If you struggle to get enough protein from foods alone, you could consider adding protein shakes to your daily routine. High-fat versions like creamed cottage cheese provide more calories. Use this eating plan to double your fat loss without missing any muscle-building nutrients. If you are looking to add protein to your diet without consuming too many calories, these very lean sources may be good choices. Here’s our process. Choosing which type of cottage cheese is best simply depends on how many extra calories you want to add to your diet. Pu-erh Tea: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects, and More. Many different types of meat can be made into jerky, so the nutrition facts vary. This article reviews whether cashews are good for you. Thursday. While protein is important, carbs play a huge role in muscle growth as well. It’s more important that they are nutritionally dense with protein and healthy carbs. Also, remember to maintain the correct daily macronutrient intake (use your 8fit meal plan for that) and get your nutrients from high-quality food sources. A 3-ounce (85-gram) serving provides around 21 grams of protein, along with good amounts of vitamin B12 and selenium (31). Here are some of my favorite meals that help with muscle gain: Breakfast: We love steel cut oats with blueberries, nuts and seeds with hard-boiled eggs and a banana on the side. Adding additional protein to your diet helps give your muscles the energy they need for weightlifting programs and muscle repair. If your goal is to gain muscle, your macronutrient amounts—specifically protein—are adjusted to help you get there. Having optimal levels of B vitamins could help you gain muscle over time by supporting your body’s ability to exercise (30). If your protein intake is too low on a restricted-calorie diet, you’ll lose a lot of muscle in addition to any fat you’re lucky enough to shed. While any good diet should focus on whole foods, there are times when dietary supplements can be beneficial (37). It contains high amounts of B vitamins, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus (49). ... 1 protein shake. Fruit And Veg Apples (4) Avocado (2) Banana (5) Berries, frozen (350g) Broccoli (1 head) Carrot (2) Cherry tomatoes (400g) Courgette (1) Garlic (1 head) Grapes (3 handfuls) Grapefruit (1) Green beans (300g) Lemon (1) Lettuce (1 small) Mushroom (small pack) New potatoes (400g) Onion … Half a cup (about 172 grams) of blanched almonds provides 16 grams of protein and large amounts of vitamin E, magnesium and phosphorus (58). Some great sources of protein include chicken, fish (e.g. Try eating a protein-packed meal for dinner or easily digestible snack to see big gains. What’s important is that you eat during your metabolic window 30-45 minutes after a workout to help your muscles recover and rebuild. For all these reasons, foods containing soy protein are great options for vegans and vegetarians. You can follow any diet you want: ketogenic, paleo, whatever. All rights reserved. Lunch: For lunch, try chicken breast with brown rice and plenty of veggies like broccoli, brussel sprouts or green beans. BUT – there are a few factors you need to get right. When it comes to timing your meals, many studies show that it doesn’t matter if you have your protein-packed meal before or after a workout. Forging new muscle requires a menu that is high in both carbs and calories. Breakfast: Pancakes, Greek yogurt and berries. But remember, going on a muscle-building diet is not an excuse for eating everything in sight. For example, Greek yogurt often contains approximately double the amount of protein as regular yogurt (10, 11). Beef (From Grass-Fed Cattle). However, without proper nutritional support, your progress will stall. Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids can slow the loss of muscle mass and strength that occurs with age (15). Some research has even shown that consuming lean red meat can increase the amount of lean mass gained with weight training (18). Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are a good source of both carbs and protein. You can find a variety of protein powders online. Dairy not only contains high-quality protein, but also a mixture of fast-digesting whey protein and slow-digesting casein protein. Sudden increases of anything will cause problems). Sunday. There’s a good reason why chicken breasts are considered a staple for gaining muscle. A 3-ounce (85-gram) serving of turkey breast contains around 25 grams of protein and almost no fat or carbs (28). Three ounces (85 grams) of scallops provide around 20 grams of protein and fewer than 100 calories (44). Half a cup (60 grams) of buckwheat flour contains around 8 grams of protein, along with plenty of fiber and other carbs (49). Each half-cup (73-gram) serving of peanuts contains around 425 calories (47). Depending on where you live, some of these items may be a bit expensive, so we recommend that you either substitute the item for another one on the list, or you can get great deals when you buy food in bulk. Meal plan examples Monday. They are packed with protein, with each 3-ounce (85-gram) serving containing about 26 grams of high-quality protein (7). There are a number of reasons why you might not be seeing noticeable muscle gain over time. This article reviews whether mayo is safe when…, Apples are highly nutritious, but you may wonder whether they can really keep the doctor away. Nutrition, Benefits, and Downsides. One cup (155 grams) of frozen edamame provides around 17 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. Here at 8fit, we create customized meal plans based on your goals. We love grilled salmon with brown rice and veggies. Peanuts contain a mix of protein, fat and carbs. Beef is packed with high-quality protein, B vitamins, minerals and creatine (16, 17). Among other roles, phosphorus helps your body use carbohydrates and fats for energy at rest and during exercise (59). Calories Cooked quinoa contains about 40 grams of carbs per cup (185 grams), along with 8 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and hearty amounts of magnesium and phosphorus (42). This is a great breakfast option regardless of your current goals because it’s delicious and keeps you full until lunch. Friday. Dairy not only contains high-quality protein, but also a mixture of fast-digesting whey … For muscle gain specifically, it’s best to think in years not months. While healthy fats and carbs are important in your overall diet, adding some shrimp is an easy way to get muscle-building protein without too many additional calories. Skimping on this recovery time leads to overtraining and doesn’t allow your muscles to recuperate fully, stunting your gains. What’s more, they may play a role in long-term health and disease prevention (36). So, make sure you ask your trainer your daily protein requirement according to your body weight. However, some research has shown that bison may be better than beef in terms of the risk of heart disease (61). Beef is important for building lean muscle due to its protein content, cholesterol,... 2. Pork is widely consumed in many countries (53). Adding a good amount of protein to your daily diet is important to promote weight loss and muscle gain. The amount of calories needed is based on the number of calories your body burns in a day, so this figure will vary from person to person. In fact, several studies have shown that people can increase their muscle mass when they drink milk in combination with weight training (56, 57). We include products we think are useful for our readers. Soybeans are a particularly good source of vitamin K, iron and phosphorus (23). Salmon is a great choice for muscle building and overall health. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. 1. Building strength and gaining muscle requires certain workouts focused on reps, sets and percentages of your 1RM. Iron is used to store and transport oxygen in your blood and muscles, and a deficiency can impair these functions (24, 25). Breakfast: Oatmeal with full fat milk topped off with a tbsp of Greek yogurt. What’s more, they are excellent sources of fiber and B vitamins, in addition to being high in magnesium, phosphorus and iron. Additionally, tuna provides large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which may support muscle health (6, 13). Assess where you are with weightlifting and strength training in order to set realistic goals around muscle gain. This may be particularly important for older adults. High Protein Diet Plan For Muscle Gain. Dinner: Dinner can look a lot like lunch.