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Top 5 Foods for Building Muscle for Female Bodybuilders
If your main objective is building muscle and losing fat – you need to make sure that you are following an appropriate diet that complements your workout program.
Even though training is a very important aspect of bodybuilding; a great physique will always be built in the kitchen.
Exercise –in the form of weight training- only stimulates and damages the different muscles that make up the human body.
Nutrition, on the other hand, is responsible for delivering the necessary nutrients that are needed to grow and repair the muscle fibers.
In this article, I am going to talk about the top 5 foods for building muscle that all women should think about incorporating into their daily diet, in order to make some solid gains.
These foods are tasty, affordable, and packed with a ton of essential nutrients that will help you be healthier, kick butt at the gym, and transform your physique.
Chicken Breast
Chicken breast is, by far, the single-most popular muscle-building food, ever.
If you want to build lean muscle, without raising your body’s fat percentage; chicken should always be at the top of your shopping list.
Chicken breast is perfect for both cutting and bulking, it’s affordable, you can buy it anywhere, and it can be cooked in a ton of delicious ways.
Chicken breasts are also loaded with a ton of protein, they’re low in fat, and contain no carbohydrates whatsoever.
In the micronutrient department, this muscle building food is an excellent source of Potassium, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Vitamin B6, Phosphorus, and Selenium.
Nutritional Information (100 grams)
Calories: 165
Protein: 31 grams
Carbohydrates: 0 grams
Fat: 3.6 grams
Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is a delicious source of protein that’s healthy, delicious, and very easy to digest.
While it may not seem like it at first, this type of yogurt is loaded with a ton of macronutrients and micronutrients that can help you reach your fitness goals that much faster.
For a more aggressive approach to building muscle, you can mix it with fruits, nuts, honey, and other goodies.
It’s worth mentioning that Greek Yogurt is an excellent food choice for vegetarians that are trying to pack on solid mass, while keeping the waistline in check.
A serving of Greek Yogurt contains a substantial amount of Calcium, Potassium, Vitamin B12, and Iodine.
Calcium protects your bones, potassium balances out sodium, Vitamin B12 gives you energy and focus, and Iodine promotes thyroid health.
Nutritional Information (100 grams)
Calories: 59
Protein: 10 grams
Carbohydrates: 3.6 grams
Fat: 0.4 grams
Sweet Potato
If you want to build quality muscle, protein alone won’t be enough – you’ll also need a quality source of carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are extremely important because they’re your body’s main source of energy. If your diet is low on carbs, your body will use protein as fuel; which will make you lose muscle.
Without carbohydrates, your body wouldn’t be able to function, your energy levels would be inexistent, and you wouldn’t be able to stimulate hypertrophy.
In my opinion, there’s no better source of carbs than sweet potato. Why? Because it’s delicious, low on fat, and filled with micronutrients.
A serving of sweet potato delivers 283% of your body’s daily requirement of Vitamin A. It’s also rich in Vitamin C, Manganese, Vitamin B6, and Potassium.
Nutritional Information (100 grams)
Calories: 86
Protein: 1.6 grams
Carbohydrates: 20 grams
Fat: 0.1 grams
Pasta
Pasta is probably the most extreme food for building muscle on the entire list. Those who struggle to gain weight will find that pasta is the solution that they’ve always been looking for.
Unlike sweet potatoes that are natural, excellent for gaining lean mass, and easy on the stomach – pasta is a bit harsher and heavier to digest.
With that being said, if putting on muscle and gaining strength is the ultimate goal – you’ll probably want to incorporate a few pasta dishes into your diet.
Pasta is an excellent post-workout food that’s best combined with a source of protein –like fish, chicken, or ground beef- and a couple of veggies.
It may sound obvious but, I would highly suggest that you never eat past pre-workout. I say this because it’s very filling and slow-digesting. Working out after eating a ton of pasta isn’t much fun.
Nutritional Information (100 grams)
Calories: 131
Protein: 5 grams
Carbohydrates: 25 grams
Fat: 1.1 grams
Avocado
The last item in my best foods for building muscle list just happens to be my favorite fruit – avocado.
The avocado is truly an underappreciated fruit that should be a part of every bodybuilder’s diet. Sadly, a lot of people choose to stay away from it because it’s “high in fat”.
What many of them don’t seem to realize is that the human body requires fat to function properly. Fat is an essential nutrient – and avocado just happens to be packed with tons of the good kind.
Avocados are delicious, nutritious, and loaded with a ton of health benefits that are essential for building a strong, functional body that’s also perfectly healthy.
Avocados are loaded with a ton of vitamins (K, C, B5, B6, and E); they have more potassium than bananas, and contain a tremendous amount of monounsaturated fatty acids; which are highly beneficial for heart health.
Avocados are also loaded with fiber, antioxidants, and have also been found to possess weight loss properties. They can also lower cholesterol, triglycerides, and may help prevent cancer.
Nutritional Information (100 grams)
Calories: 160
Protein: 2 grams
Carbohydrates: 9 grams
Fat: 15 grams
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it! In my opinion, these are the best foods that women should be eating for building muscle.
Each and every single one them is healthy, natural, and packed with a ton of essential nutrients that are needed to build quality muscle, without gaining fat.
They are all very tasty and you can combine them with other food groups to make delicious bodybuilder-friendly meals.
I also know that there are plenty of other healthy foods for building muscle out there but, in my opinion, you simply can’t go wrong with these five.
I want to conclude this article by saying that in order for these foods to work their magic; it’s important that you follow an intelligent training program that allows you to put all the incredible nutrients to good use.
Hi My name is Rosalie and the author of Womenandmuscle.com I started this blog to help women understand a little about the side effects of anabolic steroids and share some of my favorite alternatives that have helped me stay in shape and improve my performance in the gym.
