Switch Up Your Routine With These Muscle-Building Foods

When you’re trying to gain lean muscle, it’s not just how you train that you need to consider. The food you eat to support your goals is also really important. 

A well-balanced diet is important to support muscle growth but sometimes you might get bored eating the same thing all the time. If you can’t face having grilled chicken for dinner AGAIN, you’re in luck. I’ve put together a quick list of foods to help you shake up your routine and help your muscle growth goals!

Food to increase lean muscle

Try adding a few of these foods to your meal planning!

Cottage cheese 

One of the most underrated foods that can help with muscle growth is cottage cheese! It contains casein protein, which is a slow-digesting form of protein that helps to increase your blood amino acid levels. If the taste of cottage cheese puts you off, try adding it in a high protein smoothie and flavouring it with fruit.

Do you need more convincing to eat cottage cheese? Many varieties contain live cultures (check the label to be sure), which can help to restore good bacteria in your gut. Gut health is important for ensuring nutrient absorption — a healthy gut means that your body can more effectively process that protein you are eating!

Beetroot

A little while ago, beetroot was getting a lot of buzz! Studies found that beetroot juice helped performance times for athletes. 

Beetroot can be good for both performance and muscle development because it has anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains a high number of nitrates, which convert to nitric oxide in the body, and can help to expand blood vessels and increase blood flow. This means more oxygen and nutrients can be delivered to your body, helping to reduce muscle soreness and aid in muscle repair. Research in this area is still quite new so it will be interesting to see further studies as well!

Drinking beetroot juice isn’t for everyone, so try adding it to meals instead! My grilled chicken, goat’s cheese and beetroot salad is a good compromise — it doesn’t have quite the same concentration of nitrates as juice but it does still have lots of benefits. 

Edamame

Some of you may already know some of the benefits of edamame. For those of you who follow a plant-based diet, edamame can be a good way to support muscle growth because it is a complete protein. This means it contains all of the essential amino acids your body needs to build muscle tissue. 

Edamame makes a great snack on its own, as a toast topper, or blended together to make a protein-rich dip. 

Lentils

Not only are lentils so versatile, they are also packed with nutrients! Lentils contain carbohydrates, protein and fibre — so you’ll be giving your body energy and increasing nutrient absorption to support muscle growth! When you include lentils in a dish with dairy, grain, a serve of meat or nuts and seeds, it becomes a complete protein. This ensures your body gets the essential amino acids it needs for muscle building and repair. 

You can choose from lots of different kinds of lentils like red, green and brown varieties. They can be added to a wide range of dishes, like stews and curries. They are fantastic for a bit of extra bulk in soups too!

These foods can help with muscle growth

While this list of food can help to support muscle building, remember that these ingredients should be included as part of your healthy eating plan. When you follow a balanced, nutritionally rich diet, you give yourself the best chance to reach your fitness goals even faster!