5 Quick Muscle Building Meals

When it comes to building the physique of your dreams exercise is only part of the solution. Proper nutrition is equally important, if not even more so. How you fuel and re-fuel your body determines your success, without the required nutrients you body can neither perform to it maximum nor can it adapt properly by building bigger and stronger muscle. Unfortunately few of us can afford to spend countless hours preparing meals and forking out a small fortune on prepared meals. With modern life, long working hours, and busy family lives it can be very difficult to get the proper nutrition your body deserves after all your hard work in gym. These 5 quick and easy meals can help you when you are strapped for time, but you need to get those nutrients in.

4 Eggs Omelette with Peppers and Onion
What you need;
4 whole eggs
1 tablespoon of extra virgin coconut oil
Half a red pepper
Half a red onion
30g of grated cheese
This meal is one of my personal favourites for its incredible taste and how easy and quick it is to make. First of all, finely slice up half the red onion and red pepper and then whisk 4 whole eggs into a bowl. Heat the pan with a moderate heat, and then when the coconut oil until it turns liquid add the 4 whisked whole eggs. Add the sliced red onion and red peppers, and then add the grated cheese over the top. Once the underside of the omelette begins to brown, stick it under the grill to lightly brown the top and melt the cheese. Packed with essential fatty acids and protein from the eggs, MCTs from coconut oil, and important vitamins and minerals from the onions and peppers, this calorie packed, low carbohydrate meal is an ideal metabolism boosting breakfast.
Nutrition facts;
Calories            535
Protein            34g
Fat            38g
Sat Fat            19g
Carbohydrates        11g
Sugars            7g

Chicken Satay with Quinoa and Asparagus
What you need;
70g (dry weight) quinoa
1 chicken breast fillet (approx 125g)
30g of peanut butter
3 tablespoons of Greek yoghurt
Half of a garlic clove
Half of a red onion
Half of a chilli
100g of asparagus
This meal is one of my favourite post workout meals. It tastes incredible, is packed with important macro and micro-nutrients, and is very easy to make. Boil 70g of quinoa for approximately 10-15 mins, using a steamer to simultaneously steam the asparagus. Mix 30g of peanut butter (crunchy or smooth it’s your choice) with 3 tablespoons of greek yoghurt, half a mashed garlic clove, half a sliced red onion and chilli in a bowl to make the peanut butter satay. Take your pre cooked chicken breast and chop it up into small parts and then mix into the peanut butter satay you just mixed. Once the quinoa and asparagus are ready, all you need to do is serve up and enjoy. This meal is part full of muscle building protein and carbohydrates. Quinoa is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients such as vitamins B and E, calcium, magnesium, dietary fibre and has twice the protein content of rice.
Nutrition facts;
Calories            664
Protein            61g
Fat            21g
Sat Fat            4g
Carbohydrates        59g
Sugars            6g
Fibre            10g

 

Tuna and Mayonnaise Wholegrain Sandwich with Spinach
What you need;
4 Slices of Wholegrain Bread
1 can of tuna in spring water/brine
50g of spinach
2 tablespoons of low fat mayonnaise
This one may be surprising inclusion in an article to most people given that is a standard lunch time meal had by many people. However, it is a very healthy meal with solid amounts of carbohydrates and protein that can be put together in less than a few minutes. Adding fresh spinach and using low fat can make it a solid post workout meal.
Nutrition facts;
Calories            537
Protein            53g
Fat            6g
Sat Fat            1g
Carbohydrates        65g
Sugars            7g
Fibre            11g

Lean Mince Stuffed Peppers and Brown Rice
What you need;
200g of lean beef mince
2 peppers
½ cup kidney beans
4 tablespoons of salsa
30g of grated cheese
Half of a red onion
50g Cous Cous

This is an incredibly delicious meal that takes very little time to create but is packed with all the nutrients needed to pack on muscle. Beef mince is packed with protein and iron, valuable nutrients for building muscle. Peppers are one of the best natural sources of vitamin C around, and have higher quantities than most fruit. I often like to use cous cous as a carb source in my meals, as it is a great tasting way to break the monotony of brown rice ad sweet potatos.
 Start off by removing the tops and insides of the peppers and place them on a baking tray in the over for around ten minutes. Cook the mince in a pan with the kidney beans and half a red onion. Add boiling water to the cous cous and let it sit for few minutes. Remove the peppers and add the mince to them, then place the salsa and grated cheese over the top. Place back in the oven for 5-10 mins. Remove from oven, add the cous cous and then enjoy.

Nutrition Facts;
Calories            770
Protein            66g
Fat            21g
Sat Fat            10g
Carbohydrates        83g
Sugars            19g
Fibre            16g

Wholegrain Turkey Wraps
What you need;
125g turkey breast
2 wholemeal tortilla wraps
Half a red pepper
Half a red onion
30g of raw spinach
4 tablespoons of low fat mayonnaise
4 tablespoons of salsa

Our final tasty quick meal is a perfect workplace lunchtime option. Packed with high quality protein, wholegrain carbohydrates, and shed load of vitamins and minerals, this meal is a perfect all bases covered muscle building meal. Incredibly easy to create, all you need to do is dice up the cooked turkey breast, peppers and onions and add them to the wrap. Add the spinach and sauces and you are done! As easy as that to make and with and excellent nutritional profile, this is a superb meal for when you are strapped for time.

Nutrition Facts;
Calories            645
Protein            53g
Fat            12g
Sat Fat            2g
Carbohydrates        76g
Sugars            13g
Fibre            12g

 

Beau Scott

BSc Sports Biomedicine and Nutrition