3 Quick And Easy Muscle Building Meals You Can Make In Under 5 Minutes!

If you are sick to death of tasteless cardboard like Protein bars and eating tuna out of a can then these 3 quick and easy Muscle building meals you can make in under 5 minutes, might be worth adding to your muscle building cookbook!

No Cooking Required!

As with every recipe article published at Train-Natural I have produced a complete nutritional breakdown for each high protein meal. I do this to provide you with the knowledge to help improve your food choices and tailor your diet towards building muscle.

High Protein Pudding – Chocolate Mousse

This is muscle meal is a personal favourite of mine and something that really satisfies those late night cravings for sweet and Chocolate foods when dieting. The benefit of course is that this succumbing to cravings doesn’t negatively impact your diet of macros.

High Protein Pudding – Macros
Protein	Carbohydrates	Fats	Calories
50g	21g	2g	307 kcal

Preparation time = 3 minutes

Ingredients

• 250g of Total 0% Fat Free Greek Yoghurt
• 1 scoop of Chocolate Protein Powder
• 30g of blueberries
• 50g of strawberries
• 3g of dark chocolate

Method

• Empty 250g of total 0% fat free greek yoghurt into a clean bowl
• Add 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder into the bowl and begin to mix
• You may need to add a couple of teaspoons of water to help with the consistency of the mixture.
• Continue until powder and yoghurt have turned a mousse brown colour
• Chop your strawberries into small pieces and with blueberries add to the bowl
• Mix the fruit into the mousse with a spoon
• Grate your dark chocolate and sprinkle on top of the mousse to finish
• Sit down and enjoy!

Nutritional Benefit Breakdown Of Individual Ingredients

Fat Free Greek Yoghurt

As well as being fat free, greek yoghurt is a fantastic source of protein. The process of straining which is used to create Greek yoghurt is what helps to provide this highly concentrated protein source. The protein source prominent in Greek yoghurt is Casein. Casein is a slow digesting milk protein which provides the body with a steady release of amino acids.

One study published in 2012 by the medicine and science in sports and exercise showed that consuming casein before bed provided an increase in blood amino acid levels that was sustained throughout the night, resulting in a 22% increase in protein synthesis. Depending on your dietary requirements you can use full or reduced fat Greek yoghurt as part of your pursuit to building muscle, but always opt for the plain over the added sugar variants.

Blueberries

Blueberries are not only incredibly rich in vitamins and minerals but they are also known to have some of the highest antioxidant concentration among fruits and vegetables. Oxidative damage which antioxidants help prevent are unfortunately part of our everyday lives. Oxidative DNA damage is partly down to why we deteriorate with age and plays an important role in the development of diseases such as cancer. Blueberries which are high in antioxidants help neutralize some of the free radicals which damage our DNA. One study found that drinking 1 litre of blueberry and apple juice every day reduced oxidative DNA damage caused by free radicals reduced by 20%.

Blueberries are also beneficial in terms of treating muscle soreness and fatigue. Consuming blueberries may reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the muscle tissue resulting in a reduction in soreness and improvement in muscle recovery. A small study involving 10 female athletes found that EIMD (exercise induced muscle damage) recovery was accelerated when consuming blueberries.

Strawberries

Strawberries are a fantastic source of vitamins C, K, folic acid, fire, manganese and potassium. They have been used throughout history for a variety of medicinal purposes including help with digestion, teeth whitening and skin irritations. Like blueberries they are also packed with flavonoids and antioxidants.

Dark Chocolate

Regarding health, fat loss and muscle building chocolate gets a pretty bad rep but in fact it can be beneficial not only to general health but also your bodies ability to build muscle. Dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao content is packed with antioxidants called flavonoids, these flavonoids have been shown to neutralize the free radicals that cause chronic disease, inflammation and premature ageing. Dark chocolate and cacao are one of the richest sources of epicatechin and flavonoids. Epicatechin itself can be very beneficial when regarding testosterone production. Epicatechin stimulates the pituitary gland which helps secrete key hormones relative too testosterone production. This in tern promotes strength, muscle growth and improved sexual function. So take a mental note… not all chocolate is bad!

Muscle Building Meal 2: Tuna Avocado Mash

Tuna Avocado Mash is a muscle building meal I have been eating fairly frequently for the last couple of years. It is low carb, high protein and full of healthy fats to keep your testosterone levels high. It takes minutes to make and is my go-to meal if I don’t fancy cooking.

Tuna Avocado Mash – Macros
Protein	Carbohydrates	Fats	Calories
39g	13g	22g	404 kcal

Preparation time = 3 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tin of 130g John West Tuna Chunks In Spring Water
• 1 medium sized avocado
• 50g of Fresh leaf spinach
• Cayenne Pepper Seasoning

Method

• Begin by draining your 130g tin of tuna and add into a clean bowl
• Peel your avocado add to bowl and begin to mash with fork
• keep mashing and mixing until tuna and avocado have reached a paste type consistency
• Add spinach and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper to season
• Perform a final mix
• Serve and Enjoy!

