Both nutrition and physical activity are critical if you want to gain lean muscle.
To get started, it’s essential to challenge your body through physical activity. However, without proper nutritional support, your progress will stall.
High-protein foods are very important for gaining muscle, but carbohydrates and fats are also necessary sources of energy.
If your goal is to gain lean muscle, you should focus on exercising regularly and eating more calories each day from muscle-building foods.
Here are some top foods for gaining lean muscle:
- Fish
When it comes to muscle building, fish beats all other foods. For example, a 100 g serving of salmon offers a whopping 25 g of protein. Along with protein, fish is also packed with many other healthy nutrients which is great for building muscles in men. Salmon is also loaded with monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids which are good for heart health. Fish is also an excellent source of vitamin D, which helps in strengthening the bones along with muscle building.
- Oysters
Oyster is a secret body-building food, which is widely used by weight lifters. They are one of the richest sources of minerals like magnesium and zinc which are essential for protein synthesis in the body. Some 100 grams of cooked oysters offer 5 gm of fat and more than 20 gm of protein which helps in strengthening and building muscles in men.
- Milk
Milk for ages has been associated with body and muscle growth. Not only it is a calcium and vitamin D rich food, it is also an excellent source of essential amino acids. From kids to adults, everyone is advised to have milk to strengthen their entire musculoskeletal system.
- Red meat
Red meats, like mutton, pork, lamb, etc are brilliant sources of protein. Just 100 g of cooked red meat contains around 27 g of protein, high amounts of fats and additional amounts of zinc, iron and vitamin B12. All these nutrients in this particular food help to promote muscle growth and development in men.
- Soybeans
Whether consumed in the form of milk or tofu, soy is one of the richest sources of plant-based protein. Just 1 cup of cooked soybeans offers minerals, vitamins and over 20 g of amino acids. These make soy one of the healthiest muscle-building foods for men.
- Eggs
Every single egg is packed with nearly 5 to 6 g of protein and a very low amount of calories. The proteins present in eggs are the most easily utilizable form of the nutrient with the greatest biological value of any whole food. This makes eggs one of the best foods for muscular growth in men.
- Chicken
Only a 100 g slab of this white meat is enough to provide around 31 g of proteins and just 4 g of fat. This favourable protein-fat ratio makes chicken a stable muscle building food for men.