When people want to build their muscles, they usually start training hard but somehow neglect their nutrition. Well, the truth is, you shouldn’t go one way or another – you want to combine them. When you’re training, your body needs carbs before a workout to give you enough energy and protein afterward to make your training efficient and build your muscles (which is why you’re training, after all). Because of that, it’s essential to keep track of what you eat during your muscle-building mission. You should increase your protein intake, but also make sure to include carbs (less processed carbs that are high in fiber) and healthy fats (found in avocado, nuts, olive oil, etc.) in your diet. We’ve asked the Chicago weight loss clinic to tell us about food that will help you build huge muscles, and here’s what we’ve got:
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Lean meat
Lean meat is considered a staple for gaining muscle. For instance, lean beef is full of high-quality protein (100g serving contains 26g protein), B vitamins, and creatine, all of which are essential in building your muscles. They’re also low in calories and have a decent amount of healthy fats. The skinless chicken breast will give you the same amount of protein per serving as the beef. In addition to that, it’s easy and quick to prepare.
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Eggs
Eggs are praised among nutritionists because they contain high-quality protein accompanied by good fats and vitamin B. Eggs contain large amounts of leucine, an amino acid, and it is essential for muscle gain. To be more precise, one egg will provide you with 13g of protein. You’ve probably noticed that people who want to gain muscles in addition to the everyday workout usually eat many eggs. The key point here is eating the whole egg without separating egg whites and egg yolks. The interesting fact is that only one egg white contains approximately 4g of protein with no fat. Also, egg yolk itself contains omega-3 fatty acid DHA and vitamins like A, D, and K that can also be great for your teeth said people from Smile Solutions.
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Dairy products
In this case, we hope you’re not living dairy-free because dairy, in general, is packed with protein. To be more precise, it contains a mixture of slow-digesting casein protein and fast-digesting whey protein. This mixture has been shown to increase lean mass, but some dairy products can serve you better than others. The highest protein content is found in greek yogurt (12g to 17g of protein per serving) and cottage cheese (11g protein in 100g serving). Greek yogurt is also packed with healthy fats, while cottage cheese is low in fat.
Milk can also be great for muscle-building. Many people used it in the 1960s for bodybuilding by the principle “one gallon a day.” We definitely don’t recommend dairy products in large quantities. Your stomach probably can’t handle that, but you are lucky because you have a much more comprehensive offer of different milk types nowadays. You can choose between soy, almond, or rice milk, and it’s a great choice if you are vegan or just have a problem with lactose digesting. All these milk types supply the body with high-quality protein that provides amino acids needed for muscle building.
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Seafood and fish
Including fish in your diet is desirable in general, but tuna will provide you with 20g in an 85g serving when it comes to building your muscles. Next up is salmon, which will give you 17g of protein per 85g serving. They’re both delicious and easy to prepare so that you can accompany them with a fresh salad for an after-workout dinner. Oysters, believe it or not, have more than 20g of protein per 100g. Compared to the chicken, they have seven times more iron and 50 times more zinc. Isn’t that great? We shall not forget to mention shrimp, which is almost pure protein; 85g of shrimp contains 18g of protein. Plus, it has virtually zero carbs.
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Lean jerky
You’re going to need something to snack when you’re on the go, and lean jerky is an excellent choice because it satisfies your hunger while building your muscles. An unwritten rule says that your post-workout snack should contain around 10-20 grams of protein. That’s what makes jerky perfect- 40g of jerky contains about 14g of protein. That’s not all. One of the most popular ones is beef jerky since it has a healthy amount of iron and zinc. Plus, it will not raise your insulin levels, which means that it will not induce the hormone that sends signals to your body for storing fat. Jerky can be made from various meat, but because most fat is removed during the creation process, you can choose your favorite one and munch on it – they’re all packed with high-quality protein.
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Beans, legumes, and grains
Considering our vegan friends won’t consume anything from above, we can’t go without mentioning beans, legumes, and grains. They are a go-to source of protein for people who don’t consume meat, but they should be everyone’s choice too. When beans or legumes are combined with grains, they make a complete protein. However, when choosing your grains, opt for the less processed ones. Combine them with beans that contain 21g of protein in a 100g serving.
Conclusion
The most important thing for building huge muscles is consuming enough protein- between 25-30 per meal. By eating these foods, you’ll be able to build up your muscles. Try to eat foods considered complete proteins (foods that contain all nine amino acids necessary for good health). Beans could be a great example and indispensable food in your diet. There is an option of combining incomplete proteins to make the complete one, like nuts and seeds with grains or beans with nuts and seeds. Our advice is not to worry that much about whether the food is a complete or incomplete protein- all that matters is a healthy balance. You are what you eat.
