There are foods that are considered muscle building foods. I don’t think you can really construct a top 10 list of these foods. You can’t necessarily rank them. What I would rather do is list good quality sources of foods and when to eat these foods. It isn’t simply just the food you eat that adds to building muscle, it is when you eat those foods as well. Some people want to make it all about protein. And protein is important, but you can’t build muscle without fats and carbs as well.

Check out your own kitchen pantry and fridge for these muscle building foods

Yogurt: This is a dairy product that many people eat and enjoy. Yogurt has many benefits. Not only is it a great protein source, it has healthy bacteria which aids in digestion when eating other foods. If I were making a must-have list of muscle building foods, this would definitely be on my list. Whether with fresh blueberries, strawberries, or such, it’s GREAT for breakfast. It even makes a healthy snack alternative if you “just gotta have” something late at night. Use in place of ice cream if you are craving sweets.

Next are eggs. When it comes to the breakdown ratio of protein into the body, there’s NO GREATER natural source on earth! Eggs are simply one of those muscle building foods you NEED! Get tired of cooking up protein meals? Omelets are a quick and simple way to infuse more protein into your diet. Four to six eggs will do. Throw in some sweet or hot peppers, onions, or even some broccoli is good. Eggs are packed with protein and not much fat at all. They’re a great building block for the rest of your diet. The body needs some fat to make foods absorb more gradually, thereby eliminating drastic blood glucose elevations.

Chicken Breasts: I could put steak here or any other meat, but chicken is the best in the meat category of muscle building foods. The reason chicken breasts are such a handy food to have on hand is that you can make a huge variety of dishes with chicken breasts. Chicken fajitas as just about as good as it gets. This mexican dish is almost a perfect muscle building meal.

Rice, Potatoes, and Yams: Surprised to see these listed here? Lots of people have thrown carbs under the bus in the news recently. What people forget is that carbs such as these have a protein sparring effect. Without adequate carbohydrates, your system with not utilize protein as a building block, but rather it will be wasted basically as a source for your body’s fuel. The problem with burning protein is that it is an expensive energy source compared to simple carbs. If you tend to be slender and have a hard time gaining weight, then you especially need to consume carbs. I regularly remind the skinny guys to UP THE CARBS significantly if they truly wish to put on some solid, lean muscle mass.

Eat Simple Carbs and Fat Free Meals Right After Training

You are after fast digesting simple sugars right after training. Remember, do NOT eat or drink fatty foods following your workout. As previously mentioned, fat slows absorption of vital nutrients into your muscles. So, you obviously you would do well to eat foods that break down faster at this critical time.

Add Fat to All Other Meals or Snacks

Post-training, you don’t want your body’s ability to soak up nutrients to be compromised. But the rest of the day, you actually do. If you don’t eat fat, then your body will soak up what you eat very quickly. As a matter of fact, your body’s pace will beat the rate that you can actually use them. What happens is you get a strong blood sugar spike and then a crash. Adding a little bit of fat to your meals insures steady energy. More essential nutrients will be absorbed into your body, giving it just what it needs, due to this consistent intake of fat.

Of course, WAY too many muscle building foods - really GOOD ones - exist to list them all, but this will certainly get you off on the right path!