Hi!
I started a new diet that would stop me from being hungry, snacking between meals and eating just junk, and hopefully build some quality muscle. I weigh approx 85 kgs and has to take in roughly 130 grams of protein a day. Is eating natural foods the best way to get this protein or are protein powders advisable for at least a few meals of the day? Am I eating too much or too little of the right foods to get the desired gains, I am big, but bigger would be better. Is the following diet appropriate for a person who trains intensely 60-90 mins a day, 5 times a week?

6am: protein shake or fish followed by a bowl of porridge
9am: Tuna sandwhich
12pm: Jacket potato and low fat cottage cheese with chicken
3pm: Small chicken pasta dish or a high protein sandwich
5.45pm: Poached salmon + rice + salad
9pm: Small yoghurt and a protein shake or some form of protein food
11pm: 2 small eggs, poached

many thanks

Will you take protein shakes between the main meals? Do you have possibility to buy them?

* Right before bedtime Sometime in the 30 minutes before you go to bed, take in 20-40 g of casein protein. Micellar is the best type of casein protein for this time period, because it stays with your body for up to seven hours, providing aminos so your body won't use muscle mass for energy. Mix the casein with water or milk (or a combination of the two). You may also include a portion of fruit (a banana, half of a cantaloupe or honeydew melon, a large pear or a large apple) whether you are a hardgainer or a dieter. The fructose will help stock your liver glycogen, which will prevent you from going catabolic sooner during the night. If the concept of taking in carbs before crawling into bed makes you paranoid, just stick with a protein shake.

I do have a few tubs of protein powders, but I thought it would be best to get my protein from natural foods rather than powders especially since I do not feel full from protein shakes compared to eating.

Your main protein source should be natural food. But when you go to sleep it is good to not "overload" your stomach and your entirely body by giving it a lot of food.
So, protein shakes (especially casein protein) are good at this point, or when you do not have enough time to eat during the day you may use protein powders as a replacement.
Also protein powders are good for those who want to gain mass but in order to obtain necessary amount of protein to grow they must eat a lot and that is hard for them, so they use protein powders.

thanks! But is the diet I have lined up good or would it cause a strain due to too much food even if i did replace the late night snack for a slow digesting protein powder??

Bulking up diet

Yes, your diet is allright. The time between meals is also ok.
Now:
1. Use different diets
2. Use protein shakes
3. The diet is good as long as it provides you with necesarry amount of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Necesarry is the % which you need for your weight and a litlle bit more in order to grow.
4. To figure out how much calories you need use next principle:
Your body weight X 16 to 18 = the range of need calories per day.

1g protein = 4 calories
1 carbohydrates = 4 calories
1g fat = calories

Here is an example of another BodyBuilding Diet:
Sample Bodybuilding Diet For Men
Meal 1 (7 AM)
1 cup of dry oats mixed with water
1 cup of egg beaters

Meal 2 (9 AM)
Meal replacement like Prolab's Lean Mass Complex (which has a 40/40/20 nutrient ratio) mixed with water or a protein powder (with around 40 grams of protein) mixed with 40 grams of carbs from cream of rice, grits, or oatmeal.
1 Tablespoon of Flaxseed Oil (Spectrum brand is best)

Meal 3 (12 Noon)
1 cup of brown rice, or medium sized baked potato, or 1 cup of oatmeal
2 cups of green beans, broccoli or any other desired vegetable
6-8 ounces of chicken, turkey, or lean fish

Meal 4 (3 PM)
Same as Meal 2

Meal 5 (6 PM)
1 cup of brown rice, or medium sized baked potato, or 1 cup of oatmeal
2 cups of green beans, broccoli or any other desired vegetable
6-8 ounces of chicken, turkey, or lean fish

Meal 6 (8 PM)
Same as Meal 2

-----------------------------

And one more thing:

A good bodybuilding diet needs to follow 3 rules:

- It should favor smaller and frequent feedings throughout the day instead of smaller ones.
- Every meal should have carbohydrates, protein and fat in the correct ratios: 40% carbs, 40% protein, 20 % good fats.
- The calories should be cycled to prevent the metabolism from getting used to a certain caloric level

Good luck!

Thank you for your help once again!
Will keep trainwiser informed with the gains!

You are welcome!
Members and visitors will appreciate that!

Hey bro, that would be good to inform us how are the things going on. If there is anything else you want to know just post your question here.