# 20 Super Foods You Need to Build Muscle & Lose Fat



## Big-John (May 8, 2013)

To build muscle & lose fat, you need a variety of proteins, veggies, fruits, carbs, and healthy fats. Eating protein helps building & maintaining muscle. But it also helps fat loss: protein has a higher thermic effect than carbs/fats.

Eating fats also helps fat loss: your body holds fat if you don't eat fats. Fruits & veggies contain vitamins & minerals, necessary for recovery from your workouts. And carbs fuel your muscles so you feel full of energy at the gym.

Lots of you struggle to get these foods. Sometimes because you're too busy or sometimes because you just lack information. This list will help you — 20 super foods you need to build muscle & lose fat.


1. Whole Eggs. Cheap & rich source of protein: 7g/egg. The yolk contains most nutrients: half the protein, vitamins A/D/E and cholesterol to naturally increase your testosterone levels.

Don't worry about cholesterol in eggs. Dietary cholesterol isn't bound to blood cholesterol. Read this, this, this & this. If you have bad cholesterol, lower your body fat rather than throwing the yolk away.


2. Fish Oil. Reduces inflammation (joints/skin), lowers body fat and increases testosterone levels. You need 9000mg EPA/DHA per day. Since you'll probably struggle to get that from eating fatty fish, consider a fish oil supplement.


3. Wild Salmon. One of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids that also gets you 20g protein per 100g serving. Farm raised salmon is, however, omega-3 deficient: it's corn/grain fed. Go with wild salmon.


4. Berries. Strong antioxidants that prevent cancer, heart & eye diseases. Any kind works: cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc. Buy fresh or frozen berries and mix with oatmeal.


5. Yogurt. Contain bacteria that improve your gastrointestinal health. Don't buy frozen yogurt or yogurt with added sugar and fruits at the bottom. Get plain low fat yogurt. Eat it with berries & flax seeds.


6. Flax Seeds. Source of fiber, protein & omega-3. Grind the flax seeds to get the most out of them. Take 1 tbsp with yogurt & berries before going to bed. Stay away from flax oil: it's unstable and contains no fiber.


7. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 70% monounsaturated fats that protect against heart diseases and cancer. Add 1-2 tbsp olive oil to your salads. Buy Extra Virgin Olive Oil: it contains more polyphenols and tastes better.


8. Mixed Nuts. Contain mono- & polyunsaturated fats, proteins, fiber, vitamin E, zinc, potassium, magnesium, etc. Mixed nuts are caloric dense, great if you're a skinny guy who wants to gain weight.

Anything works: almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, ... Peanut butter also works as long as you buy natural peanut butter without added salts/sugars.


9. Red Meat. Protein, vitamin B12, heme iron, zinc, creatine, carnosine and even omega-3 if you eat grass-fed beef. Eat steaks & hamburgers from top round or sirloin. Read Dr. Lonnie Lowery's article on Meat.


10. Broccoli. High in cancer-fighting phytochemicals and anti-estrogenic indoles. Broccoli is also high in soluble fiber and low calorie, helping fat loss. Eat other cruciferous vegetables for a change: cabbage, bok choy, cauliflower, kale, ...


11. Spinach. One of the most alkaline foods. Spinach prevents muscle & bone loss, but also cancer and heart diseases because of its high nutrient profile. Try one of the spinach recipes I shared a while back.


12. Turkey. If you don't believe saturated fat is good for you, try white turkey. The leanest beef has about 4.5g saturated fat/100g, while white turkey has close to 0g (that why it's so dry). Eat turkey with spinach & quinoa.


13. Quinoa. South American "king of grains". Quinoa is higher in fiber & protein than rice or oats, tastes a lot better and is gluten free. Buy the whiter grain, it's better quality. Eat it post workout with meat & spinach.


14. Oats. Reduce cholesterol, provide you with low-gi carbs for energy, and high in soluble fiber. Try this post workout shake of whey & oats.


15. Tomatoes. High in lycopene, which prevents cancer. The lycopene in tomato paste is 4 times more bioavailable than in fresh tomatoes. Have pizza or pasta with tomato sauce & olive oil post strength training.


