Bulking Grocery List For Any Budget (With Template)
Bulking can be a tricky process.
You want to make sure that you are getting the right foods, but you also need enough of them so that you reach your daily calorie and macronutrient targets!
In this article, you will find bulking grocery lists in different price ranges. So, no matter what your financial situation is, there is a bulking list here for you!
Moreover, I will explain how you could create your own bulking shopping list and provide you with a free bulking grocery list template you can use next time you shop for your daily groceries.
But first, let’s cover the basics:
- What is Bulking?
- Calories and Macros for Bulking
- Best Bulking Foods To Include In Your Grocery List
- Creating a Bulking Grocery List
- Bulking Grocery List Examples (Different Price Ranges)
- Bulking Grocery List Template (Free)
- Cutting Grocery List
- Frequently Asked Questions About Groceries When Bulking
What is Bulking?
Bulking refers to the process of muscle building and weight gain. It can be achieved by consuming more calories than you expend.
Although there are different approaches to bulking (clean bulking and dirty bulking), clean bulking or lean bulking diet, as some people refer to it, with a focus on minimally processed food options, is what we will mostly focus on in this article.
Recommended Reading: Clean Bulk vs Dirty Bulk – Which One is Best to Gain Muscle?
Calories and Macros for Bulking
Before you go to the shop with your bulking grocery list you need to know your caloric and macronutrient needs.
This is the foundation of your bulking meal plan.
Calorie and macronutrient needs are different for everyone.
Check out this article on how to calculate your lean bulk macronutrients. It includes a calculator that can help you determine how many calories and what macros your body needs to gain lean muscle mass without gaining excess fat.
Best Bulking Foods To Include In Your Grocery List
Below you can find the best foods to eat on a bulking diet.
All foods are categorized by macronutrients, I also categorized condiments and spices in their own group.
Protein Sources
- Steak
- Ground Beef
- Pork Tenderloin
- Ground Turkey
- Ground Pork
- Turkey Breast
- Chicken Breast
- Chicken Tights
- Jerky
- Bacon
- Pork Belly
- Sausage
- Lean Deli Meat
- Turkey Bacon
- Tilapia
- Tuna
- Cod
- Shrimp
- Salmon Fillet
- Canned Tuna
- Egg Whites
- Whole Eggs
- Tofu
- Tempeh
- Quorn
Dairy
- Cottage Cheese
- Greek Yoghurt
- Skyr (Icelandic Yoghurt)
- Whey Protein Powder
- Isolate Protein Powder
- Full-Fat Milk
- Cream Cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Goat cheese
- Cheddar cheese
- Mozzarella Cheese
Carbohydrate Sources
- Potatoes
- Couscous
- Oatmeal
- Buckwheat
- Bulgur
- Pasta
- Barley
- White Rice
- Brown Rice
- Tortilla Wraps
- Bread
- Rice Cakes
- Cereal
- Granola
- Beans
- Lentils
- Peas
- Quinoa
- Popcorn
Healthy Fat Sources
- Avocado Oil
- Canola Oil
- Olive Oil
- Flaxseed Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Nut Butter
- Almonds
- Cashew
- Hazelnuts
- Peanuts
- Pecans
- Macadamia Nuts
- Pistachios
- Chia Seeds
- Sesame Seeds
- Sunflower Seeds
- Avocado
Fruits
- Apricots
- Banana
- Blackberries
- Blackcurrants
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Clementines
- Figs
- Grapes
- Kiwi
- Mango
- Melon
- Oranges
- Peach
- Pears
- Pineapple
- Plums
- Watermelon
- Frozen Fruit Mix
- Frozen Berrie Mix
Vegetables
- Aubergine (Eggplant)
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Fennel
- Kale
- Spinach
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Bell Peppers
- Beetroots
- Carrots
- Zucchini
- Butternut Squash
- Pumpkin
- Cucumber
- Tomato
- Green Beans
- Frozen Vegetable Mix
Recommended Reading: The Ultimate Macro Cheat Sheet [FREE PDF]
Creating a Bulking Grocery List
So now you know what foods fall into each category.
Next up, let’s see how you could create a bulking grocery list.
Before going to the grocery store you want to have an idea in mind regarding what meals you would like to cook and the ingredients that are needed for your meal prep.
