Quinn’s Kitchen: Healthy Foods to Build Muscle and Burn Fat

Several readers have contacted me and asked for a list of healthy foods to build muscle and burn fat.  Although I gave several tips in my 7 Nutrition Tips to Build Muscle and Burn Fat article, I do not list many specific foods.  So I decided to write this article to list most of the healthy foods I keep in my kitchen.

When you go to the supermarket, there are two things you should keep in mind:

1. The healthiest foods are typically found along the perimeter of the store.  For example, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, eggs, meat, and fish all appear along the perimeter of my local supermarket.
2. If a food is brought into your house, you will eventually eat it.  This means that in order to eat healthy, you should only bring healthy foods into your household.

Fruits and Vegetables.  With fruits and vegetables, I like to purchase whatever is in season.  Right now I have the following fruits in my kitchen:

• Oranges
• Clementines
• Apples
• Bananas
• Tomatoes
• Apricots
• Peaches
• Blueberries
• Strawberries

I also keep the following vegetables:

• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Sweet potatoes

Meat, poultry, and fish.  There are plenty of other meat options besides chicken breast when eating healthy.  Here are a few I purchase:

• Lean ground beef
• Eye of round roast
• Bison
• Chicken breast
• Salmon
• Tilapia
• Tuna
• Shrimp

Dairy and eggs.  When purchasing dairy products, you will notice several versions available based on the amount of fat.  I purchase non-fat and low-fat versions when my goal is to burn fat and I buy the higher fat versions when I am building muscle and need more calories.  Here are a few dairy and egg products I keep in my refrigerator:

• Milk
• Cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Omega-3 Cage free eggs
• Egg whites

Grains, breads, and oats.  I only keep grains, breads, and oats that are complex carbohydrates.  I avoid products that contain added sugar and high fructose corn syrup.  Here is what I keep in my cabinets:

• Brown rice
• Lentils
• Bulgur wheat
• Whole grain tortillas
• Rolled oats

Nuts and oils.  Nuts and oils are a good source of healthy fat.  Oils are also useful for cooking and adding some extra flavor to your vegetables.  I keep the following in my kitchen at all times:

• Almonds
• Cashews
• Olive oil
• Natural peanut butter
• Pam cooking spray

Beverages.  As I mentioned in my 7 Nutrition Tips to Build Muscle and Burn Fat article, I try to avoid non-calorie containing beverages.  I currently consume the following beverages:

• Water
• Green tea

Fill your kitchen with the healthy foods listed above and you will be on your way to building muscle and burning fat.