16. Oranges. Vitamin C to fight diseases, magnesium to lower blood pressure, anti-oxidant beta-carotenes, etc. Quit drinking processed orange juice which often has added sugars. Eat oranges or make your own orange juice.


17. Apples. Pectin in apples helps weight loss by increasing satiety. Apples are also the strongest antioxidiant after cranberries (eat the peels). Unfortunately apples are one of the most pesticide-contaminated fruits. Go organic.


18. Carrots. Their huge vitamin A content improves eye-health, especially night vision. Carrots are also rich in fiber, low calorie and taste good, even raw.


19. Water. Your body holds water if you don't drink enough. Drinking prevents water retention, helps muscle recovery and prevents dehydration from strength training. Get a brita filter and drink 2 cups of water with each meal.


20. Green Tea. Strong antioxidant and natural diuretic. Green tea also speeds up fat loss, prevents cancer and improves blood sugar & circulation. Drink green tea in the morning instead of coffee. Real green tea, not the teabags.


Putting it All Together. Eat proteins, veggies, fruits & fats every 3 hours. 2 cups water with each meal. Carbs post workout only. Junk food 10% of the time. Get stronger in the meanwhile and you'll build muscle & lose fat.


----------



## chrisr116 (May 8, 2013)

That sums it up pretty nicely.  Beef, Spinach, and quinola is probably my favorite meal.


----------



## Daveyjones (May 9, 2013)

How come chicken didn't make it on the list? Very good and interesting list btw


----------



## Lara (Jun 20, 2013)

Here are really nice and most informative post. I would like thanks to you that you share this post here with us. The all foods are really effective but don't you think exercise is also most important to weight loss and also good to gain muscles.


----------



## BigBob (Jun 21, 2013)

Lara said:


> Here are really nice and most informative post. I would like thanks to you that you share this post here with us. The all foods are really effective but don't you think exercise is also most important to weight loss and also good to gain muscles.



Diet AND Exercise are most important would be the correct wording.


----------



## BigBob (Jun 21, 2013)

Big-John said:


> To build muscle & lose fat, you need a variety of proteins, veggies, fruits, carbs, and healthy fats. Eating protein helps building & maintaining muscle. But it also helps fat loss: protein has a higher thermic effect than carbs/fats.
> 
> Eating fats also helps fat loss: your body holds fat if you don't eat fats. Fruits & veggies contain vitamins & minerals, necessary for recovery from your workouts. And carbs fuel your muscles so you feel full of energy at the gym.
> 
> ...



Quinoa. I haven't tried this. Can I get it at Stop and Shop? Love everything else on that list!


----------



## jameshundson (Jun 22, 2013)

Nice post, You can also try for protein and fat burner supplements to build muscle and lose fat. Do regular exercise and take healthy and balanced diet along with supplements to get optimal results.


----------



## Ironbuilt (Jun 22, 2013)

I make a shake with one of each on the list everyday..  ib


----------



## Collinb (Jun 26, 2013)

BigBob said:


> Quinoa. I haven't tried this. Can I get it at Stop and Shop? Love everything else on that list!



Yeah, its a cheap rice like item.  I love it, just started eating it sometimes


----------



## jameshundson (Jul 4, 2013)

Nice list, i will surely go with Broccoli,Mixed nuts,Berries. All these foods provide you with sufficient vitamins, minerals which are required by the body to build muscle and lose fat.

Fat Burning Foods - YouTube


----------



## Denzel (Jul 27, 2013)

Its a wonderful post about food to build muscles. All these food are good source of protein and every bodybuilder should eat these food for building muscles.


----------



## andywacho (Sep 11, 2013)

Big-John said:


> To build muscle & lose fat, you need a variety of proteins, veggies, fruits, carbs, and healthy fats. Eating protein helps building & maintaining muscle. But it also helps fat loss: protein has a higher thermic effect than carbs/fats.
> 
> Eating fats also helps fat loss: your body holds fat if you don't eat fats. Fruits & veggies contain vitamins & minerals, necessary for recovery from your workouts. And carbs fuel your muscles so you feel full of energy at the gym.
> 
> ...




You have given almost all important food which are used for reducing fat from the body, but dairy products which contains whey protein which plays the active role in burning of the fat from the body and are also used for muscular cell and tissues enhancement.


