10 perfect muscle building foods for men and women (1 - 5)

You really should give yourself a hand: You wake up before most of your city to put in time at the gym, pumping out reps and churning out miles.

You eat well, keep those cheat meals to a minimum and carry a water bottle everywhere. You're not in it for rapid weight loss, but that doesn't mean you don't have athletic—and aesthetic—goals. Don't you deserve foods just as dedicated to working hard for your body as your lifting schedule? Yeah, we thought so. Fuel your workouts—and recovery—with these muscle-building foods that pack in the protein without sacrificing flavor

1) Omega-3 Eggs

Eggs have been vilified for years as the poster child for artery clogging foods; but further research into the role of dietary cholesterol and heart disease shows that for most people the two are not linked. Eggs have since returned to the spotlight as a health food; but they are also a serious muscle building food. The cholesterol found in the yolk of eggs serves at the scaffolding for steroid hormones and the ½ a gram of leucine per egg is like throwing gasoline on your muscle building fire

2) Nuts

Nuts are a must for any hardgainer struggling to put on weight. One ounce of cashew or almonds contains 150-170 high quality calories. Nuts are the perfect blend of protein, fats, and fiber allowing you to get the extra calories you need without having them pad your waistline. Nuts are also extremely portable, making them one of the best healthy snacks to munch on during the day if you need to increase your calorie intake.

3) Protein Shake

A protein and carbohydrate recovery shake should be the cornerstone of your muscle building program. Drinking a shake consisting of protein and carbohydrates before your workout sets the stage for optimal muscle growth and nutrient usage. Research from several universities shows that this power nutrition combination puts the breaks on excess muscle breakdown, jacks up protein synthesis, rapidly refills muscle energy stores, increases blood flow to your muscles, up regulates creatine transport, and improves your body’s ability to process and use carbohydrates for hours following your workout. For quick and easy options, try one of these Grab-and-Go Protein Shakes.

4) Full-Fat Cottage Cheese With Live Cultures

Cottage cheese’s muscle building powers comes from two different components. Cottage cheese contains a high proportion of casein, the slow digesting dairy protein. When you eat casein you blood amino acid levels rise slowly and stay elevated for longer than if you would have eaten whey (the other dairy protein). Cottage cheese also contains live cultures which are good bacteria what will help you breakdown and absorb all the nutrients you need to get bigger and stronger.

5) Chickpeas

Chickpeas should be your anytime carb source of choice. If you are having trouble getting big and staying lean, replace some of the rice and grain in your diet with chickpeas. This versatile bean contains 45 grams of slow acting carbs per cup along with 12 grams of fiber. If you don't like them whole, try picking up some hummus; it's one of the 8 Superfoods You Should Eat Every Day.

Courtesy of Men's Fitness