3 crucial food lists (what lean and muscular people eat)

Original article

This protein list is not a personal prescription for you - but here are

the most popular lean protein sources eaten by bodybuilders and other

physique athletes

LEAN PROTEIN:

egg whites

eggs whole

liquid egg whites (carton)

chicken breast

turkey breast

top round steak (very lean red meat)

leanest cuts of bison/buffalo

lean game meat (elk, venison, etc)

salmon (fish with high omega-3 fat content)

Tilapia and other white fish (lean fish)

Shellfish

lowfat cottage cheese or high protein dairy products

Protein powders /protein shakes (whey, casein, or mixes)

Obviously vegetarians have to use high protein plant sources, but the

principle and objective is the same for everyone: Have a lean protein 

source with every meal. Simple. Part 1 of the 3-part meal DONE!

Next is the fibrous carbs. These include vegetables which are usually

high in fiber and always low in caloric density.  Think greens

and think non starchy veggies

FIBROUS CARBS:

broccoli

asparagus

green beans

onions

bell peppers (green or red)

onions

tomatoes (yes i know technically its a fruit)

Cauliflower

Spinach

Lettuce/ leafy salad greens

Cucumber

Celery

Squash

Carrots (technically a starchy but low cal)

Mushrooms

Brussels Sprouts

This of course, is only a partial list, but these are the fibrous carbs that

I see appear on fat burning meal plans of "the lean people" more often

than any others.

Put a lean protein and a fibrous carb together and 1 + 2 = BANG!

There you have a maximum fat burning meal (meaning, its high protein

content is thermogenic and the meal is hard to overeat due to the low

calorie density and the food form). This could actually create automatic fat loss. 

  

Last but not least: poor, misunderstood starchy carbs.

Yes, you'll eat more lean protein and more fibrous carbs for maximum

fat loss, but if you want to gain muscle or provide fuel to an athletic

lifestyle, its very misguided to demonize and or exclude all the starchy carbs.

These carbs make up an important part of the year-round diet of

the leanest most muscular physique athletes.  The key is to pick the right

ones, and then manipulate the starchy carbs based on goals and body type.

That's why I call starchy carbs the X factor. X is a variable.  Lean protein

and fibrous carbs are a constant. The amount of X (starchy carbs) can

vary a LOT from person to person. 

Eat more of them for muscle gain and fueling endurance work, and yes

even eat them for fat loss, but less of them and use nutrient timing (load

them after your workouts - before and after if you've got calories to spare)

STARCHY CARBS

old fashioned rolled or steel cut oatmeal (unsweetened)

yams or sweet potatoes

white baked potatoes

brown rice

beans, peas and legumes

quinoa (and other less common grains - spelt, amaranth, etc)

100% whole grains and whole grain products (pastas, breads,

tortillas, etc)

By far the first four - oats, yams, potatoes and rice are the most 

popular starchy carbs in the physique world - staples. These are

the natural starches. Beans and legumes are also popular and

grains like quinoa are rising in popularity (can be served like

rice or as a morning porridge). 

Grains have really been beaten up lately (diet scapegoat of the year),

even the whole grains, but but for people without problems with

wheat or gluten, whole grain pasta and whole grain breads do show

up on physique athlete meal plans, and we see lean and muscular

athletes eating them all the time - mostly however, in the muscle

building phase and or at post-workout meals. 

Now, putting it all together you can see that a traditional muscle building meal

is 1 + 2 + 3: (lean + starchy + fibrous)

eggs + oatmeal + omelet veggies

tilapia + rice + broccoli

chicken breast + sweet potato + asparagus

What about fruit? That's a separate topic, but yes, plug your favorite fruit into

any meal instead of some of the starchy and fibrous carb calories - example:

eggs + smaller portion of oats + mixed fruit cup

There is a little number crunching to hit your calorie and macro goals, but

this is not difficult or complicated.

The "TRICKY" part is the manipulation of that starchy carb intake - that X factor - and

that takes some knowledge of how your body type responds to concentrated carbs.