Best foods for muscle gain
Foods that support muscle gain — protein for synthesis, carbs for fuel, calorie density for the surplus.
Muscle gain requires a calorie surplus plus 0.8-1.0g/lb protein. These foods make hitting both targets easy without volume eating yourself sick.
18 top picks
- 🍗
1. Chicken thigh
199 kcal · 24.7g P · 1 thigh boneless
- 🐟
2. Salmon
235 kcal · 24.9g P · 4 oz fillet
- 🥩
3. Ground beef (90/10)
221 kcal · 30.5g P · 4 oz patty
- 🥩
4. Sirloin steak
350 kcal · 51g P · 6 oz steak
- 🥚
5. Eggs (large)
78 kcal · 6.5g P · 1 large egg
- 🥤
6. Whey protein (1 scoop)
114 kcal · 24g P · 1 scoop (~30g)
- 🥣
7. Cottage cheese (low-fat)
183 kcal · 24.9g P · 1 cup
- 🥣
8. Greek yogurt (plain, nonfat)
145 kcal · 24.5g P · 1 cup
- 🥣
9. Oatmeal (cooked)
166 kcal · 5.8g P · 1 cup cooked
- 🍚
10. White rice (cooked)
205 kcal · 4.3g P · 1 cup cooked
- 🍠
11. Sweet potato
112 kcal · 2.1g P · 1 medium baked
- 🍝
12. Pasta (cooked)
221 kcal · 8.1g P · 1 cup cooked
- 🍌
13. Banana
105 kcal · 1.3g P · 1 medium
- 🥜
14. Peanut butter
94 kcal · 4g P · 1 tbsp
- 🌰
15. Almonds (raw)
162 kcal · 5.9g P · 1 oz (~23 nuts)
- 🥑
16. Avocado
320 kcal · 4g P · 1 medium
- 🥛
17. Milk (whole)
146 kcal · 7.7g P · 1 cup (8 oz)
- 🥓
18. Pork tenderloin
162 kcal · 29.4g P · 4 oz
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