Best Bodybuilding Foods
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| Best Bodybuilding Foods |
1. EGG |
| egg |
WHITESShow us a bodybuilder without egg whites in his diet, and we'll show you someone who's missing out on the best protein money can buy. Paired with oatmeal, an egg-white omelet can turn your breakfast into a power meal to fuel the rest of your day.
Eggs are laid by female animals of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have been eaten by humans for thousands of years. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen (
egg white), and vitellus (
egg yolk), contained within various thin membranes. Popular choices for egg consumption are chicken, duck, quail, roe, and caviar, but the
egg most often consumed by humans is the chicken egg.
Buy It: When purchasing eggs, do the basics: Always check the date and open the carton to check for cracks. Also, be sure the eggs are refrigerated in the store and when you get home with them. Although eggs stored out of the refrigerator won't necessarily cause illness, they do lose a grade per day when not refrigerated.
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| egg |
Prepare It: Although many gadgets promise an easy way to separate the yolk from the white, the quickest, easiest method is to simply use your own clean hands. For this six-egg-white omelet recipe, crack six eggs into a medium-sized bowl. Next, using clean fingers, lightly grasp the yolks, lift them out one by one, and discard. With a fork or whisk, whisk the egg whites with salt, pepper and any of your favorite herbs until well combined and a few bubbles have formed on top. Spray a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Place it over medium-high heat and add egg whites. After about 15 seconds, reduce heat to medium. Pull in on the edges of the omelet with a spatula and slightly tilt the pan so the uncooked egg runs under the cooked portion. Continue this around the perimeter until most of the uncooked egg disappears. Then fold the omelet in thirds, as if you're folding a letter to fit it into a business envelope. Using the spatula, carefully slide it from the pan to a plate and eat it immediately.
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| egg |
Nutrients: 99 calories, 21 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber.
EGGS Protein Power: 6 g per 1 large egg
These white orbs are near-perfect muscle food. That's because the biological value—a measure of how much protein from the food can be incorporated into proteins in the body—of an egg is higher than that of nearly any other item in the grocery store. The biological value is largely dictated by the amount of essential amino acids a food possesses, and the humble egg has these in spades.
Need to Know: Keep an eye out for cartons containing eggs with beefed-up omega-3 levels to make your morning scramble work even harder for you.
2- LONDON BROIL/TOP ROUND STEAK |
| LONDON BROIL |
London broil is a North American beef dish made by broiling or grilling marinated flank steak, then cutting it across the grain into thin strips. The origin of the name is obscure; the dish is unknown in the English city of London.
Chicken breast may be the quintessential bodybuilding staple, but lean cuts of red meat are loaded with complete protein and pack the most punch when you're trying to pack more beef on your frame.
Buy It: Always purchase
London broil that's bright-red in color. If it has even the lightest tint of brown to it, it has started to spoil. Try to find a steak or roast that's at least 1 inch thick with as little visible fat as possible.
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| LONDON BROIL |
Prepare It: Preheat a grill to the highest heat setting. Remove all visible fat and cut the steak or roast into 4-6-ounce individual steaks. Season both sides of meat with salt, pepper and/or a spice rub or marinade. Place on grill and cook 3-6 minutes per side or until cooked to your liking.
Nutrients: A 4-ounce (measured raw) lean top round steak has 138 calories, 24 g protein, 0 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat, 0 g fiber.
3-SALMON FILLETSOCKEYE SALMONProtein Power: 23 g per 3 oz. serving
Not only does wild
salmon like sockeye taste better than its farmed cousin, it also supplies about 25 percent more protein. In addition, you'll reap the benefits of its plethora of fat-fighting long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.
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| SALMON FILLET |
Need to Know: Look for
salmon with the skin still intact, as it provides added flavor during cooking.
Salmon has the prerequisite protein as well as the added benefits of unsaturated (good) fats. Hardcore lifters are often deficient in fats, because they're so often on super-low-fat diets. Including certain fish in your daily intake is one way to get the fats back -- at least the healthy kind.
