Top Healthy Snacks to Build Muscle
“What foods should I eat to gain more muscle?” This is one question that health enthusiasts and body builders ask. Here is a straightforward answer: Your body needs a variety of nutrients found in different foods. These include mainly protein, vitamins and minerals, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
Yes, it’s true that anything with a high protein content is essential for growing your muscles. However, getting a healthy mixture of substances found in food aids in the process of losing fat, which of course, leads to increased muscle mass.
Snacking is a practice that enables you to sustain your body with proper nutrition. When done the right way, you can capitalize on more opportunities to achieve your fitness goals. The ultimate trick is to choose the right kind of foods to munch on throughout the day.
Below are the best snacks to help you build muscle. Keep reading.
Mackerel Burger
Make mackerel more enjoyable and nutritious by turning it into a burger patty. Mix it with chopped onions, spinach, egg, and breadcrumbs. Use whole-wheat burger buns, lettuce, and tomatoes for a complete delicious burger. These ingredients give you a combination of protein and antioxidants like vitamin C to boost your athletic performance and heal your muscles for adequate growth.
Protein Shake
Healthy drinks such as protein shakes or smoothies are energizing and help you build muscle too. A great way to prepare your very own shake is to buy a protein powder base from your nearest health shop and mix it with a natural protein and fiber source like almonds, raw oats, kale, and flaxseeds. By doing this, you’ll get more fuel to power through any physical activity. Aside from protein drinks, there are also other healthful and delectable snack treats that give you energy.
Quinoa
Quinoa is a surprisingly great snack that’s considered a complete source of protein. Why? It contains all 9 essential amino acids. If you’re looking to cut down your intake of white rice (which drastically raises your blood sugar), you can rely on Quinoa to give you healthy carbohydrates and fiber. Aside from the obvious benefit of protein, fiber, and complex carbs help you control your weight.
Organic Milk
What makes organic milk different from conventional milk is that it contains higher amounts of conjugated linoleic acid, a type of fatty acid that boosts your metabolism and helps in muscle growth. Another feature that makes this snack drink good for you is its higher dose of omega 3 which is known to decrease muscle soreness after a tedious workout.
Cottage Cheese and Peaches
Looking for some filling post-workout snack? Cottage cheese and peaches (fresh or canned) make the perfect combination. A cup of cottage cheese with a one-half serving of peaches contains 39 grams of protein and 70 grams of carbohydrates. If you didn’t know, casein found in cottage cheese delays protein breakdown thereby boosting your muscle growth. On the other hand, peaches provide antioxidants that minimize the effect on inflammation post exercise.
Egg Whites
Nothing beats this classic body-building snack: Eggs whites. One cannot question the value of egg whites in speeding up muscle development. They’re a great source of BCAA (Branched-Chain Amino Acids) which lets you preserve muscle mass even if you’re on a diet that’s low in calories. When you are trying to get a leaner body, you’ll tend to lose muscle as well. BCAA prevents that from happening.
Grilled Salmon with Asparagus
Want another choice of fish that’s not mackerel? Don’t get stuck in a rut with your options and choose grilled salmon. The benefit of Atlantic salmon over mackerel is its higher protein and lower fat content. Besides that, salmon provides similar additional advantages of cardiovascular protection and energy production through its B vitamins. Asparagus is full of antioxidants and nutrients to protect your immune system and get you in the mood for some good exercise. – Read More
Boneless Chicken Breast
Aside from its supply of 19 grams of protein per 3 ounces of serving, boneless chicken breast is low in calories. It’s a great way to get a protein boost at the gym while keeping yourself filled and not gaining unnecessary weight from added fat. Chicken meat is also known to contain two important ingredients that calm you down after a stressful day or workout: Tryptophan and Vitamin B5.
In Conclusion
It’s amazing that the human body changes according to the foods that it consumes, not only through regular meals but even through snacks. Since your goal is to build lean muscle, it’s more than necessary to consume a variety of nutrients. This guide will help you choose your snacks wisely. Eat these during snack time while you’re on your training regimen and you’ll get the body you desire in no time.