12 Top Muscle Building Foods

To build muscle & lose fat, you need a variety of proteins, veggies, fruits, carbs, and healthy fats. Eating protein helps building & maintaining muscle. But it also helps fat loss: protein has a higher thermic effect than carbs/fats. This list will help you — 20 super foods you need to build muscle & lose fat.

12 Muscle Building Foods

Fish - When it comes to building muscle, fish really crushes the competition. Take salmon, for example. Not only is salmon a protein powerhouse yielding around 25 grams of protein per 100-gram serving, but it’s also packed with so many other healthy nutrients that you’d be a fool to avoid it. Salmon is loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids. It’s also an excellent source of vitamin D. All in all, fish, such as tuna or salmon, are simply the best.

Chicken - Chicken is the staple muscle-building food. A nice, lean 100-gram slab of this white meat will fill you with a hearty serving of 31 grams of protein with only 4 grams of fat.

Broccoli - Put broccoli and other fibrous vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, spinach, tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers, onions and leeks) on your list of go-to post-workout foods. You should eat five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and you can't find a better source of vitamins, minerals and fibre than these sources. But remember if you overcook your vegetables you will decrease their vitamin and mineral content.

Eggs - Quick and easy to prepare, delicious and fun to eat, eggs are a key dietary component of any muscle-minded person. Each egg comes loaded with around 5 to 6 grams of protein at the very low caloric cost of only 60 calories. But it’s not just the amount of protein that makes eggs so special, it’s also the type. Egg protein is considered to be the most readily utilisable protein with the highest biological value of any whole food. This means that the protein in eggs is used most efficiently for muscular growth

Spinach - There might have been a reason why Popeye ate so much spinach. Researchers at Rutgers University (2008) showed that the phytoecdysteroids contained in spinach may increase muscle growth up to 20 percent.

Lean Minced Meat - Red meats, like lean minced meat, are an excellent source of protein. 100 grams of lean ground beef contain upward of 27 grams of protein! Beef is also teeming with vitamin B12, zinc and iron - all of which are important for muscle growth and development

Sweet Potato - Carbohydrates are an essential nutrient for your body, and they also help you add on additional muscle. Sweet potatoes are one of the tastier and more convenient options to replenish energy stores and fuel the muscle-building process. Additionally, they're packed with vitamins and minerals to help you maintain normal blood sugar levels, and keep you feeling fuller longer.

Cottage Cheese - It may sound surprising, but most serious bodybuilders include cottage cheese among their top muscle-building foods. To understand why, simply read the label of your typical low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese. Just 1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese packs a whopping 14 grams of protein in only 80 calories with less than 2 grams of fat.

Almonds - Almonds are another plant-based food absolutely packed full of protein. Just 1/4 cup of almonds contains nearly 8 grams of protein - that’s nearly 2 grams of protein more than your typical egg. Almonds are also an excellent source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and magnesium. Magnesium is an abundant mineral that’s used in more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body and is specifically known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis.

Pineapple - Pineapples are a rich source of a protein-digesting enzyme named bromelein. It’s also been shown to reduce muscle inflammation, making it a great addition to your post-workout meal.

Quinoa – Quinoa is a protein-packed grain native to South America. Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is also complete, meaning that it contains all nine of the essential amino acids. This gluten-free food is also easy to digest and is high in fibre, magnesium and iron.

Giant Porridge Oats –Oats provide a blend of carbohydrates, fibre, protein, minerals and vitamins. The body digests giant porridge oats slowly, meaning you stay fuller for longer and maintain consistent blood sugar levels.