Salads aren’t just for rabbits and vegans. If your goal is to get huge, increase strength, cut body fat or just maintain where you’re at, there better be plenty of greens in your Muscle building meal plan! Honestly, a meal without greens just ain’t a real meal

Why? There’s plenty of reasons, but we’ll stick to the ones that are most important to your goals – get big, lift heavy, and be awesome. Maybe even get a girlfriend

Alright, let’s chow down and start with the easiest point to digest!

THE BULKIEST BODYBUILDING FOODS: VEGETABLES!

Vegetables add bulk to your meals and contain fiber, keeping you full and stabilizing blood sugar levels.

This helps regulate appetite so you don’t overeat or under-eat – key to a peak physique! Having greens with each meal also helps bowel movements, so after you “deload” in the bathroom you can more easily eat your other meals of the day. Gotta make room for all your other foods for building muscle!

BRINGING BALANCE TO A HIGH PROTEIN DIET

Daily vegetable intake should be something you track just as carefully as your protein intake. High protein foods like meat, eggs and dairy are acidic foods, and over time, highly acidic diets can wreak havoc on your physical performance – including muscle wastage, fatigue, cardiovascular disease, weaker bones, and reduced IGF-1 hormone, which regulates growth.

Stay anabolic by eating more vegetables and fruits, which are alkaline foods that balance the acidity of a high-protein diet. Alkaline foods also reduce inflammation and strengthen your immune system, which means less sick days and more gym days!

In case you’re wondering “how much vegetables to eat per day” just make a fist. That’s one serving – aim for 5 to 10!

VEGETABLES CAN PROTECT YOUR TESTOSTERONE

The benefits of vegetables include testosterone support, which you need for building muscle and other manly functions. The best types are the cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale, and all the other ones that make you gassy (sorry, it’s true). They contain a compound called indole-3-carbinol, which your body then converts into another compound called DIM – a popular ingredient in testosterone boosting supplements!

DIM breaks down the bad types of estrogen, which in turn helps your body maintain a healthier balance of good estrogen and normal testosterone levels. Not only does this protect against cancer, it also means less water retention and body fat, and more muscle growth, strength and stamina.

So, if you or a gym bro suffer from “man boobs” (called gynecomastia), try swaps like a cauliflower crust pizza or blending kale into your protein smoothies – we promise you won’t turn into a hipster millennial obsessed with brunch dates, yoga pants and Live Laugh Love posters. But you will get jacked.

Speaking of getting jacked…

GREENS GIVE YOU LONG-LASTING PUMPS

 Wanna know how Popeye the Sailor got such huge arms? (Okay, he only had huge forearms, but you know what we mean). It really was all that spinach! Plant foods, especially leafy greens, are rich in nitrates, which your body then turns into nitric oxide – the magic behind juicy pumps and roadmap veins!

Certain vegetables, like spinach and beets, are also rich sources of betaine – a common pre-workout ingredient that increases workout volume, power output, and can also improve body composition.

While a handful of leaves won’t exactly replace a dose of pump pre-workout, regular consumption still helps maintain better blood flow overall. This translates to more oxygen and nutrient delivery for speedier recovery and growth – and for you older gents, lower heart disease risk, too.

HARDER MUSCLE CONTRACTIONS

Cranking out hard and heavy reps without getting cramps is another reason to eat more veggies and fruits. They’re rich in countless vitamins and minerals – including electrolytes like sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium – that help proper nerve signaling for stronger muscular contractions. and easier relaxation. 

Of course, crushing a plate of broccoli and apples won’t help you hit a PR right away, but you’ll have an easier time squeezing and relaxing your muscles for harder reps and deeper rest.

HOW TO EAT MORE FRUITS & VEGGIES EASILY

So, greens have loads of muscle benefits – but here’s the problem. It requires lots of prep to get in the recommended 5-10 fistfuls of fruits and vegetables every day. Washing, chopping, and cooking everything takes time and effort.

Just Like