I'm looking to gain some muscle while keeping a reasonable grocery bill.
Anyone have suggestions for foods that gain while maintaining Mustachian principles?
-Tim
How much muscle are we talking here? Are you a competitive bodybuilder or just someone who wants to be fit? I believe it comes down to your focus. If you are looking to stay and look fit, a balanced diet that includes protein is enough. If you are looking for swollen muscles, it will cost you extra in the amount of protein you want to consume.
Being a fitness guy myself and going from phases of wannabe bodybuilder to rugby player to just plain wanting to be fit, I can tell you that muscles are energy intensive and require a lot of time, energy and money to get to a the big swollen point (eating frequently, eating lots of protein in every meal, only egg whites, only skinless boneless chicken breasts etc.), up to that point, in many cases, it's just a matter of eating healthy and staying lean.
While definitely not Mustachian, have you checked out Mark's Daily Apple? For diet ideas.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/I hope that helps!
EDIT: I hope to answer your question with this edit. I've found that fasting -- yes fasting, as in not eating anything -- has been beneficial to the way I look and feel. I no longer eat breakfast, and in many cases do not eat lunch. I still try for my daily quota of calories. I have not noticed any muscle loss, yet I look leaner and have more mental focus. This is a Mustacian approach, since you're not eating anything! Yes, you make it up in calories later in the day, but I believe the economics of having one or two massive meals rather than three different meals makes a difference. For this, I recommend leangains.com