Stan Efferding built the Vertical Diet around simplicity. Here's how to turn that into a meal template clients actually keep.
The food list gets all the attention, but it's the wrong thing to copy. The real lesson in Efferding's Vertical Diet is that a simpler, easily digestible, repeatable diet is the one clients adhere to. This breakdown covers his argument in our own words, adds our honest take for a real client roster, and shows how to turn "simple staples" into a reusable template you assign in seconds.
By Markus Evers · September 2026 · a Coachway video breakdown
the short version
The Vertical Diet is built on a small set of easily digestible, nutrient-dense staple foods (red meat and white rice are the flagships), targeted micronutrient add-ons, adequate protein, and attention to sodium and electrolytes - scaled "vertically" by eating more of the same foods rather than adding variety. The one thing a coach should take from it: don't hand clients the exact food list, borrow the simplicity - build a repeatable meal template with swap options so adherence stops depending on willpower.
Stan Efferding on RxMuscle - The Truth in Bodybuilding - VERTICAL DIET EXPLAINED! Live With Stan Efferding
Source: this is a guest interview - Stan Efferding appears on RxMuscle - The Truth in Bodybuilding on YouTube, "VERTICAL DIET EXPLAINED! Live With Stan Efferding". It is not Stan Efferding's own channel. Watch on YouTube. We embed the public video and summarise it in our own words; the video, title and channel belong to their owners, and nothing here implies any endorsement of Coachway.
Who is Stan Efferding, and why coaches pay attention
Stan Efferding is an elite powerlifter and IFBB pro bodybuilder - a rare combination - and the creator of the Vertical Diet, a nutrition system he developed for hard-training athletes and later shared widely. His reputation with coaches comes from a bias toward the practical: simple foods, dialled-in digestion, and plans people can repeat without thinking. Whether or not you'd run his exact staples with a client, the Vertical Diet is one of the most searched nutrition systems out there, which means clients ask about it - and this page is written for that: not "should I put everyone on red meat and rice," but "what's genuinely useful here, and how do I adapt it for a whole roster."
What Efferding actually argues (our summary)
This is our summary of the ideas in the interview, in our own words - not a transcript. Watch the original for his exact examples and reasoning.
- 1
Digestion comes first. The whole system is organised around foods that are easy on the gut - the argument is that food you can't comfortably digest and absorb isn't doing the job, no matter how "clean" it looks on paper.
- 2
Build on a few easily digestible staples. Red meat and white rice are the flagship base - calorie-dense, generally well tolerated, and simple to prepare - so meals become repeatable instead of a daily decision.
- 3
Add targeted foods for micronutrients. On top of the staples, a small set of specific foods is included to cover the vitamins and minerals the base doesn't - a deliberate, short list rather than "eat a rainbow."
- 4
Mind sodium and electrolytes. Adequate sodium and electrolyte intake is treated as part of performance and how you feel day to day, not an afterthought - alongside hitting enough protein.
- 5
Scale vertically, not horizontally. When calories need to change, eat more (or less) of the same foods rather than adding new ones - keeping shopping, prep and digestion identical while the numbers move.
Coachway's take
We're on board with the principle, and it's the part most coaches under-use: adherence is a design problem, not a discipline problem. A diet built from a few repeatable, easily digestible meals removes the daily decisions that quietly wear clients down. If a client can run most of their week on autopilot, they don't need to be "more motivated" - the plan is just easier to keep. That reframe alone is worth taking from the Vertical Diet.
Where we'd add nuance: don't hand a client the literal food list. Efferding designed this for hard-training athletes and around his own tolerances, and "red meat and white rice" isn't a prescription for everyone - cholesterol, budget, preferences, ethics and simple food boredom all matter. The coaching move is to keep the structure (a protein staple, an easy-digesting carb, targeted micronutrient add-ons) and swap the specific foods per client. The template survives the substitution; the exact ingredients don't have to.
Two honest caveats for a client roster. First, a narrow food base makes micronutrient coverage and fiber something you actively check, not assume - especially over months. Second, the sodium and electrolyte guidance has to stay individualized; blanket "eat more salt" advice is not appropriate for clients with blood-pressure or other medical considerations, and that's a lane where you refer out rather than freelance. Simplicity is the win here, but it doesn't remove the need to think.