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SALMON FILLET
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Buy It: Atlantic
salmon is the variety most commonly found in American grocery stores, and is generally the most affordable. When fresh, it's bright orange in color and doesn't feel slimy or exude an odor. Always choose a thicker cut -- because the tail gets more of a workout when the fish is in the water, the meat near the tail is tougher.
Prepare It: Be sure all bones are removed from the fillet (a "fillet" by definition is boneless, but sometimes a few stray bones don't get removed). Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the 4-6-ounce fillet on a baking sheet or pan, seasoned as desired. (To practically eliminate cleanup, line the pan with aluminum foil before adding the salmon, so you can throw the foil out after it cools.) Bake 10-14 minutes or until pink in the center, and the fish flakes with a fork.
Nutrients: A 4-ounce (measured raw) serving has 207 calories, 23 g protein, 0 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat, 0 g fiber.
4-CHICKEN BREASTCHICKEN BREAST (BONELESS AND SKINLESS)Protein Power: 24 g per 3 oz. serving
This bodybuilding staple delivers more protein than other poultry cuts, which is why it should remain a constant presence in your shopping cart.
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| CHICKEN BREAST |
Need to Know: To keep more greenbacks in your wallet, get chummy with the meat guy at your supermarket, who can give you a heads-up when the poultry is likely to be marked down for quick sale.
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get away from the hordes of bodybuilders chasing after it. Dumb joke, but it's no understatement to say that the majority of gym rats consume chicken breast on a regular basis. And why not? High in protein and ultra-low in fat, the bird's unoffending taste makes it palatable for most everyone.
Buy It: Save money by buying boneless, skinless chicken breasts in bulk in the freezer section. Be sure raw chicken is pinkish in color (not white-toned, which would indicate freezer burn or improper refrigeration). Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. The defrosted chicken shouldn't feel or smell slimy.
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CHICKEN BREAST
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Prepare It: Preheat a grill to the highest heat setting. Trim all visible fat from the breast, and season or marinate it with your favorite spices or sauce. Place chicken on the hot grill (it should sizzle), then turn the heat to the lowest setting. Cook for 4-6 minutes, then flip and cook 4-6 minutes more, until no longer pink inside or a thermometer stuck into the thickest portion of the breast reads 170 degrees F.
Nutrients: A 6-ounce (weighed raw) breast has 205 calories, 38 g protein, 0 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat, 0 g fiber.
5-SWEET POTATO A buff body isn't built by protein alone. Carbohydrates provide energy you need to work hard and play hard. Sweet
potatoes provide that oomph without overdosing your system with simple, fast-acting carbs. They're often used precontest by bodybuilders looking to fill out depleted muscles, but even if you're not getting ready for the stage, they're an excellent part of any dieting or mass-gaining strategy.
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| SWEET POTATO |
Buy It: Sweet potatoes come in two varieties: the white kind are like regular baking potatoes; the dark ones have a dark skin and orange flesh and are packed with nutrients. When choosing a sweet
potato, make sure it has a smooth, firm skin with no bruises or blemishes. Stick with smaller or medium-sized sweet potatoes, which tend to taste better than jumbo ones.
Prepare It: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Scrub the potato under cold water using a veggie brush, making sure to remove all dirt. Pat it dry, then prick it 5-6 times all over with a fork. Place directly on a lower oven rack and bake about one hour (for an 8-12-ounce
potato), or until it's soft when pierced with a fork.
Nutrients: An 8-ounce sweet
potato has 240 calories, 4 g protein, 55 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat, 7 g fiber.
6-PORK TENDERLOIN Pork is often shunned by diet purists, and what a shame. Not only is it more flavorful than chicken, but some cuts are almost as low in fat while still boasting the requisite protein power. Pork tenderloin is the filet mignon of pork -- it's the most tender, as well as the leanest portion, of the meat.
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| PORK TENDERLOIN |
Buy It: Pork tenderloin is generally found prepacked in a plastic wrapper in the meat section of the grocery store and is usually dated. Be sure that the meat isn't expiring within a couple of days. Look for a tenderloin that feels firm, lacks a lot of visible fat and gristle, and has a tinge of pink to it. If it appears dry or even a little gray, don't purchase it.
