Top 8 Foods Highest in Protein for Muscle Building

What is PROTEIN?

Proteins are long chains of amino acids, which are probably the most important nutrients that we get from our diet. 

Why we need PROTEIN?

We need to eat plenty of protein foods every day to keep metabolism running, our energy up and our blood levels stable. Athletes need to consume more protein than average people, especially athletes that are lifting weights.

Why athletes need to consume more PROTEIN?

Athletes spend more energy than the average person and they need additional nutrients to recover from intense physical activity. Protein plays a very important role in every athlete's diet, whether running sprints, swimming or lifting weights. Most famous nutrient, protein, helps repair and strengthen muscle tissue.

What can happen if you eat too little protein?


- Low energy and fatigue
- Poor concentration
- Mood swings
- Trouble building muscle mass
- Trouble losing weight
- Low immunity







How much protein athletes need?

The recommended daily intake of protein for an average person is 46 grams for women, and 56 grams for men. If you want to gain muscle that wouldn't be enough to fuel your muscles for growth.

The Complete Guide to Build Muscle Mass

Many fitness experts say that 2 grams of protein per one pound of body weight are necessary for muscle gain, some say even more but they are all wrong. You won't build more muscle if you consume more protein that your muscles need. 

The recommended daily intake for athletes is 1.2 grams of protein per 1 pound of bodyweight. That is enough to build muscle and you won't have an excess of protein that will be stored as fat. 

You also need to focus on other nutrients, like carbs and fats so if you consume 1.2 grams of protein per 1 pound of your body weight every day, believe me, you have it enough to make your muscles grow. Just focus on other nutrients, on your training and rest. Proteins don't build muscles all alone.

Best Exercises to Build Muscle Mass Fast







What are the best sources of protein?



1. FISH 

      Fish that are high in   protein per one fillet (85 g):

Tuna (22g), Salmon (22g), Halibut (22g, Perch (21g), Cod (20g).



Seafood is an excellent source of protein because it is low in fat. Fish like salmon is little higher in fat but is heart-healthy kind of fat - omega 3 acids.






2. WHITE MEAT

Turkey and chicken breasts are probably the best source of lean protein. Darker meats are also good but they are higher in fat than white meat. 


100 grams of chicken and turkey contain about 30 grams of protein.





3. LOW-FAT CHEESE

Cheese high in protein per ounce (28g):


Parmesan (10g), Low-fat Swiss Cheese (8g), Low-fat Cheddar (6g), Low-fat Cottage Cheese (5g).





4. LEAN BEEF AND VEAL


Beef and veal are the meats that are higher in calories than white meat but they are still very good sources of protein. Per 100 grams of lean beef or veal equals about 36 grams of protein.





5. EGGS (Especially Egg Whites)

1 Large Egg contains about 7 grams of protein. Whole eggs are high in protein, but egg whites are almost pure protein. They are also loaded with healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.








6. NUTS


Peanuts are the highest in protein in comparison with all other nuts. They are also loaded with healthy fats and they are very rich in calories. One ounce (28 g) contains 7 grams of protein, with 159 calories. You can also try peanut butter, it is very delicious and very good for muscle growth with quality nutrients and a high number of calories.




7. SHRIMPS


Shrimps are low in calories but loaded with many nutrients including selenium and vitamin B 12. Like fish, they also contain plenty of omega-3 fatty acids. A 3 ounce (85 g) serving contains 18 grams of protein with 84 calories. Very good source of lean protein and also very healthy food.




8. WHEY PROTEIN


Whey is a type of high-quality protein and it is very effective at building muscle mass. Only one serving (30  or 35 grams) of Whey Protein Powder can contain about 27 - 30 grams of protein. Great source of fast-digesting protein very useful as a post-workout meal. 



Check out more about Whey Protein Supplements and other great muscle-building supplements in another article:


Best Muscle-Building Supplements to Build Muscle Mass Fast

20 Foods You Should Eat to Gain Muscle Mass

If you are planning to build muscle mass one of the most important things is your diet. You can't gain muscle mass if you aren't consuming enough calories and all three macronutrients - PROTEINS, CARBS, and FATS.

One of the mistakes that many hard gainers make is that they don't consume fats and they do not understand that there are fats that they should eat. It is very important to avoid trans fats, that should be clear. Also, in order to increase muscle mass, you need to consume twice more carbs than proteins. Protein is the most important nutrient for muscle building, but carbs are crucial for building muscle mass.

HOW MANY CARBS, FATS, AND PROTEINS?

You should aim to at least 1.2 grams of protein per 1 pound of your weight. In order to build muscle mass you need to stick with this calories ratio:

What are the top 20 muscle-building foods?

1. Lean White Meat (Chicken & Turkey)

Chicken and Turkey breasts are the staple of every bodybuilding diet. If you want to build muscle or to burn fat then you should include lean white meat in your diet. 

100 gr of white meat will fill you with 31 grams of protein and only 4 grams of fat, which is very good for building lean muscle mass.

2. Fish 

Fish is one of the best muscle-building foods. Let's take salmon, for example, it contains about 25 grams of protein in 100 grams portion. Also, fish meat is packed with omega-3 fatty acids which are great for your heart and muscles too. 