So our version of the advice is: pick a few staples the specific client will genuinely eat again and again, build them into a repeatable day of eating with a couple of swap options, scale calories vertically when they change, and monitor coverage over time. Then - the part that saves your evenings - build that as a template once and reuse it, instead of writing a fresh meal plan for every client from scratch.
Build the staple template once, reuse it across the roster
"Simple staples" only pays off if you can deliver it without writing a new plan for every client. That's what Coachway's meal planner is for: build a repeatable day of eating as a reusable template - protein staple, easy-digesting carb, micronutrient add-ons, with macro targets attached - then assign it to a client and swap individual foods from there instead of starting blank. When a client needs more or fewer calories, you scale the same staples vertically by editing portions, and it lands in their client app so the plan, macros and swaps live in one place they check daily. Because clients log adherence and progress, you can actually see whether the simple template is being followed - which is the whole point of choosing simplicity.
If you want the how-to first, our guide to building a client meal plan covers the structure, the companion breakdown on diet adherence gets at why simple plans stick, and micronutrients for coaches covers the coverage question a narrow food base raises.
Simple Staples Meal Template (repeatable day of eating)
A fill-in template you can copy for any client who needs high adherence or has a picky/sensitive gut. The idea is Vertical-Diet-inspired but food-agnostic: each meal is a protein staple + an easy-digesting carb + targeted add-ons, with swap options so the same structure fits different clients. Set macros to the client's targets; the foods listed are illustrative defaults, not a prescription - and they're our examples, not figures from the video.
Simple staples day
The day
| Meal | Protein staple | Easy-digesting carb | Add-ons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal 1 | Eggs / Greek yogurt | White rice / oats | Fruit, salt to taste |
| Meal 2 | Red meat / chicken | White rice / potato | Cooked veg, olive oil |
| Meal 3 | Fish / lean beef | White rice / potato | Micronutrient food, salt |
| Meal 4 (opt.) | Whey / cottage cheese | Fruit / rice cakes | Electrolytes if needed |
| Daily targets | Protein: ___ g | Carbs: ___ g | Fat: ___ g · kcal: ___ |
Swap options (keep the structure, change the food)
| Slot | Default | Swap when... |
|---|---|---|
| Protein staple | Red meat | Chicken, fish, eggs, dairy - preference, budget, cholesterol |
| Carb | White rice | Potato, oats, sourdough - taste or fullness needs |
| Micronutrient add-on | Liver / spinach / dairy | Rotate to cover gaps; check fiber over time |
| Sodium / electrolytes | Salt to taste | Individualize - flag medical / blood-pressure cases |
How to use it: lock the daily macro targets first, then fill each meal from staples the client will happily repeat. To change calories, scale the same foods up or down (vertical) before adding new ones. Re-check micronutrient and fiber coverage every few weeks, and keep sodium/electrolyte advice individual - refer out for medical cases.
SIMPLE STAPLES MEAL TEMPLATE (via Coachway) - Vertical-Diet-inspired, food-agnostic, high-adherence THE DAY (protein staple + easy-digesting carb + add-ons) Meal Protein staple Easy-digesting carb Add-ons Meal 1 Eggs / Greek yogurt White rice / oats Fruit, salt to taste Meal 2 Red meat / chicken White rice / potato Cooked veg, olive oil Meal 3 Fish / lean beef White rice / potato Micronutrient food, salt Meal 4 (optional) Whey / cottage cheese Fruit / rice cakes Electrolytes if needed Daily targets Protein: ___ g Carbs: ___ g Fat: ___ g / kcal: ___ SWAP OPTIONS (keep the structure, change the food - our examples, not from the video) Slot Default Swap when... Protein staple Red meat Chicken, fish, eggs, dairy - preference, budget, cholesterol Carb White rice Potato, oats, sourdough - taste or fullness needs Micronutrient add-on Liver / spinach / dairy Rotate to cover gaps; check fiber over time Sodium / electrolytes Salt to taste Individualize - flag medical / blood-pressure cases HOW TO USE: Lock daily macro targets first, then fill each meal from staples the client will repeat. Change calories by scaling the same foods up/down (vertical) before adding new ones. Re-check micronutrient + fiber coverage every few weeks; keep sodium/electrolyte advice individual and refer out for medical cases.