When coming up with meal ideas I recommend you make sure that all your meals are balanced and have optimal amounts of each macronutrient – protein, carbs and fats. One, simple way to ensure that is to think about the food groups, mentioned above when coming up with meal ideas.
For example, when deciding what to eat for dinner, you could first think of what type of protein source you would like to eat, let’s say salmon. Then you can choose the carbohydrate source, for instance, rice. Lastly, you could add some vegetables like asparagus. And that’s how you could come up with healthy, macronutrient balanced meals.
Below you can see a few more examples:
| Meal | Protein Source | Carb Source | Fat Source | Fruits & Veggies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meal #1 | Protein Powder | Oats | Peanut Butter | Banana |
| Meal #2 | Chicken Breast | Potatoes | Olive Oil | Asparagus |
| Meal #3 | Deli Turkey | Whole-Wheat Bread | Mayonnaise | Lettuce and Tomato |
| Meal #4 | Ground Beef | Pasta | Olive Oil | Broccoli |
| Meal #5 | Greek Yoghurt | Granola | Mixed Nuts | Mixed Berries |
Bulking Grocery List Examples (Different Price Ranges)
This section showcases three bulking grocery lists for three different weekly grocery budgets:
- The budget variant
- The average price grocery list
- The expensive one
So, as you can see each grocery list increases in price, it also includes a larger variety and more pricy food which results in a more expensive shopping list.
With the provided variety of foods in each bulking grocery list, you should fairly comfortably hit your daily calorie and macronutrient targets without getting tired of what you eat.
NOTE
I did not add any monetary value for each grocery list due to the differences in grocery prices across the world. But generally speaking, they should be quite accurate regarding which one is less and more expensive.
Bulking Grocery List on a Budget
Here are some foods you might want to buy if you’re on a budget.
Protein Source
- Chicken Tights
- Ground Beef
- Canned Tuna
- Whole Eggs
Dairy
- Whey Protein Powder
- Greek Yoghurt
- Full-Fat Milk
Carb Sources
- Rice
- Pasta
- Potatoes
- Oatmeal
Fat Sources
- Peanut Butter
- Olive Oil
- Butter
- Peanuts
Fruits
- Apples
- Bananas
- Frozen Fruit Mix
- Frozen Berrie Mix
Vegetables
- Tomato
- Cucumber
- Cabbage
- Frozen Vegetable Mix
Average Price Bulking Grocery List
If you have an average weekly spending budget for groceries, here are some foods to look for.
Protein Source
- Chicken Tights
- Chicken Breast
- Ground Beef
- Pork Tenderloin
- Canned Tuna
- Whole Eggs
- Egg Whites
Dairy
- Whey Protein Powder
- Greek Yoghurt
- Cottage Cheese
- Full-Fat Milk
Carb Sources
- Rice
- Pasta
- Potatoes
- Oatmeal
- Whole-Wheat Bread
- Cereal
Fat Sources
- Peanut Butter
- Olive Oil
- Butter
- Peanuts
- Almonds
- Avocado
- Mayonnaise
Fruits
- Apples
- Bananas
- Oranges
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Frozen Fruit Mix
- Frozen Berrie Mix
Vegetables
- Tomato
- Cucumber
- Cabbage
- Broccoli
- Green Beans
- Frozen Vegetable Mix
Expensive Bulking Grocery List
If you don’t have any financial constraints, here are some food items to seek for.
Protein Source
- Chicken Tights
- Chicken Breast
- Ground Beef
- Ground Turkey
- Ground Pork
- Pork Tenderloin
- Steak
- Canned Tuna
- Whole Eggs
- Egg Whites
- Salmon Fillet
- Any Shellfish
- Any Other Fish
- Any Other Cut of Meat
Dairy
- Whey or Isolate Protein Powder
- Greek Yoghurt
- Cottage Cheese
- Skyr (Icelandic Yoghurt)
- Full-Fat Milk
- Cream Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
Carb Sources
- Rice
- Pasta
- Potatoes
- Oatmeal
- Quinoa
- Couscous
- Bulgur
- Whole-Wheat Bread
- Tortilla Wraps
- Honey
- Maple Syrup
- Cereal
- Granola
Fat Sources
- Peanut Butter
- Almond Butter
- Olive Oil
- Avocado Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Butter
- Peanuts
- Almonds
- Macadamia Nuts
- Chia Seeds
- Flaxseeds
- Avocado
- Mayonnaise
Fruits
- Apples
- Bananas
- Oranges
- Figs
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Frozen Fruit Mix
- Frozen Berrie Mix
- Any Other Fruit
Vegetables
- Tomato
- Cucumber
- Cabbage
- Kale
- Broccoli
- Green Beans
- Frozen Vegetable Mix
- Any Other Vegetable
Bulking Grocery List Template (Free)
Here is a free Google Sheet bulking grocery list template you can use when grocery shopping. It includes all the foods mentioned in this article, categorized in the same group. In addition, I included categories for condiments, spices & herbs, beverages, and a category for other food items.
