10 Foods That Help You Build Muscle, According to a Dietitian

Food is incredibly powerful.

It helps bring people together, it can be used to treat or manage a variety of chronic health conditions, and it helps support healthy aging.

Food also provides the fuel and building blocks necessary to support athletic performance and fitness goals, like building muscle.

Here are 10 foods to add to your diet that help you build muscle.

1. Cow’s Milk

Milk contains two primary proteins, whey and casein.

Casein makes up about 80% of milk protein, while whey makes up the remaining 20%.

These proteins are easily digestible and contain essential and branched-chain amino acids that support muscle growth. (1)

One cup (240 mL) of milk provides 8 grams of protein and several vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B12, and D, choline, and calcium. (2)

Milk also makes a great post-workout recovery and rehydration drink. (3)

Lactose-free milk contains the same amount of protein as regular milk, making it a good option for people who are lactose intolerant.

The fat content level of the milk doesn’t make much of a difference, but you can save yourself extra calories by drinking skim or low-fat.

2. Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is a fresh cheese with a creamy taste and smooth texture.

Because it’s manufactured from milk, the main protein in cottage cheese is casein.

Casein protein digests at a much slower rate than whey protein, making cottage cheese the perfect midday or nighttime snack.

Protein that digests at a slower rate helps decrease muscle protein breakdown and promotes a positive protein balance, which is necessary for muscle growth. (4)

One cup (226 grams) of cottage cheese provides about 160 calories and 28 grams of protein. (5)

Research suggests that you need at least 40 grams of protein, or about one-and-a-half cups of cottage cheese, before bed to optimally stimulate muscle growth. (5)

3. Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is another great protein-rich choice for building muscle.

Due to how it’s processed, Greek yogurt contains nearly three times more protein than regular yogurt.

One cup (226 grams) of Greek yogurt provides 18 grams of protein. (6)

Greek yogurt, like regular yogurt, contains bacterial cultures that break down some of the lactose, so some people with lactose intolerance may be able to eat it in moderation without causing symptoms. (7)

You can purchase plain or flavored Greek yogurt. The plain variety by itself tastes sour and tart, so getting a flavored version is an option if the taste is too strong for your liking.

However, keep in mind the flavored versions often contain high amounts of sugar. You can also add your own sweetness by adding berries or a drizzle of honey to plain Greek yogurt.

4. Salmon

Salmon is rich in protein and anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids.

A 3-ounce (85-gram) fillet provides 17 grams of protein and about 1.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids. (8)

While primarily known for their beneficial effects on heart health, omega-3 fatty acids are also important for muscle health.

Omega-3 fatty acids improve the immune and inflammatory response to exercise, allowing for greater increases in muscle growth and performance. (9)

5. Eggs

Eggs are nutrient powerhouses.

One large whole egg has only 78 calories but 6 grams of easily digestible protein and several vitamins and minerals, including iron, vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin D, and zinc. (10)

Compared with other protein sources like meats, eggs are very cost-effective and easy to make.

An egg’s protein is split evenly between the yolk and white, but most of the nutrients are in the yolk, so don’t throw it out.

Egg yolks are a significant source of cholesterol, but most people don’t have to worry about dietary cholesterol since it has little effect on blood cholesterol levels. (11)

6. Sirloin Steak

Sirloin steak is considered a lean protein, meaning it has less than 10 grams of fat per 3.5-gram serving.

A 3.5-gram (100-gram) serving of sirloin steak packs 31 grams of protein and provides a good amount of iron and other beneficial compounds that support muscle growth, like creatine and taurine. (12)

Red meat has received a bad rap over the years due to observational studies linking its consumption with heart disease, certain types of cancer, and other health problems.

However, these studies typically group all meats, both processed and unprocessed, together when discussing the potential health implications of red meat.

While processed meats like hot dogs, pepperoni, bacon, salami, and deli meats are made from red meat, unprocessed red meat has not been consistently shown to increase heart disease risk or cause adverse health effects. (13, 14)

Of course, this doesn’t give you the green light to eat steak every night, but you can still enjoy lean cuts of beef like a sirloin steak as part of a healthy diet and to help you build muscle.

