Eating to Gain Muscle

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Illustration of the type of food to eat to gain healthy weight.If your primary goal is to gain muscle, eating right is a key component. Here are 6 tips for healthful weight gain.

 

1. Consistently eat three hearty meals per day; make mealtime a priority.

2. Consistently eat larger than normal portions (e.g., instead of one sandwich at lunch, have two).

3. Eat an extra snack (e.g., a large peanut butter sandwich with a tall glass of milk) before bedtime. Pay attention to mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks as well.

4. Select higher calorie foods (e.g., cranberry juice instead of orange juice, and split pea soup instead of vegetable soup.

5. Drink lots of juice and milk instead of water.

6. Perform resistance training exercises to build muscle.

Protein supplements and other "mass builders" are expensive and tend t promote misconceptions about muscle building. Increasing muscle mass results from the right kind of exercise and a healthy diet the energy to exercise and fuel muscle activity is supplied by a diet high in carbohydrates. Extra, less expensive calories can easily come from juices and healthy foods.

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