Prepare It: Trim all visible fat using a sharp knife. Marinate the pork in your favorite marinade for one hour to overnight in the refrigerator, or coat it with your favorite spice rub. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Meanwhile, spray a skillet with nonstick spray and place over high heat. Brown the meat, about one minute per side, until just browned, then transfer to a baking dish and place in oven until a meat thermometer reads 155 degrees F and the meat is only slightly pink inside, approximately 15-25 minutes. Slice and serve hot.
Nutrients: A 4-ounce serving has 136 calories, 24 g protein, 0 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat, 0 g fiber.
7-ASPARAGUS Asparagus or garden asparagus, scientific name Asparagus officinalis, is a spring vegetable, a flowering perennial plant species in the genus
Asparagus. It was once classified in the lily family, like its Allium cousins, onions and garlic, but the Liliaceae have been split and the onion-like plants are now in the family Amaryllidaceae and asparagus in the Asparagaceae. Asparagus officinalis is native to most of Europe, northern Africa and western Asia,
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| Asparagus |
Asparagus? Seriously, if you want to grow, your mom was right -- you need veggies. When it comes to greens, you have plenty of great choices. Broccoli and spinach are other highly recommended options, but we picked asparagus for its water-leaching quality. Top bodybuilders turn to asparagus as a meal when it comes down to precontest crunch time and they need to get extra-tight for the stage.
Buy It: Whether the spears are thin or thick, they should have a bright-green color and be free of blemishes and bruises. The buds at the tip should be closed tightly, not wilting. For best taste, consume within three days of purchase.
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| Asparagus |
Prepare It: Trim the base of each stalk. If you've chosen thick stalks with tough skin, it's best to peel the base end with a vegetable peeler. Lay a spear flat, then, starting about halfway between the tip and base, peel to the end of the base. Rotate the spear and continue to peel the lower half until all sides are peeled and the base is about the same thickness as the tip. Select a pan wide enough to lay the spears flat, add 1 inch of water and a pinch of salt, and place over high heat until water boils. Add asparagus so that the tips all face the same end. Boil 3-4 minutes for thin spears (4-6 minutes for thicker ones), or until spears are just crisp and tender. Remove and serve hot.
Nutrients: A 4-ounce serving has 27 calories, 3 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, less than 1 g fat, 2 g fiber.
HIGH-PROTEIN SEAFOODYELLOWFIN TUNAProtein Power: 25 g per 3 oz. serving
This meaty swimmer delivers a boatload of easily digested, premium-quality protein. You'll also benefit from the healthy amount of B vitamins and the potent antioxidant selenium in its flesh.
Need to Know: When possible, look for troll- or pole-caught
tuna, which are the most sustainable options.
TILAPIAProtein Power: 21 g per 3 oz. serving
Commonly available at most fish markets, tilapia provides an approachable, mild-tasting fish choice that will give you laudable amounts of protein to keep your muscles well-fed.
Need to Know: Look for American-farmed
tilapia, which is a safer choice than tilapia imported from Asia.
OCTOPUSProtein Power: 25 g per 3 oz. serving
An increasing number of fishmongers are now offering up this seafood choice. So if your goal is to pack on granite-dense muscle you'd be a sucker—pun intended—not to reel it in for its protein windfall.
Need to Know: Frozen
octopus actually has an advantage over fresh because the subzero process works to help tenderize the meat.
HIGH-PROTEIN DAIRY
GREEK YOGURTProtein Power: 23 g per 8 oz. serving
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| Strained yogurt |
Made by straining away the liquid, deliciously thick Greek-style yogurts contain about twice as much protein as regular versions. You'll also reap the rewards of gut-friendly probiotic bacteria and bone-building calcium.
Need to Know: Plain
Greek yogurt can contain up to three times less sugar than flavored types.
SWISS CHEESEProtein Power: 8 g per 1 oz. serving
Ounce for ounce,
Swiss cheese provides more protein than other commonly available varieties in the supermarket, making it a muscle-friendly option for your sandwiches and burgers.
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| SWISS CHEESE |
Need to Know: If you're concerned about the calorie density of full-fat
Swiss, low-fat versions have a protein-to-fat ratio of around 8-to-1, while still providing good flavor.
