10 Best Mass Gaining Foods
Whether you want to be the next Jay Cutler or just define your muscles, merely hitting the gym will unlikely suffice. Pull-ups, weightlifting, and any other form of strength training won’t help too much unless you’re eating right. High-protein foods are essential for gaining muscle, but you have to balance them with fats and carbs.
To make things simple and nutrition less complicated, here are the 10 ultimate mass gaining foods you should eat to boost strength and grow your muscles.
1. Lean Beef
Lean beef is a staple in a bodybuilder’s diet, and it should be yours too if you want to gain muscle mass. This food comes with a wealth of advantages. First, a 3-ounce serving of lean beef will give you roughly the same amount of protein as one and a half cup of beans, but only half the calories.
The proteins contained in lean beef also have a very high quality, and the meat is also rich in iron, zinc, and vitamins B, substances that promote muscle growth.
If that isn’t enough, know that lean beef also contains a high level of amino acids capable of modulating the level of insulin and enhance muscle growth even more.
2. Skinless Chicken Or Turkey
Chicken and turkey are two other excellent sources of high-quality proteins. Chicken protein, for instance, contributes to muscle repair and maintenance, weight maintenance, and improves your overall bone health.
Turkey is extremely rich in protein, with a 3-ounce serving providing around 25 grams of protein, no carbs whatsoever, and almost no fat. This meat is also rich in niacin, a B vitamin responsible for speeding up the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates.
Keep in mind that you should avoid pre-cooked meals though. You must get raw meat and prepare it yourself if you want to ensure the quality of your food.
So, whether it’s grilled, steamed, or roasted, go natural please and include high-quality chicken and turkey in your mass gaining menu.
3. Eggs
Eggs are an all-around food rich in high-quality protein, healthy fats, and a bunch of vitamins and amino acids able to sustain your mass gaining efforts. They can also boost your energy, so you’ll feel more motivated to hit the gym.
Due to the cholesterol they contain though; you should limit egg consumption to no more than one per day.
4. Fatty Fish
Healthy fats are essential in a mass gaining diet. The easiest way to source them is from fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna.
A serving of salmon, for instance, gives you up to 17 grams of protein and almost two grams of omega-3 fatty acids, alongside important vitamins. The omega-3 maintains muscular health and new studies believe they even increase muscle gain during training.
When it comes to tuna, a serving gives you even more protein, up to 20 grams, alongside vitamin A, B6, and B12. These nutrients not only promote your overall health, but they also boost your energy and performance.
5. Lean Jerky
We all need snacks now and then, but if you don’t want to jeopardize your mass gaining efforts, you have to choose them right. Lean jerky, for instance, is a nice snack that will give you high-quality protein when you’re on the go.
Because jerky can be made from various types of meats and meat cuts, the nutrition facts may vary.
What is certain though, is that most calories in lean jerky come directly from proteins. Because most people make jerky from either beef or bison, these proteins can undoubtedly stimulate muscle growth.
6. Whey Protein
Whey protein will unlikely to serve your cause on its own but associated with high-quality protein from whole foods, it can boost your mass gaining results. These proteins come as supplements, and a scoop right after a workout is more than effective for improving your results. Not only they provide access to great proteins, but these supplements are also affordable and convenient.
7. Beans And Chickpeas
Beans and chickpeas are not only rich in protein; they are important sources of fibers, vitamins, and healthy minerals including phosphorus, iron, and magnesium. Most popular bean varieties contain about 15 grams of protein per cup, while chickpeas will give you about 12 grams.
Although plant-based proteins are considered lower quality than animal ones, they can still supplement your diet. Moreover, both beans and chickpeas play an active role in the prevention of many diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular pathologies.
8. Oatmeal
A balanced mass gaining nutrition plan must also include carbs, and oatmeal is an important source. Not only it will give you the nutrients you need, but due to its low glycemic index value and the fact that it’s minimally processed, oatmeal comes with a host of other benefits.
This food will increase your satiety and consequently decrease hunger, helping you keep your weight gain under control. Oatmeal is also an important source of fibers and also helps you lose fat.
9. Nuts
Ideal as a snack, nuts are a mix of protein, carbs, and fat. Half a cup of peanuts, for instance, contains up to 17 grams of proteins and 16 grams of carbs, alongside important amounts of unsaturated fat.
Nuts are also rich in calories, something to keep in mind if you’re having a hard time driving up your muscle gain.
Like all foods rich in healthy fats, nuts also play a very important role in maintaining your overall health, another good reason to include them in your diet.
10. Brown Rice
Although poor in protein, brown rice is rich in carbs, just what you need to fuel your physical activity. You should eat it a few hours before training to boost your energy level and stimulate muscle growth.
If you don’t like rice or get your carbs elsewhere, know that rice protein supplements also promote muscle gain and can successfully replace whey protein during your weight-training program.
Now that you know which are the ultimate mass gaining foods, all you have to do is incorporate them in your nutrition plan and watch how you gain more and more muscles day by day.
