((Pretty much entirely diet talk. Not exactly an exercise guru. REALLY LONG POST. So sorry.))
I'm a girl, so I might be missing something that helps guys, but I don't think protein powder is really anything special. If you don't want to take it, don't. It's chalky, and unless you're looking for a specific ingredient, it's nothing you can't get from your diet.
MACRONUTRIENTS
The best advice I can give you is to meal plan. Set yourself a guideline for your macronutrients, and don't worry too much about sticking to it strictly. To maintain weight, you individually need around 2,450 calories a day. Quality is more important than quantity when it comes to calories. See chart below for ratio reference, and you can use
https://www.eatthismuch.com/ to help build a meal plan.
Proteins
Dietary protein is dietary protein, regardless of where it comes from. Dietary proteins are usually classified by their fat content, so make sure you're eating a variety of proteins, and not soley from red meats or nuts or deli meat. Proteins and fats will keep you full the longest, so eat them before working out, and try to have them at every meal.
Fats
There are three types of fats you'll want to be eating: Essential fatty acids, saturated fats, and unsaturated fats.
Essential fatty acids cannot be synthesized by the human body, so you're going to want to eat them in seeds, fish, and certain vegetables. Omega-3 is the most important of these fatty acids.
Unsaturated fatty acids are the "healthy" fats and are found in fish, avocados, and liquid oils (like olive oils).
Saturated fatty acids are fats that you can easily eat too much of. They are not bad in nature, but if you eat too much of these, health issues go up. Regardless, you need these in your diet. These fats come from animal fats, solid oils, and cheeses.
Carbohydrates
Okay two groups. Sugars (broken up into monosaccharides and disaccharides) and polysaccharides.
Your sugars are actually very important. People often say that sugars are bad for you, but this is so far from true. Sugars are needed in cellular respiration and quick energy. You also need sugars to produce amino acids in your body. Your glucose can come from fruits, syrups, honey, etc. If you're craving it, you probably need it. Have a banana with honey. Sucrose and lactose are also sugars, so processed sugars and sugars found in dairy products are really important. Chocolate milk is your best friend when you're craving sugar, just don't go overboard.
Polysaccharides are your more complicated carbs. Again, these are not bad, and you need these. Breads, plant material (high in dietary fiber), and starchy vegetables are really great for you when it comes to long term energy. If you're going to be eating a lot of snacks a day, you don't need as many of these, but they are still important. They help your body when sugar demand rises, and can help you a lot when working out. Again, these are more energy dense, so watch the calories on these.
IMPORTANT MICRONUTRIENTS FOR FITNESS
B Vitamins
Used in energy production / ATP synthesis, production of red blood cells, and tissue repair.
Key words or categories of B vitamins are: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, Folate, Vitamin B12
Website for Vitamin B sources/details.
Calcium and Vitamin D
Vitamin D aids in calcium absorption. Inadequate production of Vitamin D can lead to depressive symptoms and issues in bone or muscle health. Best way to get vD is from sunlight. The majority of people have adequate levels, but if you live in areas farther away from the equator, you may be more at risk for low Vitamin D.
Calcium is actually extremely important for athletes. Calcium is used with every muscle contraction, and the extra calcium in your body is put into bones. Calcium is important for healthy muscle function and reduced risk of fractures.
Dairy products, dark leafy greens, soy beans, white beans, salmon are all good sources of calcium, and liver and egg yolks also provide vitamin D.
Iron
Healthy blood and oxygen supply, energy production / ATP synthesis.
If you're doing a lot of endurance activity or restrict meat intake, you need extra iron in your diet.
Beef, liver, turkey, clams, oysters, lentils, beans, and spinach.
NOTE: Your body is best adapted to absorb iron from animal products. This is called heme-iron. Your body is able to absorb plant produced nonheme-iron as well, but it's not as efficient.
Zinc
Growth and repair of muscle.
Beef, lamb, seeds, lentils, garbanzo beans, cashews, turkey, quinoa and shrimp.
Electrolytes
The group of elements that are responsible for controlling heart health. Sodium, chloride, magnesium, calcium, and potassium.
Generally you're fine when it comes to electrolytes, but replenishing before or after a work out with a sports drink is never a bad idea.
NOTE: Dehydration is a serious issue when it comes to electrolytes. Electrolyte containing fluids are lost through sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, and severe burns.
Again, sorry for the long post. Hope it helped at least some
sweatdrop 
