Both nutrition and physical activity are required to build muscle and strength. Most people think they have a proper diet to achieve strong muscle, but that’s not completely true.
Almost everyone considers protein as their first nutrient when they plan to build muscle. But you shouldn’t rely only on protein, you also need nutritious food that will help you with muscle recovery and growth.
A well-balanced intake of nutritious foods will help you recover fast and make you feel more energized throughout the day. So to help you with selecting those nutritious foods, we’ve compiled a list of 10 highly nutritious foods that will help you build muscle and strength fast.
Best Superfoods For Muscle & Strength
1. Quinoa
Quinoa has the amazing nutritional content that makes it a real superfood. It contains all 9 essential amino acids which help in maximizing the muscle protein synthesis post-workout. Quinoa is also high in fiber, magnesium, vitamin B, vitamin E, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and various helpful antioxidants.
Magnesium present in quinoa plays an important role in the proper function of muscle, nerve, and vitamins C and E helps in preventing free-radical damage from your workout.
2. Eggs
Eggs contain high-quality protein, healthy fats, riboflavin, folic acid, vitamins like A, E, K, B12, and choline. Vitamin B present in the egg helps energy production inside your body and choline helps in repairing muscles. Apart from these, cholesterol from eggs has been shown to decrease the amount of LDL cholesterol particles associated with atherosclerosis.
3. Milk
Milk is loaded with almost every necessary things to build muscle. It contains both whey(about 20%) and casein(about 80%) and is rich in the amino acid glutamine. Many don’t aware of the fact that organic milk has about 70% more omega-3 fatty acids than conventional milk.
Milk is one of the best pre-workout drinks and several studies have shown that you will increase your muscle mass if you drink milk in combination with weight training. For good results, take a glass of low-fat skimmed milk after the workout.
4. Greek Yogurt
Greek Yogurt is packed with protein typically around 20g per cup thus keeps you full and avoid unnecessary snacking. It’s also a good source of casein protein, which is one of the best types for your body to leverage to build muscle. While Greek yogurt is a good bite anytime, eating it after a workout or before bed is very much beneficial.
5. Spinach
Spinach is a good source of glutamine, the amino acid that is important for strong muscle growth. These green leaves are packed with protein, fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, copper, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, calcium, manganese, and zinc. Many studies show that Spinach boosts up the conversion of Protein into muscle mass process and eating two pounds of spinach per day may increase muscle growth by up to 20 percent.
6. Beef
Beef is important for building muscles due to its high-quality protein, B vitamins, minerals, and creatine. It is packed with conjugated linoleic acid which works exceptionally well in discarding body fat and building muscles. If you are planning to gain muscle, beef also works great.
7. Brown rice
Brown rice is packed with carbohydrates which provides you longer-lasting energy throughout the day moreover during workouts. Some research has shown that brown rice also can help boost your growth hormone levels, which are critical for muscle growth, fat loss and strength gains.
8. Chickpeas
Chickpeas are a good source of both carbs and protein. Each one cup of chickpeas also known as garbanzo beans contains 18grams of protein, 54 grams of carbs and 12 grams of fiber. Chickpeas are also rich in iron and provide about 17% of our daily value.
9. Sweet potato
Sweet Potatoes are a powerhouse of nutrients and are loaded with many nutrients and vitamins such as B6, C, E, D, and Iron, Copper, Magnesium, Quercetin. This superfood is low in glycemic index thus can prevent blood sugar spikes. Apart from these, sweet potatoes are also a good source of potassium which plays an important role in both muscle tissue repair and preventing muscle fatigue.
10. Almonds
Almonds are also considered good for a muscle-building diet due to the presence of high Protein and Fiber. This dry fruit is also packed with vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorus many antioxidants that help your body to fight free radicals. Eating almonds also lower the risk of high cholesterol and heart diseases.
Also Read:
- The Benefits Of Almonds For Weight Loss And Healthy Heart
- How to Lose Belly Fat? 10 Fat Burning Foods For Belly Fat
- Best Weight Loss Exercises To Lose Weight Fast
- Amazing Fat Burning Foods To Help You Lose Weight
Apart from these 11 superfoods, foods like Salmon, Mango, Beets, Oranges, Cantaloupe, Apples, Wheat germ, Chicken Breast, Tuna, Shrimp, Soybeans, Tilapia, Beans, Edamame, Scallops, Peanuts, Tofu, Chia seeds, Tart cherries, Maca, Oats, Broccoli, Flaxseeds are also beneficial in building muscle and strength.
