Weird Muscle Building Foods

I’ve been traveling through South America for almost a year and as a someone with physique goals and a bodybuilding lifestyle, I try to eat in a way to facilitate muscle growth and fat loss, even while traveling without a schedule, gym membership, or my protein supplements.

This means that most of the time I’m forced to forgo traditional bodybuilding foods like oatmeal, Greek yogurt, and often even meat because it’s not available. While this makes my inner bro sad, it’s good to take a break from some of food staples because eating the same type of food cooked in the same way can lead to development of food allergies over time.

So what’s a dude with goals gotta do to still see some gains?

I’ve changed up my diet to reflect the culture and traditions of the countries I’ve been living in, and while unconventional, adding in some of these foods can be a break from the norm and result in some delicious meals and size gains.

Lentils

1 cup cooked

Calories: 230

Protein: 18g

Carbohydrates: 40g

Fats: <1g

Why Eat Lentils? Protein Powerhouse

Lentils are a powerhouse food from the legume family, but are known as ‘pulses’. Lentils have long been a part of the cuisine of many ancient cultures, and for good reason. They have plenty of fiber, amino acids, magnesium, copper and iron, making them a good choice for anyone who wants to sleep well, increase testosterone levels, and build a strong and healthy body(1).

Of the nine essential amino acids that make up a complete protein, lentils have a high concentration of all but methionine, which can be found plentifully in white or brown rice. Since rice and lentils are generally served together, this is a great way of getting complete protein when meat, dairy, or eggs are not available.

PROTIP: When cooking lentils, use 3 cups of water to 1 cup of raw lentils. Add the lentils AFTER the water is boiling, and don’t salt the water.

Plantain

1 cup cooked

Calories: 232

Protein: 2g

Carbohydrates: 62g

Fats: >1g

Why Eat Plantain? Get Your Micronutrients.

Plantains are high in vitamins and minerals that are necessary to stay healthy and aid in recovery from your workouts. With high amounts of vitamin A, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and folate, plantains are a great way to get micronutrients normally found in fruits and vegetables, while still giving you a starchy carb that will help with muscle gain.

Plantains look like bananas, but are much starchier and taste similar to potatoes. Found in many South American and Caribbean dishes, plantains are boiled, mashed, fried, or baked.

PROTIP: As plantains age, they turn more yellow and black, which changes some of the slow digesting fibrous carbs into fast digesting sugars. Treat ripe plantains as a post workout carb, and green plantains the same way you would potatoes or pasta.

Yuca

1 cup cooked

Calories: 330

Protein: 3g

Carbohydrates: 78g

Fats: <1g

Why Eat Yuca? Post Workout Carbs.

Yuca, also known as cassava, is a root vegetable that is high in calories, carbohydrates, and soluble fiber. This makes it a great choice for a post workout carbohydrate source, especially for hardgainers, or anyone who finds it difficult to eat enough calories.

If you have trouble gaining weight, then you know how challenging it can be to eat a lot of unprocessed carbs after training. Yuca makes it easy to get a high amount of carbs in order to refuel your muscles after a hard workout.

One cup of yuca has almost double the amount of calories as the same amount of white potatoes and can be cooked in similar ways.

PROTIP: Although boiling yuca is the most popular way of preparing it, it can make the root chewy and relatively boring to eat. After boiling it, try finishing it in a pan or oven with some coconut oil. Season with salt, pepper, and eat with hot sauce.

Not being at home is no excuse to stop eating to meet your goals. Whether you’re in a different city or country or are just bored of rice, try one of these three different options and let the gains begin.

Via : https://boutder.blogspot.com