There are foods that are considered muscle building foods. I don’t think you can really construct a top 10 list of these foods. You can’t necessarily rank them. I will say, though, that there ARE certain foods you should be eating, and certain TIMES you should do so. It’s not as cut and dry as just knowing WHAT muscle building foods to eat. Knowing WHEN to eat them is EVERY BIT as important! Contrary to what some believe, it’s not all about JUST cutting carbohydrates, or JUST cutting fat. It’s not even about how much protein you can stuff yourself with in a day – it ALL plays a part.
Check out your own kitchen pantry and fridge for these musclebuilding foods
Yogurt: This is a dairy product that many people eat and enjoy. Yogurt has many benefits. Not only is it a great protein source, it has healthy bacteria which aids in digestion when eating other foods. To be honest, I really feel that yogurt is nearly a REQUIREMENT in the way of muscle building foods. Whether with fresh blueberries, strawberries, or such, it’s GREAT for breakfast. It even makes a healthy snack alternative if you “just gotta have” something late at night. Use in place of ice cream if you are craving sweets.
Eggs: You simply cannot beat eggs for protein. They have more digestible protein than any other natural protein source. Eggs are simply one of those muscle building foods you NEED! Get tired of cooking up protein meals? Omelets are a quick and simple way to infuse more protein into your diet. Take half a dozen eggs and slip them into a bowl. Whisk them into a frenzy. Toss in some vegetables–try some onion, pepper, mushroom–and cook it up. You can even top with some salsa if you’d like. The great thing about eggs is that they have great protein to fat ratio. The fat slows the absorption of other food you eat, so you don’t get those blood sugar spikes.
Chicken Breasts: Yes, we all know animal flesh has a lot of protein in it, but chicken has it all beat hands down. Chicken is the top muscle building foods in the animal product department. For one thing, boneless skinless chicken can be incorporated into SO MANY different meals, you really can’t afford NOT to have it on hand. One of my favorite things to make is chicken fajitas. This mexican dish is almost a perfect muscle building meal.
Rice, Potatoes, and Yams: Carbohydrates sure have taken a beating in recent years. The thing about carbs is that they possess what we call a protein sparring effect. Rather than chewing up your protein sources, which you need for building muscle, your body will eat up the carbs you take in. You want your body to burn up carbs. You need that protein to build your muscle. Carbs are a nutritionally cheaper source of fuel. If you tend to be slender and have a hard time gaining weight, then you especially need to consume carbs. If you’re trying to gain muscle and you tend to be slender, then you really have to ramp up your carb consumption.
Here’s a GREAT rule to follow. Consume NO fat immediately following your workout, but DO eat simple carbohydrates.
Basically, post-workout is the time for carbs that break down quickly. Resist the temptation to make something with fat in it a snack when you finish training. You want the muscle to quickly absorb the nutrients during this period of time and fat will slow down this process.
You still need fat, but you’ll get it at OTHER times of the day.
Consume moderate amounts of fat throughout the day, NOT following your workout. If you don’t eat fat, then your body will soak up what you eat very quickly. As a matter of fact, your body’s pace will beat the rate that you can actually use them. This can lead to that high sugar “rush” (elevated blood glucose), which ultimately results in a sudden and dramatic loss of energy. Adding a little bit of fat to your meals insures steady energy. You will also get more out of the food you eat since it will absorb at a slow and steady rate.
Summary: Obviously there are a lot more musclebuilding foods than what I mentioned here, but this is a great start.