It's always helpful to have a list to remember important things. Few things are as important to help you to increase muscle mass as the foods that you eat. With that in mind, here are the top 10 foods to fuel muscle growth.
Lean Beef.
People love steaks and hamburgers, but unfortunately the majority of cuts that you get at restaurants and grocery stores are loaded with unhealthy fats. Don't write beef out of your diet though. You can still eat beef to fuel muscle growth. In fact, the bodybuilders of years gone by ate a lot of beef to get bigger and stronger. Simply take a smart approach to eating and choose the leanest cuts possible and don't eat red meat at every meal. Stay lean to fuel lean mass.
Ground Turkey.
You can buy lean ground turkey at most grocery stores. This ground protein source is a great way to liven up bland pasta recipes and to make casseroles and other dinner dishes. Try to get lean, ground breast meat to get the most benefit from eating ground turkey. Turkey meat is a cheap, protein-rich food that can serve as a replacement for red meat in recipes for foods such as chili and taco mixes. Don't underestimate turkey as a muscle building food.
Cottage Cheese.
People don't include enough cottage cheese in their diets, and that is a shame. There aren't many foods that provide the high levels of glutamine that you can get from cottage cheese. Glutamine is an essential amino acid that promotes muscle tissue healing. Many bodybuilders like to eat cottage cheese as a late evening snack to fuel overnight muscle healing and growth.
Baked Fish.
Fish is truly a super food. If you want a food that is loaded with protein and essential fatty acids, you won't find many foods that stack up with a nice baked fish meal. There are lots of affordable fish cuts that you can pick up at the store to make for lunches or dinners. As long as you stay away from deep fried, breaded fish meals, you'll be eating a lean food that will promote muscle growth.
Nuts.
Another food that is loaded with healthy fatty acids are nuts. Nuts make a great snack food. They contain some protein in addition to healthy, essential fats that are good for your overall health. The bottom line with muscle growth is that it won't occur unless you are healthy. Nuts are a great food to eat sparingly that can provide the kind of nutrition your body needs.
Fruits & Vegetables.
No list of healthy foods would be complete without mentioning the importance of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies may not directly contribute to muscle growth like protein foods do, but they should not be neglected. Many bodybuilders, eager to get as much protein as possible, totally neglect fruits and vegetables. Your body needs the antioxidants, minerals and fiber that fruits and vegetables provide, so be sure to include these foods in your diet.
Eggs.
There's an advertising campaign that says eggs are nature's perfect food. In some ways, this assessment is right on. Eggs are a convenient food to buy and cook. They contain some of the best quality protein of any whole food that is commonly eaten. To stay healthy, it's best to eat egg whites most of the time and only an occasional yolk. Eggs are never to be eaten raw, no matter how many people you see doing this. You can get very sick from raw eggs. So keep eggs in your regular menu rotation, but skip the Rocky Balboa method of drinking raw eggs.
Tuna Fish.
Earlier in this list, fish was mentioned as a great muscle building food. Tuna deserves its own special place on the top 10 list of muscle building foods. Tuna is cheap, easy to take anywhere and it is full of great protein and omega fatty acids essential to good healthy diet. Stock up on tuna when you go to the grocery store for a simple, economical food that helps to pack on muscle mass.
Chicken Breast.
This is one of the staples of bodybuilding diets and fat burning plans. Boneless, skinless chicken breast is a delicious, filling food that is loaded with top quality proteins. Chicken breast is lean and can be incorporated into lots of different recipes. Prices fluctuate on boneless, skinless chicken breast, but you can usually pick it up in bulk when it is on sale. Keep a full supply of chicken breast in your freezer for healthy, muscle promoting meals. Just stay away from the nuggets and fried chicken; they contain too much unhealthy fat.
About Protica Research
Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm specializing in the development of protein-rich, capsulized foods (dense nutrition in compact liquid and food forms). Protica manufactures Profect protein beverage, IsoMetric, Fruitasia and more than 100 other brands in its GMP-certified, 250,000 square foot facility.
You can learn more about Protica at http://www.protica.com
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