Best foods: these are the best of the best in their category—for offseason and contest prep

Flex, Sept, 2005 by Chris Aceto

I'm sure you've heard this cliche of nutritional wisdom: "Eat a wide variety of foods to get the best array of vitamins, minerals and nutrients." That's great advice because there is no such thing as a single perfect food. In the realm of bodybuilding nutrition, you need a mix of proteins for growth and different complex carbohydrates for energy. You should also include plenty of vegetables and fruits to obtain phytochemicals, which are small nutritional compounds that provide antioxidant properties, support immunity, fight muscle inflammation and supply numerous other health benefits.

That said, I'm often asked which are the "best foods" for bodybuilders. The answer depends on what you are trying to accomplish and what you are looking for. Check out my list of the best bodybuilding foods. I've given you my choice for the best food in each category for getting cut and for adding quality mass. Of course, you should include other foods in each of these categories, too, but relying on these "best foods" as the cornerstone of your nutrition program will take you a long way toward your bodybuilding goals.

BEST MEAT

For Getting Cut | Turkey Breast

Drastically lower in fat than even the leanest cuts of red meat, turkey breast lets a bodybuilder pack in the protein with as few calories as possible. Eight ounces provide roughly 45 grams (g) of protein and only 2 g of fat, while the same amount of lean beef would provide 15 g of fat, yielding at least another 117 calories.

For Adding Mass | Flank Steak

Muscle building requires two major components--calories and protein--and you'll find both in flank steak. Although low-fat sources of protein are best for dropping fat, there's room for dietary fat in mass-gaining plans. Moderate amounts of dietary fat can be beneficial. Fat helps spare glycogen stores, exerting an anticatabolic effect, and it can upgrade the ability of the body to manufacture additional muscle glycogen. The saturated fat in red meat is also important for testosterone production. Red meat is dense in creatine, iron and vitamin [B.sub.12]--important muscle-building nutrients.

BEST FISH

For Getting Cut | Pollack

Fat-free or near fat-free precontest diets are extremely effective in removing bodyfat, because dietary fat, more so than carbs, is extremely efficient at making its way to bodyfat stores. Pollack, like turkey breast, is very low in fat and high in protein, plus it's low in calories, making it ideal for getting cut.

For Adding Mass | Salmon

Many bodybuilders think of salmon as a contest fish because it contains omega-3 fatty acids. Reports indicate that omega-3s can support fat burning, and they can. These fatty acids are primarily effective, however, when a bodybuilder has significantly leaned down already, meaning salmon is best consumed when a bodybuilder is near the end of a diet. For mass building, you can't beat salmon. Omega-3 fatty acids fight muscle inflammation, help spare the loss of glutamine and increase the storage of glycogen--all of which indirectly support protein synthesis, the fancy name for muscle growth. These fats also protect against muscle breakdown, which can have a significant impact on growth.

BEST VEGETABLES

For Getting Cut | Broccoli and Cauliflower

These low-calorie veggies provide compounds called indoles, which can lower estrogen levels in the body. Estrogen helps facilitate the storage of bodyfat. Broccoli and cauliflower are often found packaged together, or you can buy them separately and combine them as you choose. Honorable mention for best vegetable goes to asparagus, which exerts a diuretic effect to temporarily enhance muscle definition.

For Adding Mass | Peas and Corn

OK, peas and corn technically fall into the complex-carb category more than the "vegetable" category. They share many of the attributes of veggies, such as fiber and phytonutrients, but they yield many more calories than other veggies, so they are a natural for mass gainers. Still, keep in mind that mass-seeking bodybuilders often neglect vegetables, believing them to be "diet food." Actually, the body needs vegetables to enhance digestion and as a source of fiber, vitamins and minerals to keep the immune system healthy and to help the body properly use the amino acids and complex carbs it is getting. With the advent of shakes and the desire for more protein, a complete lack of vegetables may be one of the biggest shortfalls of many would-be mass-gaining diet plans.

BEST FRUIT

For Getting Cut | Strawberries

Yielding only 50 calories for a full cup, strawberries head the list. Their fiber content will help you feel full, allowing you to eat less and keep calories under control. Strawberries are also high in vitamin C and other nutrients. Cantaloupe comes in a close second. An entire small-size melon yields approximately 150 calories--about as many found in four rice cakes.

For Adding Mass | Raisins and Figs

I've yet to write up a hardgainer's nutrition plan that didn't include raisins--usually in the first meal of the day, mixed into oatmeal, Cream of Rice or Cream of Wheat cereals. I include them for the carbs. One-half cup of raisins yields 60 g of carbohydrates, the top source of energy for muscles during training. Raisins are not only dense in carbs, but they don't bloat the stomach. They are also rich in powerful antioxidants. Mixed with hot cereal, they make an ideal pre- or posttraining snack.