Swiss cheese is a generic name in North America for several related varieties of cheese, mainly of North American manufacture, which resemble Emmental cheese, a yellow, medium-hard cheese that originated in the area around Emmental, in Switzerland. Some types of Swiss cheese have a distinctive appearance, as the blocks of the cheese are riddled with holes known as "eyes".
Swiss cheese without eyes is known as "blind".(The term is applied to cheeses of this style made outside Switzerland, such as Jarlsberg cheese, which originates in Norway).
COTTAGE CHEESEProtein Power: 14 g per 1/2 cup serving
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| Cottage_cheese |
This curd-riddled cheese product is laced with casein protein—a slow-digesting protein that supplies your growing muscles with a steady supply of vital amino acids. Think of it as the MVP of snack time, especially before bedtime.
Need to Know:
Cottage cheese is notoriously high in sodium, but you can now compare nutrition labels to find brands that contain less.
Cottage cheese is a fresh cheese curd product with a mild flavor. It is drained, but not pressed, so some whey remains and the individual curds remain loose. The curd is usually washed to remove acidity, giving sweet curd cheese. It is not aged or colored. Different styles of
cottage cheese are made from milks with different fat levels and in small-curd or large-curd preparations. Cottage cheese which is pressed becomes hoop cheese, farmer cheese, pot cheese, or queso blanco.
SOY MILKProtein Power: 8 g per 1 cup serving
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| SOY MILK |
While most non-dairy milks are light in protein,
soy milk is the exception. If you're eschewing cow dairy for reasons such as lactose intolerance, consider using soy milk to float your cereal in, or for whipping up post-gym shakes.
Need to Know: To keep your intake of gut-busting added sugars to a dull roar, opt for brands labelled "unsweetened." And if your goal is to avoid genetically modified foods, splurge for organic.
Soy milk, also referred to as soymilk or soya milk, is a plant milk produced by soaking dried soybeans and grinding them in water.
MILK, 2%Protein Power: 8 g per 1 cup serving
Moo juice remains a reliable source of top-notch protein with a biological value just shy of that found in an egg. But why try to chug watery, flavorless skim
milk when you can still enjoy the richer taste of 2 percent without breaking the fat bank. Besides, the extra fat will help you absorb the fat-soluble nutrients like vitamin D present in the great white.
Need to Know: Studies show that cows raised using organic farming methods produce
milk richer in a range of nutrients, including body-friendly omega fats.
HIGH-PROTEIN MEATSTEAK (TOP OR BOTTOM ROUND)Protein Power: 23 g per 3 oz. serving
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| steak |
These leaner cuts of
steak provide a fantastic 1 g of protein for every 7 calories; rib eye, on the other hand, delivers roughly 1 g of protein for every 11 calories. Plus, round steak is considered one of the more economical cuts.
Need to Know: Leaner cuts of
steak like round and loin will become drier than the Sahara with overcooking, so prepare them quickly over high heat to just medium-rare.
PORK CHOPS (BONELESS)Protein Power: 26 g per 3 oz. serving
The bounty of muscle-sculpting protein in easy-to-prepare pork chops gives you more than enough of an excuse to pig out on them.
Need to Know: By helping to break down muscle tissue, soaking your chops in brine can bring more tender meat to the dinner table. Simply cover the pork chops in a brine made with 1/4 cup salt for each 4 cups of water (use enough liquid so that the meat is completely submerged). Cover and chill for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
GROUND BEEF (95% LEAN)Protein Power: 18 g per 3 oz. serving
Using 90 percent ground beef provides just the right amount of fat so your burgers and meatloaf won't taste like cardboard. Beyond a payload of protein, this red meat is also a good source of the almighty creatine.
Need to Know: If you've got some extra cash in your wallet, opt for grass-fed beef, which is more nutrient-dense than its factory-farm counterparts.
TURKEY BREASTProtein Power: 24 g per 3 oz. serving
As with chicken, this big bird can flood your muscles with a wallop of protein.
Need to Know: Like pork chops and chicken breast, turkey breast can benefit from a pre-cook brining. If you're concerned about antibiotic use in large-scale poultry farming, you can look for turkey breast labelled "antibiotic-free."
