Vertical Diet Meals (2023 Meal Plans)

Any avid powerlifter or fitness enthusiast has probably heard the name “Stan Efferding” before.

We’ve touched on all the core aspects of the “Vertical Diet” as an option for those who want to train hard and lift heavy, along with those looking to lose weight. 

There are countless success stories associated with the Vertical Diet, and the proof is in the pudding when it comes to online research linking back to forums or Reddit threads. 

Now that you are (hopefully) aware of the Vertical Diet as an option that can be tailored to your fitness goals, we’ll explore vertical diet meals – what does a day of eating look like on the Efferding program? 

The central idea of the “Vertical Diet,” as we mention in our blog post, is to eat foods that are high in calories and easily digestible. This typically means carbohydrates and red meat. 

The brunt of the Vertical Diet should contain the following types of food:

Fatty fish, white rice (easily digestible carbohydrates), and red meat (protein, zinc, iron, B-vitamins, creatine) will provide abundant amounts of key macronutrients.

When opting for red meat, you want to still aim for leaner cuts of meat rather than fatty options to ensure optimal LDL cholesterol levels and prevent the negative impact of red meat overconsumption on the colon.