A common misconception people have when they are training is that nutrition is not that important when you workout. After all; the logic says, you are burning calories and your muscles are getting the needed exercise. However, by not paying attention to what you eat, your efforts can go to waste, says a fitness trainer at Sarah Duffield Fitness.
Exercise alone doesn’t help. Here are a few tips on what you should fill up on to get that muscular toned body.
Cottage Cheese
You may not be aware of the fact that cottage cheese is mainly pure casein protein. What makes casein ideal for muscle maintenance is the fact that it is a slow-digesting protein. An added bonus is that cottage cheese is a very good source of Calcium and vitamin B12 apart from other vital nutrients.
Eggs
For years, eggs have been under a shadow as they purportedly had properties that clogged arteries. However, new research has shown that there is no link between the two. Today, eggs are considered to a health food, and are particularly good for building muscles.
Nuts
For people who are trying to build a muscle mass, nuts are a must. Consider an ounce of almonds or cashew nuts. They contain around 150-170 calories that are high in quality nutrients.
There is a perfect mix of fats, proteins and fibre in nuts, giving you the much needed calories without padding your stomach. What makes nuts the perfect snack is the fact that they are very easy to carry around with you and require no cooking.
Lean Beef
Lean beef has always topped the list of foods that are good for muscle building. There is a good reason behind this. Beef not only contains proteins for muscle building, but also has essential amino acids, creatine and B-Vitamins.
There is also a mixture of saturated fats in beef that maintain testosterone levels and a good amount of mono-unsaturated fat that is necessary for heart health. It may interest you to know that eating red meat reduces stress and anxiety as per research conducted at the University of Melbourne.
Quinoa
Quinoa is not a grain; technically speaking, it’s a seed. Quinoa is a food that is rich in vegetable protein. There are three varieties of quinoa; red, black and white. Quinoa is ideal when you want a suitable substitute for grains that are starchier. The seed has high quantities of vital compounds like magnesium, iron and vitamin B-6.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal has a low glycemic index value and is a very good source of carbohydrates. Here are a few benefits of eating foods that are low in glycemic index.
- There is increased satiety
- Hunger decreases
- More fibre and better micronutrient profile
- Fat loss
Salmon
Salmon contains not only very high-quality protein but also omega-3 fats like EPA and DHA. These omega-3 fatty acids have the capacity to improve heart health. If for some reason you are not keen on eating fish, you can take fish oil supplements instead.
Other foods that are good for muscle building are brown rice, tuna, almond butter, beans and turkey. With such a variety of foods to choose from, muscle building should not be a problem.
