IFBB Pro Shawn Smith's Daily Nutrition

My Daily Nutrition

My diet was designed by my coach Patrick Tuor. Our main goal with my current diet is to provide just enough nutrition for muscle growth and energy for training without compromising body composition. Our secondary goal was to improve my midsection through optimizing digestion, lowering dietary protein, and keeping blood sugar levels in check.

I start my day at 4 a.m. I drink the juice of 1 lemon with plenty of water, 2 scoops of Animal Juiced Aminos, and then go straight to cardio.

After cardio, I take another 2 scoops of Animal Juiced Aminos, and start cooking my breakfast. My first meal consists of 200 ml of egg whites, 1 whole egg, 140 g of infant rice cereal, 50 g blueberries, and 1 banana. The egg whites and egg are great sources of complete protein that are very easy to digest. Many bodybuilders do oats for breakfast, but that tends to stick heavily in my stomach for a while, so I prefer infant rice cereal. Blueberries provide antioxidants, and the banana provides potassium for muscle function and manganese for protein metabolism. I also take 1 Animal Pak with this meal. Bodybuilding diets are often repetitive, so supplementing with a good multivitamin like Animal Pak is a great way of making sure you are meeting your micronutrient requirements.

meal 1

Meal two is the old bodybuilding staple, chicken and rice: 150 g of cooked chicken breast and 369 g of cooked white rice. Chicken is a great lean source of protein that my stomach tolerates very well, and white rice is easy for me to eat in large quantities without difficulty. Unlike most other bodybuilders, I use sushi rice for my white rice. I find that it’s not as dry as regular long-grain white rice or jasmine rice. I also eat 50 g of spinach with this meal for fiber and phytonutrients.

meal 2

Meal three is my pre-workout meal: 150 g chicken, 390 g sweet potato, 10 g olive oil, and 50 g spinach. I use sweet potato because it digests more slowly, so it’s beneficial in supplying a steady source of energy for my training session. Olive oil further slows down digestion because of the fat, and I often use olive oil in my diet because of its ability to help raise HDL levels. My HDL levels were slightly low the last time my blood work was done, so I use plenty of healthy fats in order to help boost that value.

meal 3

Thirty minutes after meal three, I do my pre-workout shake consisting of 25 g dextrin, 1 scoop of Animal Juiced Aminos, and 5 g creatine monohydrate. Thirty minutes after that shake, I’ll do my first set in the gym. From that point on until the end of my training session, I’ll sip a drink containing 500 ml coconut water, 2 scoops of Animal Juiced Aminos, and 25 g dextrin. The coconut water is loaded with electrolytes that fuel muscle contraction, and the aminos and carbs minimize protein degradation. Upon completion of my training session, I immediately drink a shake containing 1 scoop of Animal Whey with 10 g of glutamine.

Back at home, I’ll have 3 rice cakes with 2 tablespoons of jam for fast-digesting carbohydrates after my training session. Thirty minutes after that, I’ll eat meal four which is 145 g bison, 340 g white rice, 60 g pineapple, and 50 g spinach. Pineapple contains proteolytic enzymes that help digest the red meat. I choose bison because it typically has a lower fat content versus beef. I eat plenty of white rice at this meal to help restore muscle glycogen stores that were depleted during the training session.

meal 4

Meal five consists of 150 g chicken breast, 340 g sweet potato, 10 g of olive oil, and 50 g of spinach. I actually enjoy sweet potatoes quite a bit, so I don’t mind them being in my diet more than one time per day. I cook large batches of them at a time, as with most of my other food. I simply cook more when I see that I’m about to run short—no designated meal prep day for me. I also take Animal Omega with my fifth meal. Animal Omega supplies plenty of omega-3 fatty acids which are essential for all humans, not just bodybuilders. Benefits include enhanced metabolism, decreased inflammation, better heart health, and healthier blood sugar levels.

meal 5

My last meal of the day is pretty diverse. I have 90 g salmon, 200 ml egg whites and one whole egg, 3 slices of Ezekiel toast, and 30 g macadamia nuts. The salmon and macadamia nuts contain lots of healthy fats which promote good cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The Ezekiel toast, which goes well with the eggs, is a good source of fiber that slows down digestion for nighttime. Finally, I take another Animal Pak with this meal.

meal 6

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