Bodybuilding Nutrition: Foods to Eat and Avoid

 

Like training, diet is a vital part of bodybuilding.

Eating the right foods in the appropriate amounts provides your muscles with the nutrients they need to recover from workouts and grow bigger and stronger.

Conversely, consuming the wrong foods or not consuming enough of the right ones will leave you with subpar results.

Here are foods you should focus on and foods to limit or avoid:

Foods to Focus On

The foods you eat don’t need to differ between the bulking and cutting phase — usually, it’s the amounts that do.

Foods to eat include (7Trusted Source):

• Meats, poultry and fish: Sirloin steak, ground beef, pork tenderloin, venison, chicken breast, salmon, tilapia and cod.
• Dairy: Yogurt, cottage cheese, low-fat milk and cheese.
• Grains: Bread, cereal, crackers, oatmeal, quinoa, popcorn and rice.
• Fruits: Oranges, apples, bananas, grapes, pears, peaches, watermelon and berries.
• Starchy vegetables: Potatoes, corn, green peas, green lima beans and cassava.
• Vegetables: Broccoli, spinach, leafy salad greens, tomatoes, green beans, cucumber, zucchini, asparagus, peppers and mushrooms.
• Seeds and nuts: Almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and flax seeds.
• Beans and legumes: Chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, black beans and pinto beans.
• Oils: Olive oil, flaxseed oil and avocado oil.

Foods to Limit

While you should include a variety of foods in your diet, there are some you should limit.

These include:

• Alcohol: Alcohol can negatively affect your ability to build muscle and lose fat, especially if you consume it in excess (8Trusted Source).
• Added sugars: These offer plenty of calories but few nutrients. Foods high in added sugars include candy, cookies, doughnuts, ice cream, cake and sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soda and sports drinks(5Trusted Source).
• Deep-fried foods: These may promote inflammation and — when consumed in excess — disease. Examples include fried fish, french fries, onion rings, chicken strips and cheese curds (9Trusted Source).

In addition to limiting these, you may also want to avoid certain foods before going to the gym that can slow digestion and cause stomach upset during your workout.

These include:

• High-fat foods: High-fat meats, buttery foods and heavy sauces or creams.
• High-fiber foods: Beans and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower.
• Carbonated beverages: Sparkling water or diet soda.