The short answer
Plan restaurant meals for a muscle-gain phase using clear portions, protein and carbohydrate sources, with four UK ordering examples and source notes.
Choose a useful meal, not a protein leaderboard.
For adults pursuing muscle gain alongside resistance training, a restaurant meal is one part of a wider eating pattern. The BDA emphasises adequate energy, carbohydrate and protein together. That is a better starting point than choosing whichever mixed grill has the biggest protein figure.
These are order ideas, not a daily calorie prescription or a promise of muscle gain. Some are single dishes that need a side; others already include rice. Your training, appetite and overall intake determine what makes a suitable meal.
British Dietetic Association: sport and exercise nutrition ↗NHS: eight tips for healthy eating ↗
The shortlist
The orders to know.
We chose adaptable individual orders with an identifiable protein component and a carbohydrate component either included or chosen separately. Very large sharing platters are excluded. No minimum meal calorie target is imposed.
For a complete rice bowl: itsu double chicken
This is a clear example of a bowl with both chicken and rice. The reviewed dish page supplies the numbers, and the salt figure is substantial enough to keep visible. More protein alone is not a reason to ignore the rest of the panel.
UK; check your branch
- Calories
- 667 kcal
- Protein
- 51g
- Carbs
- 82g
- Fat
- 14.7g
Portion: One double-chicken rice bowl, using the reviewed individual dish page.
The current dish page differs from Menuu’s older restaurant record. Use these reviewed web figures for this comparison.
- Fibre
- 2.9g
- Sugars
- 17.9g
- Saturates
- 2.3g
- Salt
- 5.34g
Ordering note. Use the actual double-chicken recipe. Its current web values differ from the older restaurant record.
For an adjustable chicken-and-rice order: Pepe’s
The base dish already combines chicken and rice, so start there before automatically buying another starch side. The flavour addition must still be included when assessing the finished order.
UK; check your branch
- Calories
- 556 kcal
- Protein
- Not verified
- Carbs
- Not verified
- Fat
- Not verified
Portion: Base dish: 556 kcal before 40 ml flavour; no sides or drink.
Base calories only. The flavour addition changes the total; other current macros were not verified.
Ordering note. Check the branch menu’s flavour addition and any extra chicken separately; do not treat a base figure as an all-in meal.
Pepe’s UK menu ↗Pepe’s Welling menu: portions and flavour additions ↗
For a burger meal: Honest Beef
The burger gives you a defined starting portion, and the restaurant’s side choice is a separate decision. This is a practical social meal example rather than advice to order every available topping.
UK; check your branch
- Calories
- 582 kcal
- Protein
- 32g
- Carbs
- 64g
- Fat
- 21g
Portion: Burger only; the side included with the restaurant order is additional to these values.
- Fibre
- 2.9g
- Sugars
- 23g
- Saturates
- 9.2g
- Salt
- 2.6g
Ordering note. Choose the side that makes sense for your meal and appetite. The table shows burger-only nutrition.
Honest Burgers menu and side choices ↗Honest Burgers official nutrition matrix ↗
For lunch on the move: LEON Chicken Aioli Wrap
A clearly labelled wrap can be easier to plan around than an unmeasured sharing order. It may be enough for one occasion and need an accompaniment on another; there is no universal “bulking lunch” size.
UK; check your branch
- Calories
- 566 kcal
- Protein
- 27g
- Carbs
- 50g
- Fat
- 29g
Portion: One 266 g wrap; no side or drink.
- Fibre
- 2.7g
- Sugars
- 7.4g
- Saturates
- 4.9g
- Salt
- 1.45g
Ordering note. Plan any extra food across the day rather than forcing a second wrap into a single sitting.
Compare the actual orders
Figures belong to the portions described. “Not verified” means we could not confirm that value for this review; it does not mean zero. See each order above for all verified nutrients and its source.
Swipe across to compare the portions →
| Order | Portion / inclusions | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| itsu: Double chicken teriyaki | One double-chicken rice bowl, using the reviewed individual dish page. | 667 kcal | 51g |
| Pepe’s: Chick’n’Rice | Base dish: 556 kcal before 40 ml flavour; no sides or drink. | 556 kcal | Not verified |
| Honest Burgers: Beef Burger | Burger only; the side included with the restaurant order is additional to these values. | 582 kcal | 32g |
| LEON: Chicken Aioli Wrap | One 266 g wrap; no side or drink. | 566 kcal | 27g |
Before you order
Keep training and eating connected
The BDA recommends considering carbohydrate and protein together and spreading protein intake through the day. Our restaurant examples apply that principle without assigning an individual target.
British Dietetic Association: sport and exercise nutrition ↗
Increase the meal deliberately
If you need more food, choose the addition you intend to make: a side, extra filling or a later snack. Keeping the additions identifiable is more useful than treating a bulk as permission to order without a plan.
Do not let a phase erase variety
A rotation of foods is easier to sustain than repeating a single chicken order. Include vegetables and other foods you enjoy, and consider salt and saturated fat alongside protein.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the highest-calorie meal for a bulk?
No. Your overall intake and training matter; the largest restaurant portion is not automatically the most useful one.
Should I follow a fixed restaurant protein target?
This guide does not set one. A registered sports dietitian can help you fit restaurant meals around your individual training and nutritional needs.
Research, sources & limits
Official menus and nutrition pages were checked on 18 September 2026. Restaurant publication dates, where supplied, are separate from that check date. These are desk-researched recommendations, not reports of visits or a taste test. Availability, recipes and portions can change.
- British Dietetic Association: sport and exercise nutrition ↗
- NHS: eight tips for healthy eating ↗
- itsu double chicken teriyaki: dish nutrition ↗
Individual dish page differs from older menu records; this guide uses the reviewed dish page.
- Pepe’s UK menu ↗
- Pepe’s Welling menu: portions and flavour additions ↗
Branch-specific PDF; base calories exclude the stated flavour addition.
- Honest Burgers menu and side choices ↗
- Honest Burgers official nutrition matrix ↗
Linked by Honest Burgers’ allergy information page. Burger values exclude a side.
- LEON Chicken Aioli Wrap: nutrition ↗
Published nutrition does not guarantee allergy suitability. Check current ingredients and cross-contact information with the restaurant. Restaurants linked to Menuu have their own dated menu records; external recommendations are not a promise of app coverage.
