Losing fat while building muscle is the ideal scenario for transforming the body and feeling energized and healthy. This post will cover the 10 best foods to lose fat and build muscle. Sometimes nutrition is confusing.
LEGAL INFORMATION
You know, figuring out what food is the healthiest to eat and when is the best time to eat it. I know all about that and have addressed both food and dieting quandaries in my posts about intermittent fasting , hidden sugars , and inflammatory foods , among others. Yes, it is possible to do both. To lose weight, we have to burn more calories than we are eating.
But this calorie deficit is only necessary when you want to lose weight. If you are looking to lose fat, yet gain muscle instead, you need to take a different approach. When you cut calories, your body uses energy stores to function properly. The result is a loss of fat and weight, but as well, there is a loss of muscle mass. So, we must take in nutrients that help us to build lean muscle.
10 Best Foods To Lose Fat & Build Muscle | Yes, You Can Do Both! • A Sweet Pea Chef
The goal here is to aim for fat loss , but at the same time, muscle gain. What are the best foods to lose fat and build muscle?
Foods that can help you get in the shape you want are listed below:. You know me, I can never say enough good things about Greek yogurt. On the fat loss side, Greek yogurt contains conjugated linoleic acid, known to burn fat and promote weight loss. As for muscle building, slow-digesting dairy proteins contribute to muscle gain. Cottage cheese is another protein-filled snack that helps to fill you up. Eggs stay with you and help promote fullness. Additionally, the protein in eggs can increase your metabolic weight for several hours after you eat them.
The amino acids in this ultra-nutritional food increase muscle gain. So, eggs are one of the best foods to lose fat and gain muscle. The mega-3 fatty acids in fish like salmon not only reduce inflammation but are also one of the best foods to help you lose fat. Fish helps lessen the production of cortisol a stress hormone that can lead to increased fat storage. Whey protein is thought to protect and conserve muscle in the body when losing weight.
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Whey protein is easily added to smoothies and other nutritional drinks. It can keep you full and promotes fat burning, too. Apple cider vinegar ACV is one of my go-to hunger reducers. I add apple cider vinegar, and doing so helps stave off hunger. To learn more about the weight loss benefits of ACV, watch my video about it. Vitamins, like B6, in particular, are known to give you the stamina you need during exercise. Lean beef, turkey, and chicken are considered essentials for gaining muscle.
Quinoa is a carbohydrate that provides the nourishment required to keep your energy up when exercising and throughout the day, in general. Athletes who are ready to run a marathon, for example, will fuel their body with a meal that includes carbs as a way to maintain stamina. Brown rice has a bit of protein but, more importantly, is another useful source of carbs. Considered almost as good as whey for muscle building, brown rice is gluten-free, It contains vitamins and minerals key to providing energy when you need it.
Nuts have a fair amount of calories but also have components like phosphorus, which helps the body build protein and use carbs for energy. Magnesium is found in nuts, too. It regulates muscle function and builds protein. Chickpeas, edamame, and kidney beans are all excellent ways to add protein to the diet.
The Top 30 Foods for Building Muscle
Edamame, in particular, contains the all-important folate that helps with muscle strength. Beans, like black or kidney beans, are packed with iron and phosphorus aids in protein building. Processed foods are really a lot of empty calories that do not provide nutrition at all. Sure, they fill you up and satisfy hunger for the moment, but they do nothing for your body. The simplest reason for avoiding processed foods is to know exactly what you are putting in your body every time you eat.
An orange is an orange, plain and simple and a chicken breast, is well, chicken. Healthy, wholesome foods that are naturally good for you should be the mainstay of your diet. To easily stay on track with healthy eating, take a look at my meal prep video , and start making healthy meals ahead of time. Each gram serving of the Organic Protein Company Whey Protein contains just under 20 grams of protein and only 0.
