The benefits of a good bodybuilding program are numerous. In addition to an increase in strength, you have more energy, stronger bones, less chance of injury, and less chance of some major diseases. If you add good foods to build muscle, you will find that the benefits increase many times over. What are some good food choices for building muscle? The following are some sensible principles for eating right and building muscle mass.

First, it is recommended to eat 5-6 smaller meals every day instead of the traditional 3 larger meals. You want to eat every 3 hours. You can determine how many meals by dividing the number of hours you are awake by 3. If you are awake 18 hours, eat 6 meals. This avoids taxing your digestive system by overloading it with protein and carbohydrates at every meal, which leads to bloating, poor digestion, and excess body fat.

Second, about 35% of your total daily caloric intake should be protein. The general rule of thumb is to consume about 1 gram of protein for every pound of body weight every day. This should be around 40-60 grams of protein at each meal for men and 30-40 grams at each meal for women. When choosing your protein source, look for high-quality protein, such as lean meats, poultry, and fish. For dairy products, try cottage cheese, yogurt, and some part-skim cheeses. Eggs, egg whites, seeds, and nuts are also an excellent source of protein. If needed, you can add a whey protein powder to increase your protein intake.

Third, you should eat between 60 and 80 grams of carbohydrates at each meal. Carbohydrates provide our body with energy. Without enough, the muscle building process will slow down because muscle tissue can be used for energy. You want to eat mostly complex, high-fiber, low-glycemic carbohydrates instead of simple carbohydrates found in processed and junk foods. Try to eat mostly whole grains, brown rice, barley, oatmeal, beans, buckwheat, and cornmeal along with a good variety of fruits and vegetables.

Fourth, getting the right kind of fats in our bodies is essential to any healthy diet. About 30% of your caloric intake should be fat. There are 3 types of fats, saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, and the key is to balance your intake by consuming around 1/3 of each per day. Since most North Americans are deficient in mono (olive oils) and poly (fish oils) fats and are sufficiently saturated, you should be sure to increase the amount of olive oil and fish oil in your diet.

Finally, choose whole foods as much as possible. To optimize your health and muscle gain plan, eat good, healthy foods at least 80% of the time. By following these tips for eating good foods to build muscle, you’ll be well on your way to getting the best health benefits that will promote the best muscle gain possible.