Nutritional Benefit Breakdown Of Individual Ingredients

Tuna

Tuna fish is a widely available inexpensive protein source which can be consumed straight out of the can. It has a solid vitamin and mineral profile with good levels of vitamin C, B6, B12, niacin, zinc, selenium, phosphorous, iron, magnesium and potassium. Furthermore tuna is high in omega 3 fatty acids, which among various other health benefits also play a role in the bodies ability to build muscle. One study from Washington University found that supplementing with omega 3 increased the muscle building (anabolic) response in healthy men and women.

Avocado

If you have read my post titled “The 13 Best Foods To Naturally Increase Testosterone” Then you will already be aware of avocados effect on natural testosterone levels. Optimising testosterone levels naturally is key to increasing lean muscle mass, improving strength and reducing body fat. Avocados are packed full of testosterone boosting monounsaturated fats (the good fat) whilst also being a source of bitter glycoside and oleuropein (two compounds which have shown to increase testosterone levels in animal studies).

Furthermore avocados contain 20 dietary vitamins and minerals including vitamins K2, A, C, B2, B5, B6, zinc, copper and magnesium most of which aid with a variety of bodily functions and health benefits so you can see why everyone is instagraming pictures of them.

Fresh Leaf Spinach

This leafy green superfood has been surprisingly effective in its muscle building benefits, as well as a variety of health benefits including lowering blood pressure and improving bone health. Spinach has also been proven to lower oestrogen levels, is rich in vitamin C, vitamin E  and magnesium which are all essential testosterone building blocks.

Cayenne Pepper

You will often find Cayenne Pepper in a large majority of fat burning supplements and it is there for a reason! its use in fat burning supplements is due to its claimed ability increase metabolism, therefore enhancing the bodies ability to burn fat. Cayenne peppers ability to increase fat burning has actually been backed up by a number of studies. One of these studies which focussed on the effects capsaicin consumption (capsaicin is the primary compound in cayenne pepper which delivers the hot and spicy taste). The study found that fat oxidisation (fat burning) was enhanced when a small dosage of capsaicin was added to subjects meals. Therefore a sprinkling of cayenne pepper on a meals is an effective way of optimising your bodies ability to burn fat.

Muscle Building Meal 3: Pre Gym Chocolate Protein Porridge

Now I know I said that these meals would involve zero cooking but sticking a meal in the microwave for 2 minutes is in my opinion not proper cooking!

Pre Gym Chocolate protein porridge consists of a variety of ingredients which are all aimed to supply your body with exactly what it needs before hitting a heavy workout.

Pre Gym Chocolate Protein Porridge – Macros
Protein	Carbohydrates	Fats	Calories
38g	59g	6g	464 kcal

Ingredients

• 45g of MyProtein Total Chocolate Protein Powder
• 60g of porridge oats
• 30g of Blueberries
• 1/2 medium sized banana
• 3g of Cinnamon

Method

• Measure out 60g of porridge oats (2 scoops typically) and add to bowl
• Add 1 and 1/2 scoops of MyProtein total protein chocolate into bowl
• Pour in around 50ml of water and stir until mixture turns brown and protein powder has dissolved
• Chop banana and with blueberries add to the mixture
• sprinkle 3g of cinnamon on top and place in microwave at full power for 1.30-2 minutes.
• Once finished remove from microwave, stir, serve and enjoy!

Nutritional Benefit Breakdown Of Individual Ingredients

Porridge Oats

Oats are in my opinion the best source of carbohydrates to consume before a workout. For a start studies have shown they are a great source of important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants a healthy source of dietary fibre, as well as many other health benefits including weight loss, low blood sugar and a reduced risk of heat disease. But the fundamental reason for consuming oats before a workout is due to their slow releasing energy properties which allow you to remain fuller for longer and power through long workouts.

Bananas

Bananas are a strong source of bromelain. Bromelain is an enzyme that helps our bodies to digest protein and increase serum testosterone levels. Bananas are also rich in B-Vitamins which increase zinc absorption another mineral that enhances testosterone production therefore making them a great inclusion to any muscle building or fat loss diet.

In addition to this bananas also contain a substantial amount of dietary fibre which aids in mitigating blood sugar levels, helping to promoting a lean body composition.

Cinnamon

Similar to when you consume spicy food or hot peppers the presence of cinnamon in your body speeds up your metabolism as the spice itself takes slightly more energy to metabolise. In short this boost in metabolism means your body burns more calories at rest and can assist with weight loss and fat storage

Free Ebook!

I Hope you enjoyed these 3 quick and easy muscle building recipes!

If you interested in learning more about potential methods of increasing your muscle growth I have a Ebook available to Download for FREE Titled:

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This Mini Ebook focuses on the fatal errors people make when beginning a training program to gain lean muscle and how you can avoid them to maximise results.

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References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22330017

https://academic.oup.com/carcin/article/28/8/1800/2526773/Impact-of-multiple-genetic-polymorphisms-on

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10995120

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15123782

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583121/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3499967/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21675994

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21154195

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8875519

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3699483/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3835452/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20432242

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