What Is The Best Diet To Build Muscle?

Having a good diet to build muscle is easier than you might think. All you need is a little bit of know-how and some determination to make it happen.

The first step to building muscle is finding a diet to build muscle, which means eating the right foods, which will provide the body with the nutrients it needs to grow stronger and bigger.

There are many diets that people use to build muscle, but some of them work better than others. Here, we are going to talk about what works best for an individual person depending on their goals, body type, and lifestyle habits.

Best Diet to Build Muscle

Here are a few:

Eat carbohydrates before and after a workout

Carbohydrates are the body's preferred source of energy and can be obtained from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, and dairy products.

The key to a good diet to build muscle is to add a decent amount of carbs into the mix. Many people neglect carbs when trying to get jacked and lose weight and are often led to believe that they aren't as necessary as protein. However, that cannot be further from the truth.

Carbs are stored in the muscles as glycogen to provide quick-burning fuel during workouts. To build muscle, you need to consume adequate amounts of carbohydrates before and after a workout so that the body has enough energy to complete the activity. That may require an adjustment in how much food you usually eat each day, but it is well worth it.

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Focus on good sources of protein

Protein is important for muscle growth, so it's vital that you get enough protein in your diet to build muscle. Protein helps build and repair muscles, increases satiety, and can help with weight loss too.

You should aim to eat about 30% of your total daily calories from protein. That means if you're eating 2,000 calories per day (which is the recommended amount), 600 of those calories should come from protein.

Here are some good sources of protein:

Meat (chicken breast, steak)
Fish (tuna, salmon)
Eggs
Nuts and seeds (almonds)
Beans and legumes (beans)
Soy products
Dairy (milk, yogurt)

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Eat complex carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates are a type of carbohydrate that the body digests slowly, providing you with energy for long periods.

Foods such as whole-grain bread, oats, brown rice, and quinoa contain complex carbohydrates. They're also high in fiber, which helps keep you feeling full longer than simple carbs (such as sugar).

Complex carbohydrates can also help lower your LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) and provide energy to the muscles so that they can work harder during exercise.

Consume vegetables and fruits

To build muscle, you need to eat a variety of foods. Vegetables and fruits are a great way to get the vitamins and minerals the body needs. They also contain fiber, which helps the digestive system run smoothly. That's why it's important that you don't skip meals or go for too long without eating anything at all.

Having a balanced, holistic diet is the key to a diet to build muscle and growing physically.

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Stay away from or limit some foods

While it isn't always right to outright cut out foods from your diet, you would be better off without some foods in your diet to build muscle.

Stay away from or limit the following foods:

Sugar. Sugar is one of the most dangerous foods for weight gain, especially fructose. It's what makes you eat more, which can lead to obesity and diabetes.
Trans fats (aka hydrogenated oils). Trans fats are found in processed foods like margarine, microwavable popcorn, and many baked goods, such as cookies and pastries. They have been linked to cardiovascular disease and obesity too.
Processed foods with a long shelf life (boxed macaroni & cheese, cold cuts, frozen dinners): These tend to be high in sodium along with other preservatives that might be harmful over time. Eating whole foods instead can help keep your body stronger for long, as they're more natural than processed ones which often have artificial ingredients added during processing. Those cause negative health effects if consumed regularly; it's worse if they have high sugar content as well.

Takeaway

When it comes to formulating a diet to build muscle, there's no one-size-fits-all approach.

However, if you want to get the most out of your training session, it’s important not just to eat well but also to consume the right foods in the right amounts. Remember that there're many factors that go into building muscle, so don't expect overnight results.