----------



## xchewbaccax777 (Sep 19, 2013)

Excellent information bro. I think you forgot to mention the Haagen Dazs rocky road ice cream.lol. I will use this as a guide


----------



## xchewbaccax777 (Oct 4, 2013)

Big-John said:


> To build muscle & lose fat, you need a variety of proteins, veggies, fruits, carbs, and healthy fats. Eating protein helps building & maintaining muscle. But it also helps fat loss: protein has a higher thermic effect than carbs/fats.
> 
> Eating fats also helps fat loss: your body holds fat if you don't eat fats. Fruits & veggies contain vitamins & minerals, necessary for recovery from your workouts. And carbs fuel your muscles so you feel full of energy at the gym.
> 
> ...



Seriously your posts are AWESOME. I will share this info to other bros


----------



## vikingquest (Oct 4, 2013)

Thanks for the info. Very informative post.


----------



## xchewbaccax777 (Oct 4, 2013)

vikingquest said:


> Thanks for the info. Very informative post.



Its all about the bro info share. Lol. My pleadure


----------



## jameshundson (Oct 24, 2013)

Nice points mentioned, also you can maintain a calorie maintenance meter and keep track of calories you intake.
Top 5 Ways to Gain Muscle while Losing Fat


----------



## PeterCohen (Oct 26, 2013)

~


----------



## Ironbuilt (Oct 27, 2013)

Hey bro.. Take your advertisement and  Edit it or take elsewhere asap or you may be kicked to the curb as we say. Those sites are rediculous IMO ..
"Read Posting Rules".


----------



## xchewbaccax777 (Oct 30, 2013)

Ironbuilt said:


> Hey bro.. Take your advertisement and  Edit it or take elsewhere asap or you may be kicked to the curb as we say. Those sites are rediculous IMO ..
> "Read Posting Rules".



Let's kick his ass iron


----------



## gymgirl (Nov 11, 2013)

Fast, Cheap and Simple

1 cup Natural peanut butter
8 tablespoons honey
1&1/4 cups whey protein powder
1 cup of uncooked oatmeal

Mix the pb and honey in a bowl, microwave on full for 80 secs. Add the rest and mix together (get your hands in man!!) can add raisins/nuts etc to taste. Smooth into 13x9 tray and leave for 20 mins. Cut into 10 to 12 equal bars and wrap and store in fridge!!

protein 20g, carbs 30g and fat 20g of which only 3g are saturated. Those figures are per bar, don't forget your 128g fat divides into 10 to 12 bars and most of the fat in pb is healthy fat which the body uses similar to carbs. The amounts may vary slightly depending on recipe adjustments, they are well worth the 10 to 15 mins to make. Build muscle foods.


----------



## xchewbaccax777 (Nov 11, 2013)

gymgirl said:


> Fast, Cheap and Simple
> 
> 1 cup Natural peanut butter
> 8 tablespoons honey
> ...



Thanks for the recipies


----------



## giordi (Nov 11, 2013)

Looks great,  goin shopping today and will only need honey,  thanks


----------



## ForestJames (Nov 14, 2013)

Super foods are fantastic and should be incorporated into every health and fitness plan. However, as with anything else, they must be eaten in moderation. 

EasyWeightLossFast.com | Lose Weight Quickly The Easy Way...


----------



## Gresham (Feb 20, 2014)

The natural protein foods are the best to burn the fat and build the muscles at the same time. 
The more effective foods for this purposes are: 
Eggs, fish, salmon, mouton, yogurt, nuts, beans, green leafy vegetables and roots beats.


----------



## fadric (Sep 5, 2014)

Great tips which you sharing with us, I would like to say that some authentic weight loss pills are necessary for losing weight.Garcinia Cambogia best weight loss pills which can give you rid from overweight and extra fats without any side effect.


----------



## Sandpig (Sep 5, 2014)

20 Super Foods You Need to Build Muscle & Lose Fat????????


I think it should read Foods That Will HELP

I don't eat/use a lot of what's on the list and I know a certain 4x Mr. Olympia who doesn't either.


----------



## Alinshop (Sep 5, 2014)

:action-smiley-033:Great read. Now it's time to go eat my 8 whole eggs!


----------

