If you’re a skinny guy or girl looking to gain muscle mass and put on some healthy solid weight, then you’re probably familiar with the idea that “you are what you eat”. Knowing what to eat to gain muscle mass is really half the battle of building the body of your dreams.

Many folks make the mistake of thinking that simply focusing on their workout program down the gym is the secret to gain muscle mass quickly. However, as most bodybuilders will tell you, your muscles are made in the kitchen. Your diet and what you eat will really determine the level of success you have in your efforts to gain muscle mass.

Get the scoop on 3 of my favourite muscle building foods below, and be sure to include them in your nutrition plan of what to eat to gain muscle mass.

Oatmeal

Most bodybuilders swear by oatmeal when considering what to eat to gain muscle mass, and it is often their staple breakfast.

A great source of complex carbohydrates, oatmeal is slow to digest and so releases energy gradually, keeping your blood sugar levels regular and preventing spikes and crashes (which can contribute to excess body fat).

The drawback to oatmeal is that it can keep you fuller for longer, which can make high calorie consumption a little more difficult to achieve. Make sure you are buying raw oats, and include things like dried fruits and nuts along with milk to get the added protein and calories that your body requires to gain muscle mass.

Lean Red Meat

Red meat has come under fire in recent years with many people seeing it as an unhealthy choice of what to eat to gain muscle mass, often preferring white meats like chicken and turkey as they are seen as containing less fat.

However, as a skinny guy or girl you should be looking to include lean red meat as part of your nutrition plan (in addition to the white meats mentioned above).

The reason is that red meat is a fantastic muscle builder with high levels of protein, and high levels of iron, which aids your body’s ability to deliver oxygen to your muscles more effectively and thus, help you to build muscle faster.

Nuts

I love nuts, always have, ever since I was a kid. They just happen to be one of the best muscle building foods out there too, with massive amounts of protein and high calories (nuts contain about 25%-30% protein).

Again, nuts seem to have to gotten a bit of a bad press, mainly because many people only look at fat and calorie content and not nutritional value. Nuts contain good fats that help to keep you lean while building muscle mass, and their protein and calorie values will help you achieve your daily calorie goals a lot easier.

Since they are easy to carry around, they make for a great healthy snack when you’re feeling peckish. Don’t buy the salted/honey roasted varieties as these are quite unhealthy.