Just imagine if junk food packed on muscle. We’d all look HUGE. The sad reality is that pizza and beer doesn’t pack on muscle. Instead, it saturates us in fats, clogs up our arteries and impairs our ability to think straight. Not really fair when you think about it.
Fortunately, the foods that do pack on muscle aren’t necessarily boring. I mean, we’re not talking rabbit food here. Our list includes eggs and salmon, and what isn’t tasty about salmon? Moreover, what can’t be done with an egg? You can literally rustle up anything with an egg, from eggs benedict to a delicious Spanish omelette.
You see, muscle food might not be quite as alluring as a succulent hot dog soaked in fried onions and mustard, but it can still be scrumptious. Let’s take a look.
Eggs
Ah, eggs. Our old faithful friends. Eggs are there for you at any time, morning, noon or dinner, and they come packed in protein. In fact, the protein food in our little white and yellow friends has the highest biological value of any other food.
To get the best out of eggs, though, you have to eat the yolk. The yolk is essential for breaking down fats because it contains vitamin B12. Eggs also come with folate, Vitamin E, iron and zinc.
Almonds
Almonds come with more Vitamin E crunch-for-crunch than any other food source. Vitamin E is fantastic is you want to gain more muscle because, as an antioxidant, it can prevent free-radicals from damaging your muscles after workout. The math is simple: The less free radicals there are, the better the chance your muscles will have of recovering after a session.
We recommend no more than three handfuls a day. Anymore and you might end up gaining more weight than you bargained for.
Salmon
Salmon is one of those oily fishes that comes packed with protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Without omega-3’s in your body after a heavy workout, your muscles won’t be given the best chance of recovery.
With salmon in your body, you’ll be able to store brand new protein quicker than it takes your body to smash down the previous stuff. And if you’re wondering how in the heck you can seriously take salmon along with you to the gym, we recommend some salmon jerky, as it fits nicely in your gym bag.
Yogurt
Yogurt is the quintessential marriage of protein and carbs that is ideal for recovery and muscle growth after a workout. It’s recommended, though, that you opt for sugar-free yogurt that comes with the fruit down at the bottom. The carbs found in these pieces of fruit will further help to prevent protein breakdown.
Beef
Beef comes loaded with iron and zinc – so much so that it likes to refer to itself as Iron Man – two nutrients that are essential in the muscle-building process. Moreover, it also comes packed with creatine, which will give you the energy you need for pumping iron. Fantastic.
