Hey guys, so a while ago Scott helped me with figuring out my macros but I found it hard to hit them all.
I have just recently built my meal plan and am now looking for some opinions on it. I am on a very limited budget as I've just quit my job to focus on studying so most of the foods I've chosen are supermarket brands and very simple.

I am currently 23 years of age, 6ft and around 135lbs.
My macros are:
3090 calories
220g protein
350g carbs
90g fats

My meal plan:
Breakfast

500ml - whole fresh milk
1 scoop - whey protein
1 - banana

Lunch

1 can - tuna chunks in brine
1 can - baked beans
200g - white long grain rice
1 - apple

Dinner

1 - chicken fillet
80g - mixed veg
300g - pasta
100g - cheese & bacon pasta bake sauce

Snacks

15ml - sunflower oil (used to cook the chicken)
20g - smooth peanut butter
2 slices - wholemeal thin slice bread
2 - eggs
1 - orange
100g - poridge oats
250ml - whole fresh milk
1 scoop - whey protein

This puts me at:
217g protein
349g carbs
88g fats
3212 calories

I will be taking vitamin D and omega 3 capsules, also I am wondering if creatine would be helpful for me?
I know this plan isn't the healthiest but it's the best I could do on a tight budget, so my question really is are there any major problems or should this work in helping me gain weight?

When I eventually do start this I will be using Scotts PPL program and my plan is to bulk for 1 to 2 years, hopefully building a solid foundation of strength and muscle. Would this be a good idea or is a 2 year bulk bad?

If anyone could answer any of my questions that would be most appreciated, thanks in advance!

Looks good but I would suggest the following:

1) Throw out the sunflower oil and only cook with olive or coconut oil. Sunflower oil is too high in inflammatory Omega-6 fats and does not occur naturally. Sunflowers do not have oil. All vegetable oils are cheap crap and the biggest scam sold to the public as well as heavily processed. They are the most threatening to heart health despite the bullshit you see and read saying otherwise.

2) Eat a real breakfast - some whole eggs (not egg whites), oatmeal, fruit, nuts. Protein powders are supplements not meals. They are meant to supplement your meals not replace them. A snack should be small and wholesome - a piece of fruit or some nuts.

3) Hopefully you are eating 100% durum/whole wheat pasta. Do not eat standard white pasta. Also, get rid of the cheese and bacon sauces - they are loaded with sugar and man-made fats and are a processed "food".

4) You may need to increase your total calories because 6ft and 135 pounds at age 23 is very light. You therefore will need to eat a lot of calories to support growth.

As long as you eat enough wholesome, nutritious, non-processed foods, you will put on lean mass. PPL is the best program for starting out. Advanced muscle splits and cutting/bulking cycles are best for more advanced lifters with more than 2 years of lifting and a solid muscular foundation.

John

Hey, thanks for your response, I really appreciate it!
The pasta I will be using is this:
https://groceries.asda.com/product/pasta-tubes-shells-spirals/asda-smart-price-pasta-shapes/11383754
Would this be okay to add to my meal plan?

Secondly, should I start with this meal plan then increase the calories if I don't gain any weight? If so, how should I go about increasing my calories? put more in carbs or evenly spread them out?

Lastly, are there any sauces or toppings you can think off that I could use to replace the cheese and bacon sauces? I find it hard to replace foods with others that have the same kind of macros.

Once again, thanks for the help my man, I appreciate it.

Glad I could help.

As for your queries:

1) The pasta looks OK as it list durum wheat as an ingredient and I am assuming it is 100%

2) Yes.....use this as a starting point then up your calories if you are not gaining weight. I would increase your protein and carbs if you want to gain lean mass - as long as you use nutritiously dense, non-processed foods. I wouldn't go too high on the fats as your hormones are still relatively high and you really need carbs and protein to full growth at this point.

3) I am not big on toppings and sauces - sorry. I use coconut oil or olive oil if I want a topping. Both are natural and nutritionally dense. You could do olive oil and garlic or try avocado. You could use 100% butter as well (not margarine) on your pasta. It is hard to find any pasta sauces in a bottle or can that aren't full of sugar and other junk.

John

Hey John, thanks again for the response, that clears up a lot of my questions. I appreciate your help!