Food For Growth

Eating the right foods, and timing when you eat them, will help you gain muscle and lose fat. You need to eat 1 g of protein and 2 g of carbohydrates per pound of body weight each day. As for your calorie allotment, take in 10 calories per pound of body weight daily if you want to shed fat and gain muscle, or 15 calories per pound body weight if you are seeking to bulk up, Oregon State University exercise physiologist Gianni Maddalozzo says in Best Life magazine. Spread your calories over five to six meals a day and eat every three hours.

Animal Proteins

Whey protein is easy for your body to digest and use, says nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman, author of "The Fat Flush Fitness Plan." It's also rich in L-cysteine, Gittleman notes, which is used in your body for protein synthesis. However, you don't need to take protein supplements to gain what you need to build muscle, notes Maddalozzo. Just concentrate on low-fat, protein-rich foods such as skinless poultry, lean steak, low-fat cottage cheese and salmon.

Vegetable Proteins
Brendan Brazier, an Ironman triathlete and author of "Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life," recommends hemp protein. Hemp provides a complete protein, meaning it gives you all of the essential amino acids. These are the amino acids you need to consume because your body does not produce them. Hemp food also is easy to digest and has anti-inflammatory properties that help your body recover after a tough workout, says Brazier. Hemp is helpful in fat metabolism as well, Brazier says. Black beans are another vegetable source of protein, Maddalozzo notes.

Fiber
You also need to eat 35 g of fiber daily when you are working to gain muscle, according to Best Life. Include three pieces of fruit in this equation, recommends Maddalozzo. All fresh fruits are fine sources of fiber, say James W. Anderson and Nancy J. Gustafson in the book, "Dr. Anderson's High-Fiber Fitness Plan." You also gain vitamin C from melons, citrus fruit and mangoes, while you get vitamin A from cantaloupe, papaya and apricots.