This powder also mixes well and can be used with either milk or water; or you can just go crazy and use it with porridge or even savoury stuff the unflavoured variety is best for this purpose. Talking about flavour, the Organic Protein Company just came out with a brand new flavour to accompany the more traditional vanilla and chocolate varieties: strawberry, elderberry and beetroot. The new flavour is hopefully first of many upcoming exciting varieties, but if you excuse me, I must go now to have my third serving of strawberry, elderberry and beetroot protein today.
The Organic Protein Company Whey Protein contains all the essential and branched chain amino acids you need for muscle building and repair and it is also hormone free, gluten free, soya free and GMO free. The downside? It costs twice as much as your run-of-the-mill whey protein. Innermost is striving to distance itself from the rest of the meathead muscle crowd by unleashing several 'collections' of achingly hip products that all serve a different purpose. Powders for assisting a detox, energy boosting concoctions, toning pills and recovery capsules are all available, but we're primarily interested in the great tasing whey protein, which is free from chemical nasties and focuses on natural additives to give it a punchy vanilla flavour and creamy texture.
It mixes well, features barely any fats or sugars and packs a massive 34g protein punch. Forget the stylish label, this is up there with some of the best performing proteins on the list. Unlike the previously mentioned product from Norvia, the awkwardly named Whey Better range from Bio-Synergy strips away any sign of fat and sugar for one of the cleanest protein drinks around. The chocolate flavour isn't particularly convincing and tastes pretty thin when mixed with water, while the ingredients list can look a little scary for those averse to chemical-sounding additives in their drinks.
Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Hydrochloride and the tongue-twisting Cyanocobalamin are all forms of additional vitamins and minerals, but the ingredients list makes the more plant-derived products more approachable on paper.
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Vegan protein powders have come a long way and if you are a lifter with a plant-based diet, you can choose from many products in this day and age since all the major supplement manufacturers have at least one vegan protein powder to their repertoire. Given the higher calorie amount found in The Protein Works' Vegan Wondershake, it can be added to our best weight gainer list too, but for the time being, we'll just leave it here.
Not just acceptable: it actually tastes good, especially in comparison to some other popular vegan meal replacement products. It is not recommended for weight loss, though, due to the high calorie content but if you are exercising more vigorously, definitely give the Vegan Wondershake a try.
To some degree, it's crazy to think that in , plant-based protein powders can provide the same macro composition as their whey counterparts. On the other hand, given how popular the vegan diet is, it's really no wonder so many great vegan protein alternatives are available to buy. One great example of this is the organic vegan protein mix from The Plant Era.
Probably the best thing about it is just how thick it gets, even when just mixed with water: it feels more like a meal than a shake, excellent for bringing satiety levels down without succumbing to snacking.
Protein powder: what you need to know
As well as being thick, the The Plant Era organic protein also has the right macro numbers: each gram serving has 21 grams of protein, only 2. Granted, the flavours are not super strong and there is plenty of 'plant-based' flavour present, which is something you might be familiar with if you ever tried meal replacement powders before. The Plant Era organic protein is not as gritty as those but most certainly has an earthy flavour to it. That aside, there really isn't a reason why you shouldn't try The Plant Era organic protein, even if you don't take vegan protein most usually.
A little variety always helps.
As protein supplements go, we will stick our neck on the line and say the chocolate peanut offering from Form is genuinely enjoyable to drink, boasting a texture and flavour that isn't far off a proper milkshake. It's also completely vegan-friendly, gluten-free and is derived per cent from plant-based products, meaning there is a pleasing lack of chemicals on the ingredients list.
In fact, a single serving packs a whopping 30g of protein from brown rice, Algavia and hemp, with Stevia and Thaumatin sweeteners and natural flavours used to make the experience enjoyable. Each serving also contains a complete amino acid profile and additional probiotics to help boost the immune system of anyone working hard in the gym or out on the field. Blend it with water and it's enjoyable. Mix it with almond milk or another dairy-free alternative, throw in a banana and you have a genuinely tasty treat that's delivering a hefty dose of protein with every gulp.