You can access the template here.
Click on the “Get Template” button below.
Get Bulking Grocery List for Free!
After you click the button, a new tab will open where you will have to click on the “Make a copy”.
Then a copy of the Bulking Grocery List will be automatically created and stored in your Google Drive.
After that, the document should open up automatically.
The “DATA” sheet includes all the foods, categorized in their own group.
This is also where you can add additional food items. Just make sure to add additional food items in the relevant category column.
Note, that this sheet is protected. This means that every time you edit is a warning message will appear. Just click “Ok” or tick the box “Don’t show this again for 5 minutes” if you want to add more food items.
Just be careful when editing this sheet.
The “Grocery List” sheet is where you will input all your food items before going to the grocery store.
First, you will need to choose the Food Source/Category.
After that, you will have to select the food item.
Next to that, in the “Quantity” column you can input the quantity of a given food item that you need.
Lastly, you can use the “Check?” column and check the tick box once you have your food item in the shopping cart.
Lastly, you can the last column for notes if needed.
And that’s I hope you will find this bulking grocery list template useful.
Get Bulking Grocery List for Free!
Cutting Grocery List
You could eventually want to transition from bulking to cutting.
So, in case you are looking for the same grocery list but for cutting then look no further.
I’ve put up together very similar cutting grocery lists in various price ranges.
Frequently Asked Questions About Groceries When Bulking
Here are the answers to some of the most common questions about groceries when it comes to bulking.
What Groceries Should I Buy for Bulking?
When bulking you want to buy mostly minimally processed foods that will provide the body with quality nutrients while helping you pack on size.
When grocery shopping, look for protein sources (turkey, chicken breasts, lean beef), complex carbs (oats/oatmeal) and healthy fats (avocado, olive oil). On the other hand, you want to avoid foods that are high in sugar and high in saturated fats.
What Should I Eat to Bulk Up on a Budget?
There are plenty of great foods that can help bulk up on a budget. Here are some examples. Protein Sources (e.g., chicken tights, eggs, whey protein powder, cottage cheese, canned tuna), carb sources (e.g., pasta, rice, potatoes, bread), healthy fats (e.g., olive oil, peanut butter, peanuts), vegetables (green beans, peas, kidney beans, broccoli), fruits (e.g., apples, oranges).
How Do You Bulk on a Low Budget?
There are some things to consider when bulking on a low budget:
– Avoid eating out
– Buy groceries in bulk
– Choose cheaper sources of protein like chicken tights, chicken breast, ground beef, whey protein, etc.
– Buy frozen vegetables as usually they are cheaper than fresh ones
– Freeze foods that cannot last for long, for example, meat
– Cook meals that require the fewest ingredients
What Foods Are Good for Clean Bulking?
Whole, minimally processed foods are best for clean bulking. They are high in nutrients and typically lower in calories, which is important when trying to gain weight without putting on too much body fat. Lean meats like chicken, lean ground beef, turkey and fish, complex carbs like sweet potatoes, whole-wheat pasta, rice, and quinoa, healthy fats like avocado, nuts, olive oil, and plenty of fruits and vegetables should make up the bulk of your diet when clean bulking.
Final Thoughts
If you’re bulking, it’s important to calculate your macros and plan out your healthy grocery list in advance.
Planning ahead will help ensure that the foods on your plate fit your macros, and are healthy, and nutritious.
That being said, I hope you got a good idea about foods to include in your bulking grocery list. Also, feel free to use the grocery list template, I hope it can provide some assistance when planning out week after week of food shopping!
Taking the next step, you can also use this macro meal plan template to easily create a meal plan that aligns with your bulking macro targets.
