One of the most important factors in building rock hard lean muscle mass is the muscle building foods you eat. In other words if you don’t eat the right foods and the right amount of those foods your hours in the gym are useless. Yes, it can sometimes be a pain to eat right and it is easier to just grab a fast food hamburger. However, why waste all that time in the gym and destroy your muscle building efforts by simply not eating the right muscle building foods.

It can be very simple once you get started on a good muscle building nutrition program. This article will answer three of the most common questions people have about developing a nutrition program. It will answer how much to eat, when to eat and what to eat

How Much
The first thing that everyone always wants to know is how much to eat.  There are the calorie counters out there that want to know the exact calorie amount and there are those that want to know the percentages of protein versus carbs and so on and so forth.  Honestly every person is different and there are many different body types.  You have to find what works best for you.  If you are a skinny guy trying to bulk up your nutrition plan will look very different then if you are a guy with a few pounds to lose in the process.  However, the one universal advice from all successful body builders and just health and fitness experts in general is to eat at least 6 small meals a day.  If you need to lose weight make sure you restrict the total calorie amount by about 300 to 500 calories under what your normally should eat for your height and weight.  If you are a skinny guy go ahead and add 300 to 500 calories to your overall diet. 

When
You should eat pretty much every 5 hours or less.  You want to keep all of your meals in small portions and not eat big meals.  By eating continually throughout the day every 3 to 5 hours you will keep your metabolism moving.

What
This is the most important part because eating six meals a day of chips and junk food for sure is going to prevent you from ever reaching your goal.  Therefore what you eat is probably the most important facto of any of the three.  You want to eat good quality muscle building foods.  These are foods that are high in protein and fiber yet low in calories, carbs and sugars.  Here is a list of the top 5 sources of muscle building foods.

Red Meat -  Yup that is right you can eat red meat as long as it is a lean cut of meat and your make sure to trim off any fat.  Do not buy meats that are marbled with fats like carne asada or flank steak.  Instead buy cuts of premium quality meat that you can easily trim off the fat or have low fat content to begin with.

Chicken and Turkey – Chicken and turkey are great sources of protein and are very low in fat.  They are the true best friend of any muscle building fitness expert.  You can always eat chicken or turkey breast.  Just make sure the skin is off and the chicken is broiled, boiled or coked over flame.  You don’t want fried or battered.

Fish – Fish is a great source of protein and the Omega 3 fatty acids which are very healthy for the body.  You can eat fish at least 3 times a week.

Fruits and Vegetables – fruits and vegetables provide lots of fiber, , zinc, iron and minerals that your body needs to build lean muscle mass.  Make sure you get your fruits and especially your vegetables in each day.

By eating these high quality sources of muscle building foods you will help improve your recovery time and your body’s ability to rebuild strong muscle and shred extra fat.  Also you want to avoid sugar and drink as much water as possible to keep the nutrients that you are consuming moving throughout your body.