Please do. Peppers, mushrooms, red onion and spinach all work beautifully and add volume for almost no calories. Slice them thin so they cook through in the bake, and add delicate leaves like rocket or basil after baking so they don’t wilt. More veg means a bigger, more satisfying pizza on the same macros.

    From my high-protein meal plans

    This pizza lives inside a full week of meals.

    This is one plate from my high-protein meal plans — a full week of satisfying, macro-counted meals with the grocery list already written. You pick the goal; I do the maths and feed you well all week.

    See the meal plans →
    A high-protein flatbread pizza sliced and plated, part of Magnus's meal plans, under cold light

    08Pairs well with

    A bowl of creamy anabolic mac and cheese, plated under cold light

    Anabolic mac and cheese

    46G Protein
    560Calories
    A loaded tray of high-protein nachos with lean mince and melted cheese, under cold light

    High-protein loaded nachos

    42G Protein
    560Calories
    Golden baked chicken cutlets flecked with herbs, plated under cold light

    Lean cutting chicken cutlets

    48G Protein
    420Calories

    Browse all recipes →

    Magnus Olafsson in his kitchen — bald, bearded and broad, in his pink apron, under cold light
    About the author

    Magnus Olafsson

    I’m Magnus — twenty years under the iron, from a cold gym in Stockholm to the classic-physique stage, and now mostly in my kitchen in a pink apron. I’ve cut for shows, bulked through winters, and I’ve been on TRT since I was thirty-five. I know what it takes to eat for the body you’re chasing, and I know it shouldn’t come with a side of shame.

    Everything here is food I actually cook and macros I actually count. I don’t diagnose, I don’t promise, and I never make a number up. I just feed you well and tell you the truth.

    B&K Classic Body Show Swedish Grand Prix · Super Series On TRT since 35 20 years training

    Slim Diet Era shares recipes and general nutrition information. It is not medical or dietetic advice, and we do not provide guidance on obtaining or using any controlled substance. See our Medical Disclaimer and Nutrition Disclaimer.