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Food supplements can be very expensive. Whey protein powders are all the rage. They’re made from milk, are easily digestible, and hit the bloodstream very quickly. However, they are fairly expensive. For the guy or gal who wants to build quality, lean muscle mass, the typical guideline is to take in at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, preferably 1-1/2 to 2 grams in a mass-building or bulking up phase.

Without breaking the bank (and all the banks seem to be broken right now, yes?), you can consume this much protein only by consuming a ton of milk (see the “Gallon of Milk a Day” program, or GOMAD for short), beef, poultry, fish and…

…the incredible, edible EGG.

How to Consume More Protein Without Supplements

Eggs are a complete protein, containing all the “essential” amino acids, and provide about 6 grams per egg. As far as food goes, eggs offer the highest “biological value” protein there is (this is a fancy way of saying that the protein is easily assimilated by the body).

In short, eggs are a MUST HAVE menu item! Especially if you’re laying off on the expensive supplements. But how do you eat enough eggs to make a difference?

Hard boil them.

Here’s How to Hard Boil an Egg

Take a dozen eggs and a really big pot mostly filled with water. Place your oven on high. Put in the eggs and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, cook the eggs for 10-12 minutes. Then, pour out the water, replace with cold water and let stand for 15-30 minutes. Refrigerate.

Now, you can eat these just as they are (without the shell, of course) or you can add them to virtually anything, like salads, sandwiches, and as additions to your meals and snacks.

If you’re trying to add weight, eat them whole and eat 2 eggs with every snack. That will get you 6 eggs a day, or an extra 36 grams of protein per day. This, in effect, replaces about one protein shake a day. Of course, your snacks ought to add up to between 20 and 30 grams of protein (depending on body weight), so you’ll have to supplement with milk. Lots of it! In fact, to get to 20 grams per snack, you’ll have to eat 2 eggs plus one 8-ounce glass of milk.

All other things being equal, you can replace 3/4 of a cup of milk with each egg while on the GOMAD program. Which means that you can really cut back on your milk consumption! (This is a good thing, for the most part.)

Alternatively, you can keep drinking your gallon of milk a day PLUS the eggs and you’ll gain more weight than ever before. If you do spring for some whey protein powder, you’ll be even farther ahead of the pack.

In the “old days,” trainers like Vince Gironda prescribed dozens of eggs a day for his pupils during their mass-building phases (3 to 6 weeks at a time, tops, plus every 4th day, go to a regular diet — see Cycling for more information on this important concept). Eggs seem to have an extraordinary anabolic effect on the body, increasing growth hormone production, and driving your gains like crazy.

A few notes:

• Eat the whole egg. Don’t throw anything but the shell out.
• Space your meals to be 2 hours or so apart.
• If you do use food supplements, invest in digestive enzymes. Eating more than a couple eggs a day gives a lot of people some serious gas problems. The aid in digestion is worth the money. Your co-workers will thank you too.
• Don’t fall for the “organic” nonsense with eggs. There is no proof that there is any difference between eggs produced by chickens in pens, free range, no hormones, or “extra hormones.” I have this theory: Chickens fed growth hormones probably pass those hormones to their eggs and consequently to those who eat them.

I do believe you can make serious gains without supplements. However, like anabolic steroids, you can “get there” faster with supplements.

If you want to learn how to make your own supplements for pennies on the dollar (literally, no hype), check out Homemade Supplement Secrets.

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