Stormzy's Meal Plan for Building Muscle, Strength and Stamina

Personal chef Victoria Idowu was introduced to Stormzy seven years ago and has been cooking for him ever since. Originally, she studied to be a pastry chef, but was ‘always cooking for friends and family, for parties – I just genuinely like to feed people. So word spread and I fell into private cheffing.’

Idowu is passionate about food’s ability to build connections. ‘If you think about Christmas, holidays, parties, birthdays, meeting up with friends – food is always at the centre of it. It has a way of bringing people together, which is what I try to recreate when I cook for people,’ she says.

She is also firmly of the belief that chasing performance goals shouldn’t be synonymous with self-deprivation. After all, the best meal plan is the one you can stick to: ‘If you have a goal to meet, say you’re trying to lose weight, you should be able to eat the food you want, but modify it slightly.

'If you cut yourself off from the foods you love, that has a long-term negative impact on your health,’ she says. Idowu is now studying nutrition alongside her work as a private chef: ‘I have deep knowledge of what works with flavours, so why not understand the science of food, too?’

We’ve got the exclusive training plan that helped Stormzy get into the best shape of his life. Created by strength and conditioning trainer Gregg Miele, click the cover below or hit here to access a sample of his four-week training plan.

When cooking for the Men's Health cover star, Idowu says, ‘There are times when he has strict goals – if he’s going on tour, say, then I have to be careful. But at other times, it’s more just being mindful.’ Even during intense training phases, where his diet is stricter, Idowu has a way of ‘balancing the things he loves with the things that are good for him.’

If you’re trying to improve your diet, Idowu believes in planning ahead. ‘I cook all day, then come home and cook for myself, so having things prepped means that instead of something taking an hour or more, I can just put it in the oven or on the stove and it’s ready in 20 minutes.’

And if you're wondering what she cooks for Stormzy himself? She's shared his favourite recipes:

Chicken sausage omelette with cropped sweet potato

Why: 'This breakfast gives Stormzy the energy he needs after a morning gym session.'

INGREDIENTS

• 3 eggs

• 2tbsp double cream

• 2 chicken sausages, chopped

• 2 tablespoons chopped onion

• 2 tablespoons chopped mixed pepper

• 1 chilli pepper chopped

• Half a sweet potato peeled and chopped.

METHOD

1. Boil sweet potato, then sprinkle cinnamon and put in the oven until crispy

2. Mix eggs with the double cream, season and set to one side

3. In a pan drizzle some olive oil and cook your onions, peppers, chilli pepper and chicken sausage

4. Once cooked, add your eggs and swirl around so the surface of the pan is covered, repeat the swirl until your eggs have set

5. Fold gently in half with a spatula, slide onto a plate and serve with sweet potatoes

Bulgar wheat jollof and jerk chicken

Why: 'Stormzy eats this when he needs fuel and energy. It’s a healthier, more complex carbohydrate that is high in fibre but easy to digest. I always use my friend Malaika’s jerk recipe, which you can find on her website.'

INGREDIENTS

• A few pieces of tenderstem broccoli

• Chicken leg (drumstick and thigh)

For the jerk marinade

• 8 scallions

• 4-6 scotch bonnet peppers

• 4 large cloves of garlic

• 4 large sprigs of fresh thyme

• 30g fresh ginger

• ½ cup pickling vinegar

• 10 tbsp molasses sugar or dark brown sugar

• 5 tbsp sea salt (or to taste)

• 5 tbsp whole pimento seeds

• 2 tbsp ground nutmeg

• 2 tbsp sunflower oil

• 1 tbsp ground black pepper

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

For the bulgar wheat jollof

• 2 plum tomatoes

• 1/2 white onion

• 1 large red bell pepper

• 200g - 250g bulgar wheat

• 400ml - 450ml chicken stock

• 30grams of tomato puree

• 1 scotch bonnet

• 1 sprig of fresh thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

• 1 onion

• Inch of ginger

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1/2 Teaspoon White Pepper

METHOD

1. Have your 1/2 chicken pieces ready for marinade. Pop all ingredients in a blender, coat 1/2 chicken pieces in marinade and leave overnight. Bake at 180 degrees for 45 minutes

2. Roast the pepper, onion, garlic, scotch bonnet and ginger at 180 degrees for 20 minutes

3. Meanwhile, rinse the bulgar wheat in water. Drain and set aside

4. Blend your pepper mixture in a blender and set aside

5. In a medium size pot, add a few tablespoons of cooking oil, place on medium heat, then add sliced onion and tomato puree and cook for a few minutes

6. Add the blended pepper mix, and the rest of your spices and cook until mixture has thickened in consistency

7. Add your stock, cook for a further few minutes and add your bulgar. Turn on a medium low heat and cook for another 20-25 minutes. Add salt to taste

8. Serve with a healthy amount of steamed broccoli

Grilled sea bass with salsa verde, parsnip and cauliflower puree

Why: 'This is for when he needs a high protein and lower carbohydrate dinner'

INGREDIENTS

• Seabass fillet

For the salsa verde

• Handful of basil

• Handful of parsley

• 2 garlic cloves

• Dijon mustard

• 2 teaspoons capers

• 150ml Olive oil

• 2/3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

For the cauliflower puree

• 1 parsnip

• 5 cauliflower florets

METHOD

1. Mix all the salsa verde ingredients in a blender

2. Season sea bass with some salsa Verde mix, salt and pepper and a little paprika

3. Grill for 5-6 minutes, brush with butter, turn over and grill for another 5-6 minutes

4. For the cauliflower puree, peel and chop the parsnip and put in pot with cauliflower. Boil until the vegetables are soft, 10-15 minutes. Once soft place in a blender with some crushed garlic and thyme. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste

5. Serve with grilled sea bass

You can read the full Stormzy interview by clicking the cover below

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