Top Foods To Boost Muscle Growth and Development

June 4 2014

Top Foods To Boost Muscle Growth and Development

Nutrition plays an important role in muscle growth and formation. As the adage goes — you are what you eat — holds true when attempting to build muscle. Failing to supply your body with the vitamins and nutrients it needs will ultimately slow down your progress, resulting in the dreaded “plateau” effect where you no longer see visible gains from your workout sessions. Thankfully, you can prevent this from occurring by incorporating some of the following muscle-building foods into your diet.

Eggs

What better way to start off your morning routine than with a couple protein-packed scrambled eggs? Just a single egg 6 grams of protein, a variety of vitamins, healthy fatty acids, and only 78 calories.

Some people avoid eggs because of their high cholesterol content. Yes, eggs contain a fair amount of dietary cholesterol, but this doesn’t necessarily mean it will raise your body’s cholesterol. So, go ahead and enjoy those scrambled egg breakfasts without worrying about any negative impacts on your heart health.

Tuna

If you aren’t eating tuna on a regular basis, you’re missing out on one of the most powerful muscle-building foods on the planet. A single can of chunk light (non albacore) tuna contains a whopping 39 grams of protein and 13% of your daily iron!

Granted, canned tuna also contains sodium, but limiting yourself to 1-2 cans per week will boost your muscle activity without straining your body with an excess amount of sodium.

Peas

You might be surprised to learn that peas can encourage muscle growth and development. These tiny pellet-sized vegetables are loaded with vitamins and plant-based protein. Whether you consume them as a snack or side item, you should eat more peas to reap the benefits of these otherwise tiny vegetables.

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is one of my personal favorite pre and post-workout snacks. Unlike “traditional” yogurt, the Greek variety contains very little sugar and fat, but the real benefit of this power-packed snack is its protein content. A single cup of Greek yogurt contains about 20 grams of protein and 6 grams of carbohydrates.

Nuts

Peanuts, almonds, cashews and almonds are all excellent muscle-building foods. They are packed in protein, monosaturated fats, polysaturated fats, fiber, and several other key nutrients. Just remember to measure your serving size beforehand, as its easy to over snack on nuts if you aren’t careful.

Photo of Grilled chicken with vegetables.