Top 5 Mass Foods

It seems the teens on bodybuilding.com ask what foods they should eat to gain mass quite often. Recently I've been responding with this list. Here are the reasons why I think these foods are effective.

1. Red Meat - High fat and high protein. It's great for your male sex hormones and packs plenty of cholesterol for the synthesis of them. Many a bodybuilder has reported increased hypertrophy when eating red meat as opposed to leaner sources. It's likely due to the extra fat but some even swear that they still get better gains when calories are controlled. There is also natural creatine in red meat.

2. Whole Eggs - Again a high fat and high protein food. Like red meat, it is quite high in cholesterol as well. However, dietary cholesterol is not very good at raising your blood cholesterol. Saturated fat is much better at it and, believe it or not, most eggs have about 1g of saturated fats (and plenty of heart healthy monounsaturated fats). Eggs are a good source of lecithin and choline as well. These are substances that are currently being marketed as supplements!

3. Olive Oil - This is a great healthy fat that is dirt cheap. It is rich in heart healthy omega-9 fatty acid oleic acid. Adding a TBSP or two to your shakes is easy to consume and packs a ton of healthy calories!

4. Waxy Maize Starch - OK at least one carbohydrate source had to make the list, right? Waxy Maize is a high molecular weight carbohydrate that enters and leaves the stomach very quickly leaving you hungry soon after you eat it. This is great for mass gain as you won't feel bloated. Waxy Maize is great for after your workouts as it allows for quick glycogen replenishment. It's especially good if the typical dextrose/maltodextrin combo tends to crash you.

5. Peanut Butter - Every loves peanut butter! Like olive oil and WMS, it's easy to eat and digests slowly. In 3rd world countries, they make a powder out of peanut butter because they've found that it snaps people out of starvation quicker than most foods.