For Brazilian sensation Rafael Brandão, his journey began with a fundamental nutritional mistake, shaped by a lack of guidance in his home country.

Rafael Brandão's journey has not been as easy

Coming from Brazil, navigating his journey wasn’t easy due to limited guidance, “we didn't have anybody talk about that. And then, uh, in my city, I was the first athlete in bodybuilding. That's just me.”

Speaking on Jay Cutler’s Cutler Cast, he admitted his lack of nutritional knowledge, revealing he once only ate sweet potatoes every day, mistakenly believing they were his main protein source.

“So nobody in the gym was talking about nutrition, about all these things. So for me, diet was eating sweet potato with chicken six times a day.”

However, he soon realized his mistake after meeting his first coach, who showed him the right path when it came to diet. “And then, when I met the first coach. He sent the main, uh, the diet for me, and there's rice and beef, and egg. Say, "Wow, this is amazing. I can eat this." I said, "Okay, this is going to be fun,” said Rafael Brandão

Years have passed since that interaction. And now an Arnold Classic champion and one of the most talked-about physiques in the Open class, Brandão follows a highly structured diet. It is designed to support his size, conditioning, and recovery as he prepares to face the sport’s best.

Rafael Brandão Full–Day Diet

The Brazilian sensation consumes five meals a day, totalling approximately 8,000 calories, to increase his muscle mass.

Breakfast:

• 4 Egg Whites
• 3 Whole Eggs
• 140g Oats
• 1 Banana
• 2 scoops Whey Protein

Lunch:

• Chicken Breasts
• 300g Rice
• 200g Mashed Potatoes
• Veggies
• 10ml Olive Oil

Dinner:

• 200g Chicken
• 450g Rice
• Veggies

Before Bed:

• 2 Beef Burgers
• Fries

As Brandão disclosed in the interview later, he has come a long way when it comes to his diet. While discussing his diet for his upcoming 2026 Arnold Classic preparation, he noted that the off-season was great for him, as

"It’s the first time I hit 300 pounds. It was hard for me because I’m the guy who loses the weight really fast. I needed to keep feeding and eating. But now, I’m feeling I am at my best right now."

Certainly, a shift toward recovery and sustained muscle growth. What do you think of his current diet? Let us know in the comments below.

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Joyita Das