Protein is the main ingredient of muscle tissue, carbs power your workouts and prevent muscle breakdown, and fat supports hormones like testosterone that help muscles grow. The following are the healthiest sources of each nutrient.
<p class='slide-count'>1 of 11</p><img width="1109" height="614" src="/uploadfile/2025/0117/20250117165521963.jpg"><p class="photo-credit">Lauri Patterson / Getty</p>Lean Meat (Any Kind)
These include chicken, beef, and turkey. When it comes to beef, choose cuts of meat labeled loin or round, and trim away any visible fat before cooking to ensure a high-quality protein source with the right amount of calories.
Travis Rathbone
Fish and Seafood
It’s high in protein, low in calories, and contains a lot less fat than meat (and it’s often the best type of fat: heart-healthy, muscle-building omega-3s). Eating more fish will add not only muscle to your body, but also years to your life.
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Eggs
The amino acids in eggs are converted into muscle, skin, collagen, and other body tissue more efficiently than the proteins from any other food you can eat (or drink). An 85-calorie egg somehow delivers seven grams of protein—a beyond-solid investment in your health.
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Protein Powder
Endless hours in the gym can only be so effective without being supplemented by something. Protein powder is a critically efficient way to bulk up and make sure your gym time isn’t going unsupported.
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Potatoes
Potatoes provide healthy amounts of potassium and fiber to your diet—and you probably aren’t getting enough of either, since Americans are falling short of the recommended targets for starchy vegetables.
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Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes aid muscle growth due to carotenoids, a plant compound that squelches cell damage caused by challenging workouts. They’re also packed with potassium, a critical component in muscle contraction.
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Rice
Rice provides magnesium, which has been shown to aid muscle contraction. Brown rice is also a tremendous source of fiber, an elusive nutrient.
Travis Rathbone
Fruit
Constant lifting, squatting, and pressing can wreak havoc on your joints. Luckily, vitamin C is a significant fighter against degenerative joint conditions. Get your vitamin C from citrus fruits, and your potassium from bananas.
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Avocado
A great way to get your fiber fix without filling up, avocados also contain high levels of monounsaturated fats. A study published in Diabetes Care showed switching to a diet high in monounsaturated fats can prevent the redistribution of body fat toward your abs. This will help you keep your midsection tight while your get bigger.
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Seeds and Nuts
Healthy fats like polyunsaturated (like omega-3 fatty acids) add to the feeling of fullness you get from eating nuts and seeds. Pistachios are the all-stars. Forty-nine nuts equal six grams of protein and about 160 calories.
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Oils
In addition to being packed with heart-healthy fats, extra-virgin olive oil is loaded with polyphenols. Polyphenols are a power class of antioxidants that will help keep the oxidative stress created by your intense training sessions in check so you can continue to grow and train at your max. If your olive oil has a peppery taste, then you know it is full of polyphenols.