Muscles are called the health organ. The more muscle mass you have, the better your protection against diseases, and the higher your metabolism. But building muscles isn't easy. It needs many plans, both diet and exercise, and these plans vary from person to person. So in this article, we'll give you some basics about a muscle-building diet plan.
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Basics of the muscle-building diet plan
To build a toned and balanced body, you have to go through two phases The first phase is the muscle building phase, And the second phase It's about losing the leftover fat. Both stages have a specific diet. In the first stage, you build muscle so you need to eat protein and lift lots of weights.
The second stage focuses on diet. You cut a big amount of fat while exercising in a way that doesn’t lose the muscle mass you built. This takes 12 to 26 weeks.
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Benefits of building muscles
There are many benefits to building muscles, such as:
1- Resistance training boosts muscle strength and power.
2- Aerobic exercises during this period help strengthen your heart muscle.
3- The planning and tracking you follow keep you healthy overall.
4- You also follow a diet with all nutrients and avoid harmful foods.
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Your calorie needs
When building muscle, you use a lot of calories, unlike when losing fat, where you reduce calories.
The best way to know the calories you need is to weigh yourself 3 times a week, weigh your food, track the calories with an app, and if your weight stays the same, that's how many calories you burn daily. When building muscle, increase calories by 15%, then reduce them when you switch to fat loss.
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Macronutrient ratio
Macronutrient ratios depend on your goal. Nutrients split into two groups:
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Macronutrients:These are protein, carbs, and fats. No diet should lack these macronutrients.
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Micronutrients:These are just as important as the major nutrients, though the body needs them in smaller amounts. They include vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients.
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Foods you should eat
A diet for building muscles is like doing workouts. Some foods help you recover faster and better. Not eating the right foods will hold back your muscle growth or keep you from finishing your workouts well. Here are some foods you can focus on:
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Meats, poultry, and fish: beef, ground meat, chicken breasts, salmon, tilapia.
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Dairy: yogurt, cottage cheese, low-fat milk, cheese.
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Whole grains: bread, cereals, crackers, oats, quinoa, popcorn, rice.
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Fruits: oranges, apples, bananas, grapes, peaches, watermelon, berries.
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Starchy vegetables: potatoes, corn, green peas, green beans.
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Vegetables: broccoli, spinach, green salad, zucchini, melon, pepper, tomatoes.
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Seeds and nuts: almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds.
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Legumes: chickpeas, lentils, fava beans.
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Oils: olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocado oil.
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Foods to avoid
There are some foods to cut down on or avoid:
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Alcohol: Alcoholic drinks have a negative effect on gaining muscle.
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Added sugar: Added sugar found in cakes, biscuits, sports drinks, and sodas.
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Fried foods: Fried foods like fried fish, french fries, onion rings, and fried chicken increase inflammation in the body.
Besides all those foods that harm your health generally, some foods harm your health if you eat them before workouts. These foods take a long time to digest and affect your exercise performance:
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Foods high in fat: High-fat meats, foods full of butter, sauces, heavy creams.
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Foods high in fiber: Beans and cruciferous veggies like broccoli and cauliflower.
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Sodas: Sparkling water and diet drinks.
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Here’s a 1-week meal plan
This plan is for when you're building muscle, so you gotta up the protein a bit, even in snacks. Let’s see the plan:
Saturday
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Breakfast: omelet with oat bread and mushrooms.
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Snack: low-fat cheese with blueberries.
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Meal: Ground meat with brown rice and broccoli
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Snack: Protein shake with banana
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Dinner: Salmon, quinoa, and asparagus
Sunday
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Breakfast: Protein pancake with some berries and a teaspoon of honey
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Snack: Boiled egg with an apple
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Meal: Steak with sweet potato and spinach salad
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Snack: Protein shake with some almonds
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Dinner: Ground turkey with pasta.
Monday
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Breakfast: Chicken sausage with eggs and roasted potatoes
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Snack: Greek yogurt with almonds
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Lunch: Turkey breast with basmati rice and mushrooms
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Snack: Protein shake with some grapes
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Dinner: Mackerel fish with basmati rice and some leafy greens
Tuesday
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Breakfast: Ground turkey with some eggs, cheese in a whole wheat tortilla.
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Snack: Greek yogurt with granola
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Lunch: Grilled chicken breast with roasted potatoes and broccoli
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Snack: Protein shake with berries
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Dinner: Eggs, brown rice, broccoli, peas, and carrots.
Wednesday
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Breakfast: Greek yogurt with mixed berries or strawberries
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Snack: Some nuts
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Lunch: grilled fish fillet with some vegetables
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Snack: protein shake with some watermelon
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Dinner: minced meat with some beans, peas, and brown rice.
Thursday
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Breakfast: Roumy cheese with eggs, corn, and bell pepper.
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Snack: a can of tuna with some vegetables and broccoli
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Lunch: fish fillet with roasted potatoes and bell pepper
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Snack: protein smoothie with a pear
- Dinner: Meat cubes with rice, beans, and bell pepper
Friday
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Breakfast: Avocado toast with eggs
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Snack: Protein balls with almond butter
- Lunch: Meat slices with some roasted potatoes and green beans
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Snack: Protein shake with some strawberries
- Dinner: Turkey balls and parmesan cheese on top of pasta.
Always make sure that building muscle and getting a healthy body isn't just about diet and workouts. It also includes good sleep quality and hours. You shouldn't take quick muscle-building supplements because that will harm your health. And remember you're building muscle for your health, so any step should benefit your health at first.
