Protein is without a doubt, the most important nutrient for packing slabs of lean muscle mass onto your body. You may lift weights until you turn purple or consume all the carbohydrates, fats, and other micro-nutrient in the world, but if you fail to feed your body with adequate amount of protein, you can forget about having a lean muscular physique. High protein consumption is a must for serious mass development and also for repairing muscle tissue damaged after an intense iron blasting workout.
How much protein must one consume daily to build muscle successfully? For proven results, the general rule of thumb should be approximately 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. So if you weigh 150 pounds you should strive to consume about 150 grams to 225 grams of protein per day. Now how does one consume a large amount of protein on a daily basis? No worries as I've compiled a list of 7 high protein foods that can help you build muscle in record time.
1. Whey - Without shadow of a doubt, the king of all protein sources. In terms of quality and biological value, whey protein is definitely way ahead (pun intended) of other protein sources. We're talking about a top quality, complete protein source which has significantly faster absorption rate compared to other high protein foods, and includes every essential amino acid for increase strength and quicker muscle growth.
2. Eggs - Never forget to add this natural food source to your muscle building diet as they are jam packed with protein, vitamins, and other essential minerals. Eggs are regarded as the standard food for developing an impressive muscular physique and have long been treated as a bodybuilding staple. One whole egg contains approximately 6 grams of high biological value protein. Eggs are also easy to prepare and simply delicious to eat.
3. Fish - Another great high protein food. A can of tuna in water for example, provides about 30 grams of protein and here's the kicker; it has absolutely zero carbohydrates and fat! If tuna is not your thing (I don't really fancy it either), you may try other types of fish such as Spanish mackerel, cod, or salmon fillets. Most fish fillets have approximately 22 grams of protein per 3.5 oz serving. Apart from being an excellent source of protein, fish also contains a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids, essential for proper functioning of the body and brain.
4. Chicken or turkey breast - A list of high protein foods that build muscle is incomplete without this excellent protein source. Chicken breast is considered among the best sources of protein available because it comprises of mostly lean white chicken meat that contains minimal fat, and loaded with vitamin B6 for optimal heart protection. Best of all, this portion of the meat is extremely high in protein. How much protein you ask? Well, a staggering 30 grams of protein per 3.5 oz serving! Consuming 7 oz of chicken breast nets you about 60 grams of protein which is almost half of your daily mass building requirement if you weigh 150 pounds.
5. Red meat - An extremely tasty protein source which has all the trimmings of a great muscle building food. A large 6 oz steak provides about 40 grams of high quality protein. Beef is rich in B-complex vitamins and also loaded with creatine to help you hit the weights aggressively by boosting your cellular energy through the roof.
6. Milk - This beverage serves as a decent muscle building source due to its high protein content including a large array of amino acids for promoting muscle growth. If that's not enough, this highly nutritious beverage also offers many health benefits by providing a respectable amount of vitamins, mineral, and calcium. Drinking milk is a great way to achieve your daily protein target. Have a 6 oz serving of steak plus 375ml glass of milk which supplies approximately 11 grams of protein. That's a total of 51 grams of muscle building protein in just one single meal!
7. Tofu - I included tofu among the list of high protein foods that build muscle largely because a lot of vegetarians who are into bodybuilding consume tofu almost exclusively in order to meet their daily protein requirement. I'm not a vegetarian but I do eat some tofu every now and again because they are a good low-calorie protein source, perfect for adding mass and getting lean. Aside from its high protein content, tofu is also cholesterol free and contains calcium, B-vitamins, and isoflavones making it one of the most nutritious high protein foods available. Half a cup of Tofu can supply your body with about 20 grams of protein.