Protein is rich in amino acids essential for building muscle mass, so if you want to build healthy muscles, increase consumption of foods rich in protein. Your daily protein requirement will depend upon your activity level and your daily calorie intake. Therefore, it is very important to consult your doctor or nutritionist to know exactly how much protein your body needs to maintain a healthy muscle mass.

Here is a list of protein rich foods that you should include in your daily diet chart to build muscles:

Eggs

Eggs are ideal when it comes to building muscle mass since they are highly rich in protein – each ounce of eggs contains 6 grams of protein. Most of the protein is present in egg white, while the yolk mainly contains fat, so you can discard egg yolk to reduce your calorie intake. When consuming eggs on daily basis, it is recommended to avoid foods rich in saturated fat such as red meat and cheese.

Turkey and Chicken

Both chicken and turkey are rich in protein – one ounce of chicken and turkey breast contains 9 grams of protein. Besides, these poultry items are also a rich source of Vitamin B, phosphorus and tryptophan, and contain less saturated fat content than red meat.

Fish

Fish makes another rich source of healthy protein and should be an essential part of your diet. Each ounce of fish contains 6 grams of protein. It is also high in Omega-3 fatty acids, contains no carbohydrates and a very small amount of saturated fat. Salmon, trout and sardines are the top fish varieties to eat, but you can also eat other varieties native to your region. Fish is also easier to digest as compared to other meat sources such as beef or poultry. The only disadvantage of fish is that it contains high levels of mercury, so it should be eaten only twice or at most thrice a week.

Nuts

Nuts contain quality protein and good fat and are ideal for those looking forward to build muscle mass through a combination of diet and exercise. 1/4 cup of almonds contains 8 grams of protein while an equal amount of peanuts contains 9 grams of protein. Peanut butter is also an excellent source of healthy protein.

Low Fat and Chocolate Milk

Milk is great source of whey protein and casein, both of which play a key role in muscle growth as well as in the formation of new muscles. If you are training hard to develop muscles and build your body, consume as much low fat milk as possible. Low fat flavoured milks, such as chocolate milk, make one of the best post-workout drinks. Besides being rich in protein, milk has a high water content, which prevents dehydration.