The Vertical Diet for clients - FAQ
What is the Vertical Diet?
The Vertical Diet is a nutrition approach created by elite powerlifter and IFBB pro Stan Efferding, built around a small set of easily digestible, nutrient-dense staple foods - most famously red meat and white rice - plus a handful of targeted foods added for specific micronutrients. Its defining ideas are digestion and gut comfort, simple repeatable meals, adequate protein, and attention to sodium and electrolytes. The name comes from how you scale it: you add calories 'vertically' (more of the same foods) rather than 'horizontally' (more variety). For a coach, the useful frame isn't the food list itself but the principle underneath - a simpler, more repeatable diet is one clients can actually stick to.
Who is the Vertical Diet actually a good fit for?
In Efferding's own framing it grew out of solving digestion and energy problems for hard-training athletes, but the parts that travel well are the parts that help almost anyone: fewer moving pieces, repeatable meals, and a gut that isn't fighting the food. For a coach, the strongest fit is the client who struggles with adherence, decision fatigue, or a sensitive stomach - the person who does better with five meals they can run on autopilot than with a 40-item plan. It's less about copying the exact staples and more about borrowing the simplicity for clients who need it.
Do clients have to eat red meat and white rice?
No - and this is where a coach should adapt rather than transcribe. Red meat and white rice are Efferding's flagship staples because they're calorie-dense, generally well tolerated, and easy to prepare, but the coaching principle is 'pick easily digestible, nutrient-dense staples the client will actually eat repeatedly.' For a client who doesn't eat red meat, or who has cholesterol, budget, or ethical considerations, you keep the structure - a protein staple, an easy-digesting carb, targeted micronutrient add-ons - and swap the specific foods. The template survives the substitution; that's the point of it.
How do you scale calories on the Vertical Diet as a coach?
The signature move is scaling 'vertically': when a client needs more or fewer calories, you adjust the portions of the same staple foods rather than introducing new ones. As a coach that's genuinely convenient - you change two or three numbers instead of rebuilding a plan, and the client's shopping, prep, and digestion stay identical. The honest caveat is that the approach leans on a narrow food base, so you still watch total micronutrient coverage and fiber, and you keep sodium and electrolyte guidance individualized rather than one-size-fits-all - especially for anyone with blood-pressure or medical considerations.
More nutrition-coaching breakdowns
- · Layne Norton on diet adherence - why the simple plan usually beats the "optimal" one.
- · How to set protein targets for clients - the number your staples have to hit.
- · The full roundup: fitness YouTubers coaches should study.
Keep dialing in nutrition coaching
all guidesHow to Create a Meal Plan for a Client (2026 Method)
Building a client meal plan is an ordered method, not a meal-by-meal script: set the calorie and macro frame first, map the client's real food life, choose the structure - fixed, swappable menu or macro targets - then build meals as options with swaps and adjust from check-ins. The methodology behind a plan that gets followed, not a generic PDF. General information, not medical or dietetic advice.
Read the guideMeal Prep for Clients: A Coach's Adherence Guide
Meal prep is one of the biggest adherence levers a coach can teach. What it is, why it moves results, how to build a simple weekly component-based system that hits macro and calorie targets, and how to teach the skill so it lasts.
Read the guideMacro coaching: how to set, track and adjust client macros
Macro coaching means coaching to targets, not a fixed menu. How to set client macros from energy needs, match tracking depth to each person across four tiers, adjust on a two to three week check-in cadence, and run the whole loop without spreadsheets.
Read the guideFree tools for this: Calorie Deficit Calculator · Goal Weight Date Calculator · Macro Calculator
Build the meal template once, reuse it across every client
A simple staples plan only pays off if you can deliver it without rebuilding a meal plan per client. Coachway's meal planner lets you template a repeatable day of eating with macros attached, assign it in seconds, swap foods per client and scale calories vertically when they change - while clients log adherence so you can see the simple plan is actually being followed. Start your 14-day free trial and build your first client template from one screen.
