Lee Priest mastered dieting to etch his name into the bodybuilding history books. On Dec. 31, 2025, via YouTube, he broke down how to meal prep and revealed one of his go-to high-protein dishes.
Lee Priest competed during one of the most competitive eras the sport has seen. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he held his own against taller and bigger athletes. His ability to peak for contests in granite condition turned him into a top-tier threat. He even managed to defeat Ronnie Coleman, a former eight-time Mr. Olympia, seven times in competition.
Priest hasn’t officially retired from the sport. However, he admits chest atrophy has prevented his return. Despite the setback, he’s determined to help his fanbase. With the New Year upon us, he outlined how to meal prep effectively for results.
Lee Priest Discusses Meal Prep Benefits
In the recent YouTube video, Priest said it’s important to have prepared meals, otherwise athletes risk veering off their diets:
“The main thing is, too, like I said, if you have those prepared meals and stuff ready to go… you’ll find you stick to it more too. I find there’s nothing worse than when you are hungry, and there’s nothing prepared.
That’s when you go for the shit food. What’s quick and easy? You grab biscuits, or cookies, or fuck, I’ll just stop at McDonald’s. There’s nothing at home in the fridge, well, there is, but it’s going to take preparation.”
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He also noted that having healthy snacks on hand is important for bodybuilders.
“If you have stuff ready to go, healthier snacks, and stuff like that, it will make a big difference. I’ve looked in the fridge and go, I don’t want to cook this steak. Oh fuck, I’ll have some cashews and a bag of chips. How that equates to a meal, I don’t know.”
Steak, white rice, with a dash of pink salt was one of Priest’s favorite high-protein meals throughout his career.
“I like rice sometimes just plain, and I’d just put a little bit of pink salt on the rice. Steak and rice with a bit of pink salt on it, to me, that tastes so good. I don’t like sauces on steak.
I like the steak plain with the rice plain sometimes. Sometimes, I’d have rice where I’d cut up those shallot-type onions and mix it in, and little things like that just to give it a bit of taste. There are options to do, but sometimes it’s the prep.”
His final tip was to avoid the grocery store if you’re hungry. He revealed that he always eats extra calories during his strolls at the store, which can stall progress.
“Never go to the grocery store hungry. The amount of shit I put in my cart or the amount of shit I’m eating while walking around, I got custard tarts going in, I’m thinking, what the fuck am I getting this all for? By the time I get home, I don’t want a meal, I’ve eaten so much shit walking around the store,” shared Lee Priest.
Priest isn’t the only IFBB Pro to offer meal prep advice. Dana Linn Bailey, the former 2013 Women’s Physique Olympia, also provided her ‘consistent’ checklist for effective meal prepping. She added that making simple choices can have a substantial impact on progress.
“Simple little choices can make a huge difference. Like, choosing water over soda or grilled over fried, whole food over processed, it’s making these simple choices, especially when you’re traveling or eating out at a restaurant,” she shares.
Priest literally transformed his physique in off-seasons to prep using food. He believes meal prep is essential to adherence and progress as a bodybuilder.
RELATED: Shed Pounds with Ease: A Delicious 1,700-Calorie Meal Plan for Weight Loss
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