Whether you are a man or a woman, the process of gaining muscle mass requires a proper balance between different nutrients and meals throughout the day.
After the night’s fast, nourishing your muscles and replenishing your energy will promote much better workouts. And it will allow for a more substantial intake at subsequent meals, according to this study.
First thing to remember: the quality of your food matters just as much as the quantity. An ideal muscle-gain breakfast is rich in proteins. We recommend 1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight per day to increase strength and muscle volume.
It should also consist of quality carbohydrates and some healthy fats. To simplify your task and start your day right, I am sharing with you five healthy and delicious muscle-gain breakfasts.
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1. Savory Breakfast
As for lean proteins, you have options:
- eggs
- chicken strips or breast
- canned tuna and/or spreadable cheese
I have a soft spot for eggs, they are the reference protein! Their amino acids are very well absorbed by the body. Omelets, soft-boiled eggs, hard-boiled, fried… Cook two, three eggs or more according to your needs.
Among the good fiber-rich carbohydrates to adopt, two whole wheat wrap leaves or cereal bread are handy for making a morning sandwich. Other options include rice or pasta.
Add a few green salad leaves or vegetables to your morning meal, sautéed in a little oil:
- spinach
- mushrooms
- cherry tomatoes
For a maximum of vitamins and for those who feel it’s too early for vegetables, add a fruit or freshly squeezed orange juice.
Finally, I advise you to spread 1 tablespoon of hummus or guacamole for good fat in your homemade sandwich or wrap.
2. Sweet Breakfast
These fluffy cakes are very trendy on Instagram. Here is a recipe for a chocolate chip bowlcake (710 calories), a healthy energy-packed breakfast, delicious and ready in a few minutes.
Ingredients for 1 serving:
- 3 organic eggs (195 calories)
- 50 g of sweet potato flour (180 calories)
- 1 banana (105 calories)
- 15 g of organic honey (60 calories)
- 30 g of dark chocolate, to grate or in chips (172 calories)
Preparation:
- In a blender, mix all the ingredients
- Pour into a bowl then microwave on maximum power for 2 minutes 30 seconds
- Let cool for a few minutes before enjoying
This protein-rich bowlcake can be topped with some crushed hazelnuts.
Other sweet ideas you can try:
- banana bread
- pancakes or peanut butter toast
3. Protein-Rich Vegan Breakfast
If you are vegan, there is no shortage of delicious ideas for a protein-rich muscle-gain breakfast.
Opt for nuts and seeds:
- walnuts
- almonds
- hazelnuts
- cashews
- pistachios
- peanuts
- sunflower seeds
- chia seeds
- pumpkin seeds
These fiber-rich plant proteins with healthy fats combine perfectly.
Today, there are many plant-based alternatives for muscle gain: coconut or almond milk yogurt, plant-based drinks… Use them in your waffle and pancake recipes to replace traditional ingredients.
In the field of sports nutrition, vegan protein powders are also available. They can easily enhance your daily intake if you add them to your porridge or drinks, for example.
📚 Read also | A dietician selected the top 4 vegan protein powders
To avoid nutritional deficiencies associated with a vegan diet, it’s best to monitor your protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, calcium, and zinc, and supplement if necessary. Seek advice from your doctor or dietitian.
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4. Quick take-away breakfast
No time to eat in the morning or simply not a habit? If you’re not hungry upon waking up, I share with you some tips.
Indeed, your diet for muscle gain should be as effortless as possible. You can wait a few hours before eating.
Here’s a mass-gain breakfast to go, rich in essential nutrients and easy to prepare. It consists of a protein shaker with 150 ml of almond milk and 3 tablespoons of pre-blended oats.
Before leaving in the morning, pour the dry ingredients into a shaker: protein powder and oats. Just before consuming, add the almond milk. It now comes in small “take-away” cartons.
I recommend taking a banana or an apple to complement.
This formula of shaker breakfast + fruit is an excellent compromise between small appetite, professional life, and needed calories.
5. Delicious whey high-protein pancake
Another express mass-gain breakfast option: cook your whey!
For a high-protein pancake mix:
- 20 g of chocolate, vanilla, or neutral flavored whey
- 3 egg whites
Pour into a very hot and lightly greased pan, and let cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side.
Fill your pancake with your desired toppings:
- almond purée
- fruit slices
- chocolate
- or cheese
The most important thing is to satisfy your taste buds to make this experience enjoyable and sustainable. A large number of mass-gain breakfast recipes allow for flavor variation based on your desires and mood.
Finally, I suggest adopting gradual and reasonable nutritional and fitness changes. If you increase the quantities excessively, you risk promoting fat mass gain.
📚 Read also | A dietitian tested 10 whey protein brands, here are the results
Sources and scientific studies
Robert M Edinburgh, Aaron Hengist, Harry A Smith, Rebecca L Travers, James A Betts, Dylan Thompson, Jean-Philippe Walhin, Gareth A Wallis, D Lee Hamilton, Emma J Stevenson, Kevin D Tipton, Javier T Gonzalez, 2019. Skipping Breakfast Before Exercise Creates a More Negative 24-hour Energy Balance: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Healthy Physically Active Young Men.
Robert W Morton, Kevin T Murphy, Sean R McKellar, Brad J Schoenfeld, Menno Henselmans, Eric Helms, Alan A Aragon, Michaela C Devries, Laura Banfield, James W Krieger, Stuart M Phillips, 2017. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults.
