Muscle Building Foods
My Top Ten Continued

Part 1 of my Top Ten Muscle Building Foods article looked at chicken/turkey, protein powder, oily fish, milk and eggs.

As a reminder, remember that gaining lean muscle relies on several key factors including adequate nutrition, heavy, intense and brief training sessions and optimal rest.

No food in its own right will make you gain muscle as the food we eat merely provides the building blocks for growth once stimulus has been achieved through weight training.

So now let's took a look at my remaining top 5 muscle building foods.

6) Nuts
Nuts are one of my favourite muscle building foods. They provide a balance of mono and polyunsaturated fat, protein and fibre.

A word of warning, nuts are VERY calorie dense and on average contain as much as 500 - 600kcal per 100g. Nuts make for a very convenient snack that travels well and can be left in your bag for easy access when on the go.

Be aware that the best nuts to have are ALWAYS RAW and should be avoided if covered in salt, flavourings, honey or chocolate as these add even more calories while the salt may increase water retention causing a bloated/watery look to your body. Obviously if you are allergic to nuts then this muscle building food is definitely out of bounds!

7) Oats
Oats are arguably the breakfast of champions and are a superb choice when selecting the best muscle building foods. Oats provide a blend of carbohydrate, protein, vitamins, minerals and fibre. The type of carbohydrate found in oats digest very slowly meaning you stay fuller for longer and helps maintain consistent blood sugar levels.

When trying to build muscle an abundance of carbohydrate is needed in the diet to help fuel intense workouts and ensure that any protein consumed is used for repair and growth as opposed to being used for energy. Oats carry various health benefits and have been linked with lowering cholesterol levels and helping to prevent heart disease.

Having said all this, not all oats are equal and I advise staying away from the Oat-so-simple kinds which have flavourings added along with a heap of sugar. I personally recommend that oats are cooked in skimmed milk to make porridge. You can add some chopped nuts or seeds, maybe a sprinkle of cinnamon too. You can even boost the protein content by mixing in a scoop of your favourite protein powder (which should be done AFTER the oats have been cooked). 100g of oats contains approximately 380 calories, 65grams carbs, 17g protein and 7g of fat.

8) Lean Cuts of Beef
Since bodybuilding began, Beef has been touted as one of the greatest muscle building foods. It provides a dense source of complete protein in addition to fat. The best cuts to use include fillet, sirloin and rump steak. In addition, extra lean beef mince is a very good addition to your diet.

I suggest cutting off any visible fat before cooking and when cooking mince it is wise to use a spoon to lift off any fat that may come to the surface during the cooking process. The saturated fat content of beef means that it should not be eaten daily and I personally suggest consuming 3 portions or less per week.

My favourite way to cook steaks is to rub a little olive oil into each side before frying gently. 2.5 minutes each side provides a medium rare steak. Serve with a jacket potato and a large green leafy salad for a delicious meal that is protein packed! 100g of sirloin steak contains roughly 178 calories, 29g of protein, 0g carbs and 6g of fat.

9) Sweet Potato
This is an incredible food and provides a rich source of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and fibre.

The complex carbohydrates in sweet potatoes are extremely slow digesting meaning that blood sugar levels remain stable and help you to feel fuller for longer. Due to this fact, the humble sweet potato is a favourite amongst bodybuilders in competition condition who often choose this carbohydrate source over all others.

I find the best way to prepare sweet potatoes is to microwave them until just cooked and serve with meat and vegetables of your choice. 100g of sweet potato contains 90 calories, 2g of protein, 20g of carbs and less than 1g of fat.

10) Fibrous Vegetables
Tenth place in my top ten muscle building foods goes to fibrous vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, spinach, tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers, onions and leeks. Vegetables like these are vitamin and mineral powerhouses and should be included in our daily diet each and every day.

In addition to providing vitamins and minerals, vegetables provide a plentiful supply of fibre which assists transit of food through the digestive system. Aim to consume at least 5 portions of vegetables per day, with a portion being equal to roughly the size of your fist. When it comes to cooking vegetables less is more. If veggies are cooked too much they lose their vitamin and mineral content which is to be avoided for obvious reasons! My preferred way of cooking is to steam vegetables until al dente or crisp to the bite!

Fruit also falls high amongst my favourite muscle building foods, and is placed just outside of my top ten. Fruit is a superb source of vitamins, minerals and fibre and also supplies carbohydrates.

Unfortunately, the type of carbohydrate commonly found in fruit is fructose which is a sugar. Sugar can cause peaks and troughs in blood sugar which can in turn lead to increased hunger pangs and potential for body fat gain.

In my opinion, the best time to eat fruit is within 20 minutes of completing a workout along with a good quality whey protein shake.

Research indicates that on completing an intense workout (such as that needed to stimulate muscle growth) a 20 minute window appears during which time the body craves easily digested forms of carbohydrate and protein. If this window is capitalised on by giving the body what it needs, recovery time can be reduced by as much as 20%.

This fact alone is why I suggest trainees consume fruit such as a large banana and a whey protein shake within 20 minutes of completing your workout.

In Conclusion

Consume at least 5 pieces of vegetables and fruit per day and keep meals small and regular, which means eating every 2-3 hours if muscle gain is your main goal.

Now you have read all about foods that build muscle, why not read about how to formulate your own Muscle Building Nutrition Plan?

You can also read Part 1 of this article HERE!

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