Skip the Protein Shakes: 8 Muscle-Building Foods to Eat Instead - CNET

These whole foods provide the nutrients you need for muscle growth and taste way better than protein powder.

Although that's certainly one way to boost your protein intake, you can actually find it in many delicious whole food sources.

With a little effort, it's easy to add plenty of foods with high protein and other muscle-building nutrients to your diet.

In this article, we'll look at how various foods help you build muscle mass — and the best things to eat if you're trying to boost your strength.

Although protein is essential for muscle building, it's not the only important food component in the process.

Total calorie intake also plays a role in muscle building, as it's difficult to build muscle if you're burning more calories than you consume.

Here are eight muscle-building foods you can eat to optimize your workouts and increase your muscle mass.

It's one of the best lean sources of protein you can eat, and it's full of other vitamins and minerals.

These are one of the most nutrient-dense legumes you can eat, and they pack a potent punch of protein to aid in building muscle.

When consumed together, these two types of protein may enhance and prolong the protein-synthesis process that your muscles go through when rebuilding, helping you build your lean mass.

It's a perfect food for building muscle and maximizing the benefits of your workouts.

Adding these muscle-building foods to your diet will definitely help you on your way to boosting muscle mass and increasing your strength.

Remember, though, that boosting muscle mass takes time – and diet is only one piece of the puzzle