When we talk about ‘supplements’ in body building, it’s easy to automatically think about things that come out of a tub or a bottle. But did you know that some of the best natural muscle supplements are easily found in most kitchens?
If you’re looking at taking a totally natural approach to body building then foods should be your first go-to as muscle building supplements and for fuelling your system during your workouts.
First things first – no amount of hard work is going to deliver the results you’re stiving for unless you get some of the basic foundations right. So you need to speak to someone who has experience in nutrition to ensure that your calorie intake is sufficient and that you’re eating the right ratios of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. One reason that people don’t see the results they want to at the gym is because they’re not eating enough calories to maintain their body weight when working out, let alone to be able to build muscle on top of that.
If you’re serious about building muscle you need someone to help you work out what your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is, so that you can adjust your calorie intake accordingly so your body has the fuel it needs to build the muscle you’re working so had to create. They also should be able to help you work out what ratios of proteins, fats and carbohydrates should make up your calorie count. Finally, you’re also going to want to look at what foods are going to give you the calories you need without having to eat kilos of food a day – for example, you’ll get the same calorie load from 100g of salmon as you would from more than three times as much white fish, like hoki or blue grenadier.
Having said all of that, let’s have a look at the nutritional values of some of the best natural muscle supplements you can eat for powering your progress.
Raw rolled oats (100g)
Fat – 8.7g
Carbs – 58.1g
Protein – 9.5g
Calories – 113
Porridge is great, but if you want a breakfast that will make you feel full longer, give you more energy to work out and provide you with protein for muscle repair RAW rolled oats are exactly what you’re looking for.
Greek yogurt (100g)
Fat – 4g
Carbs – 3.9g
Protein – 8.7g
Calories – 87
Thick, creamy and full of protein, Greek yogurt is low on sugar and high on benefits for bodybuilding. Team it up with your oats for a power-packed breakfast or snack on it after your workout for a big boost of protein for muscle repair.
Nuts (nutritional quantities will vary between types)
As long as you’re not allergic to them, nuts are brilliant bodybuilding food. Calorie dense, full of protein and good fats, nuts are a perfect snack or addition to your breakfast bowl. Eaten raw, as a spread, in salads, or on their own – all nuts have their own special ‘superpower’ as well (for example, brazil nuts are full of selenium, making them great for your skin!)
Banana (1 medium)
Fat – 0.1g
Carbs – 21.8g
Protein – 1.9g
Calories – 99
The vitamin pill of the fruit world – bananas are loaded with vitamins, minerals and potassium, are high in good carbs and are fairly low in calories compared to the benefits you get from them. You can add them to your oats, or blend them up in a smoothie with full cream milk and some ground nuts for a healthy snack.
Salmon – grilled, 100g
Fat – 15.5g
Carbs – 0g
Protein – 24.3g
Calories – 236
Calorie dense and full of all sorts of good fats and omegas, salmon is a great bodybuilding fuel – poached, grilled or raw (sashimi), you can team it up with brown rice, quinoa and green vegies for a super nutritious meal.
Brown Rice – 100g
Fat – 1g
Carbs – 31.8g
Protein – 2.9g
Calories – 153
Low in fat, virtually no salt, reasonable carbs and a good amount of protein – brown rice is low GI and gives a great sustained energy release. Enjoy it with quality protein and fresh vegies for a great-tasting, good-for-you meal.
Avocado – 1 whole small Hass
Fat – 23.3g
Carbs – 0.7
Protein – 2.2g
Calories – 225
Fats have been demonised over the years, but the truth is that you need a certain amount of good fat to stay healthy. Avocados are one of the good fats – monounsaturated – which can help keep your cholesterol in check, they have a range of vitamins and minerals, and being calorie dense, will give you a good supply of energy too.
Wholegrain pasta – 100g, cooked
Fat – 3.5g
Carbs – 62g
Protein – 15g
Calories – 361
Pasta is another food that’s been blacklisted in the past – but if you choose wholegrain options, it’s a low-fat, high-carb fuel that will power you through a strenuous workout and deliver a good amount of fibre into your system as well.
Eggs – 1x 55g
Fat – 4.2g
Carbs – 0.3g
Protein – 5.5g
Calories – 61
There’s a reason why Rocky Balboa chugged down a glassful of raw eggs when he was training for his big fight. Eggs have all nine essential amino acids, making them the ideal food for building muscle, helping with fast loss and boosting your general health and wellbeing. BUT salmonella concerns aside, we don’t recommend you gulp down a glass of raw eggs before your workout and here’s why: eaten raw, your body can only absorb around 50% of the available protein in an egg. Cook it, and that absorption rate jumps up to 90%. Which is good news for those of us that just can’t stomach the thought of downing a glass of raw eggs!
Grass Fed Beef – lean, 100g
Fat – 4.6g
Carbs – 0g
Protein – 20.2g
Calories – 177
High in iron, which will help keep your energy levels up, loaded with CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) fats, which aid with reducing body fat, and big on protein, grass fed beef is a great inclusion in any bodybuilding diet – unless you are vegetarian or vegan of course.
Tofu – firm, 100g
Fat – 7.5g
Carbs – 0g
Protein 11.9g
Calories – 127
If you’re vegan or vegetarian you may want to replace grass fed beef with tofu – it doesn’t have quite the same nutritional profile as grass fed beef, but it’s still a bodybuilding superfood with good protein and calories in exchange for relatively low fat and zero carbs.
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Other great food-based muscle building supplements:
Obviously, there are loads of other foods we could add to the list above, but you’ve got a workout to get to, so we’re just going to give you a quick snapshot of some more muscle building supplements you can grab from the fridge!
Full cream milk – 250ml
Fat – 8.8g
Carbs – 15.8g
Protein – 8.8g
Calories – 176
Sardines – 100g
Fat – 15g
Carbs – 0g
Protein – 21g
Calories – 219
Chicken breast – 100g, grilled
Fat – 3.6g
Carbs – 0g
Protein – 31g
Turkey breast – 100g, baked
Fat – 4g
Carbs – 0g
Protein – 29.4g
Broccoli – 100g, cooked
Fat – 0.3g
Carbs – 0.4g
Protein – 4.6g
Calories – 31
Cottage cheese – low fat, 100g
Fat – 2.2g
Carbs – 6.1g
Protein – 10g
Calories – 85
Sweet potato – 100g, baked
Fat – 0.1g
Carbs – 17.2g
Protein – 2.3g
Calories – 87
Beans – average across all varieties, 100g, cooked
Fat – 0.5g
Carbs – 22.8g
Protein – 8.6g
Calories – 127
Quinoa – 100g cooked
Fat – 1.9g
Carbs – 21.3g
Protein – 4.4g
Calories – 120
Raspberries – 100g
Fat – 0.3g
Carbs – 7.3g
Protein – 1.2g
Calories – 54
As we said a minute ago, the full list of foods that pack a great nutritional punch is way longer than what we’ve covered here and diet never has a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. If you’re putting in the hours and hard work, you really should make sure you get the advice of a good nutritionist to make sure you’re going to get the gains.