3 Best Protein-Rich Foods You Should Eat to Gain Muscle

Protein is considered as an "all-star nutrient" needed by a person who wants to build muscle. While many people are drawn to supplements and protein powder to begin muscle growth, there are a number of powerhouse foods that can help achieve the muscle mass needed and wanted.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, it is ideal for eating between 0.5 and 0.8 grams of protein for each pound of body weight each day, combined with exercise to build muscle mass. This is equivalent to between 75 and 120 grams of protein each day for an individual weighing 150 pounds.

If you are trying to build muscle and simultaneously lose fat, it is not just essential to consume high-quality foods rich in protein, but the ones lower in calories.

Here's the good news! The best protein-rich foods one can consume to build muscle happen to be some of the leanest foods, as well.

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3 of the Best Protein-Rich Foods to Eat to Gain Muscle

While nutrition experts say that protein is said to be the most frequently found in animal foods, it can be bound in some plant-based foods, as well.

Below are three of the best protein-rich foods you can eat combined with physical activity, or strength or weight training to gain and maintain muscle it:

1. Chicken Breast

This is a primary muscle-building meal usually consumed with rice and vegetables, specifically, broccoli. Chicken is the most frequently-consumed food among individuals who want to get rid of the unwanted fats and get the much-needed muscle because it is among the leanest protein choices, not to mention rich in leucine.

Leucine is a vital amino acid that has been presented as among the most beneficial nutrients needed to build muscle.

In 2005, the American Journal of Physiology published a study presenting that consuming protein and isolated leucine after physical activity or exercise better-stimulated muscle growth than with eating only carbs or eating just protein in men.

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2. Pork Chop

Bacon and ham may have been more common sources of pork. However, pork chops are found to be a great option due to their leanness and vitamin and mineral contents.

According to a 2014 research published in Nutrients, eating pork regularly was as beneficial as eating beef or pork for muscle-building and fat loss.

Weight or resistance training is among the most effective ways to gain muscle. If you're lifting heavier and doing more reps, you are giving your body the proper stimulus for muscle mass growth.

It is ideal that you combine your weight training with high-quality protein, including pork chops, to gain muscle fast.

3. Salmon

Almost everyone knows that one of the richest sources of anti-inflammatory omega-3s, a polyunsaturated fat type.

Essentially, inflammation is a response of the body to stress or an injury. When the body is inflamed for a long time, it gets associated with diabetes, heart disease, or cancer.

This is why it is essential to consume foods like salmon, which contributes to the lowering of inflammation for the prevention of illness and building muscle mass.

More importantly, Omega-3s can promote recovery from workouts, as well. According to a 2011 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, taking an omega-3 fatty acid supplement regularly stimulates older adults' muscle growth.

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