7. Chicken

Chicken, brown rice, and broccoli is the stereotypical bland bodybuilding meal.

But the fact is, chicken is an excellent, cost-effective protein-rich food that supports muscle growth.

A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) skinless chicken breast provides about 145 calories and 28 grams of protein. (15)

Chicken tends to be less expensive but contains a similar amount of protein compared with some meats and fish.

8. Beets

Of course, all vegetables are beneficial for building muscle.

They provide beneficial plant compounds called polyphenols, as well as a variety of vitamins and minerals that help transform the food you eat into usable energy, transport oxygen and nutrients to muscles, and support strong muscular contractions. (16)

However, beets have an advantage over other vegetables due to their high concentration of nitrates.

Dietary nitrates have been shown to decrease muscular fatigue and enhance the force of muscular contractions, which can translate to improved muscle power and growth. (17, 18)

Nitrates work by enhancing your body’s production of nitric oxide — a chemical that expands blood vessels, increasing nutrient and oxygen delivery to muscles — and influencing calcium signaling in muscles to promote muscle power and strength. (17, 18)

Most studies analyzing the performance-enhancing effects of beets use beetroot juice since it’s a more concentrated form of nitrates, but including beets in your diet can also help enhance your workouts and promote muscle growth.

9. Chickpeas

Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are a type of legume rich in protein, fiber, iron, zinc, magnesium, and selenium.

A one-cup (180-gram) serving of chickpeas provides about 260 calories, 15 grams of protein, and 40 grams of carbs to help fuel your workouts. (19)

As a plant-based protein source, chickpeas are great for helping you meet your protein target, especially if you follow a vegetarian diet.

You can buy chickpeas dried or canned. Both are relatively inexpensive and provide a decent amount of protein to support muscle growth.

10. Soy

Soy has a bad reputation when it comes to building muscle, especially in men due to its purported estrogenic, or feminizing, properties and testosterone-lowering effects.

However, the totality of the available data suggests that soy has no significant effects on testosterone levels in men. (20)

And although soy protein is inferior to the milk-based protein whey for building muscle in most cases, soy protein is still a quality protein source that can support muscle growth. (21, 22)

High-protein soy products include:

• Tofu
• Soymilk
• Edamame
• Miso
• Tempeh
• Natto

How to Build Muscle

The foods you eat supply the fuel and building blocks to train hard, recover, and rebuild.

But without weight training, also known as strength training, you won’t build new muscle.

If you’re new to lifting, you can easily and rapidly gain muscle strength and size with a basic weight training regimen that targets all the major muscle groups since your muscles are more primed for growth. (23)

On the other hand, if you’re more advanced and have been weight training for more than a year, your growth may be significantly slowed. But, with the right training and nutrition regimen, changing body composition can still be achieved. (23)

In either case, a weight training program that focuses on progressive overload is necessary for continued muscle growth and size.

Progressive overload is when you gradually increase the weight or resistance, the number of repetitions, or training frequency over time.

To build muscle, you should train at least three times per week and perform 10–20 repetitions for each major muscle group.

Although it’s commonly recommended to use a weight heavy enough that you can perform 8–12 repetitions per set, muscle growth can occur across a wide range of repetitions, so vary the number of repetitions you do.

Much of the muscle repair and growth process occurs while you sleep, so make sure that you’re prioritizing sleep.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

Building muscle requires that you put tension and stress on the muscle with weightlifting.

This tension and stress forces your muscles to adapt, and they grow bigger and stronger.

But they can only grow bigger and stronger with proper nutrition.

Dairy products such as milk, cottage cheese, and yogurt, and other animal sources of protein, including salmon, eggs, chicken, and beef, are some of the best foods for building muscle.

Beets and plant-based protein sources, including chickpeas and soy, are also great.

In addition to training and nutrition, keep in mind the importance of sleep for building muscle.