3. Eggs

Together with fish and white meat, eggs are also very good source of proteins. It is very cheap to buy them, very easy to prepare them and they are delicious. Each egg contains about 5 - 6 grams of protein. The protein in eggs is probably the most efficiently for muscle growth among all other whole foods.

4. Lean Red Meat

Red meats, like lean beef, are the excellent source of protein. 100 grams of lean beef contains about 27 grams of protein, and that is not all, red meat is considered as best food for naturally increasing testosterone levels which support muscle growth. That is because red meat is filled with zinc, iron, and B12 vitamins. 

5. Cottage Cheese

Another great source of protein, and almost entirely pure casein protein. Casein protein is recommended for meals before bedtime because they are very slow digesting and muscles are fed during sleep.

6. Whey Protein Powder

Although it is considered as the supplement, whey protein is one of the best sources of protein with 30 grams of protein per one scoop (35 gr). It is the best post-workout protein source because it is fastest digesting and it feeds your muscles with quality proteins and reduces the risk of catabolism after a hard training session. 

I recommend making homemade mass gainers as post workout meals for faster muscle gains:

Homemade Mass Gainer - Gain Muscle Mass Fast

7. Peanut Butter

Peanut Butter is one of the best muscle-building foods. It is filled with proteins and good fats and it is very high in healthy calories. 100 gr serving of peanut butter can provide you about 30 gr of protein and 600 healthy calories. 

8. Oats

Oatmeal is one of the best sources of carbohydrates containing about 70 gr of carbs per 100 gr serving. Also, it is filled with 13 gr of proteins. One of the best choices for breakfast meal.

9. Mixed Nuts

Almonds, Peanuts, Walnuts and other kinds of nuts are also very good for building muscle mass. They are great sources of healthy fats and also protein. Nuts are also loaded with important nutrients like fiber, vitamin E, manganese, and magnesium.

10. Milk

It is enough to say that only one cup of milk contains 8 grams of protein and 13 grams of carbohydrates. Milk is also rich in branched chain amino acids (BCCAs), so it is a better and cheaper solution than buying BCCAs supplements.

11. Brown Rice (Very good source of carbs)

12. Sweet Potatoes

13. Ezekiel Bread

14. Shrimps

15. Greek Yogurt

16. Olive Oil

17. Avocado

18. Spinach

19. Broccoli

20. Flax Seeds

Don't forget to eat fruits and consume a lot of water too. Those 20 are just foods for muscle building but you need also to consume a lot of vitamins from fruits like oranges, apples, and berries. 

That is it, create your own muscle-building diet plan with these 20 foods and also check out which exercises are best for building muscle mass:

Best Exercises to Build Muscle Mass Fast

Best Healthy Foods to Gain Muscle Mass

If you want to gain lean muscle mass then you need a workout program for hypertrophy (muscle growth) and a diet plan for muscle gain. Your diet plan should consist of only healthy foods, so no junk foods and sugars. They are only bad for your health, and they don't build muscle, they build body fat. 

In order to build muscle mass, you need to consume all three macronutrients every day, in every meal. Macronutrients are Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Fats. Protein is a nutrient that is most important for muscle growth and you should eat Foods that are Rich in Protein. For muscle growth, best macronutrients ratio is 40% of Carbs, 30% Proteins, and 30% Fats. For example, if you consume 3000 calories daily and you are in caloric surplus, which is necessary for bulking, you will split those calories into 1200 calories from carbohydrates, 900 calories from fats and 900 calories from proteins. You need to include fats in your diet, and only fats that you need to avoid are trans-fats. Also, you should only eat foods that consist of slow-digesting carbs. When it comes to protein, eat any kind of protein. 




FOODS YOU SHOULD EAT TO GAIN MUSCLE MASS


Foods that are high in Protein:


- Lean Chicken and Turkey Meat
- Lean Beef and Veal Meat
- Egg Whites
- Fish (Tuna, Salmon)
- Low-Fat Dairy


Besides food, you can also add Whey Protein Supplement in your diet plan. Add one scoop in your post workout shake and you will consume 30 grams of protein. You can also make your own Homemade Mass Gainer, which is very good for faster muscle gains.


Foods that are the best source of Carbs:


- Oatmeal
- Brown Rice
- Sweet Potatoes
- Whole Grain Bread
- Whole Grain Pasta 
- Fruits
- Green Leafy Vegetables


Carbohydrates sources that you should avoid are cookies, cakes, white rice, white potatoes and especially white bread. 




Best sources of good Fats:


- Nuts
- Avocado
- Olive Oil
- Peanut Butter
- Foods that are rich in Omega-3


Nuts are a great choice for snacks, for example, Peanuts and Almonds are a good source of proteins and good fats. They are high-caloric and very healthy. Peanut butter is also great for building muscle mass with about 600 calories per 100 grams and 30 grams of protein in the same dose.


Now that you read which foods are the best for gaining muscle mass, check out my articles about Workout for Muscle Mass and you are ready to make some serious gains.