NUTRITION
•Angie Asche
4 snacking tips to help you build muscle faster
Newsflash: your body can’t build muscle without a calorie surplus, and that’s why snacks are essential.
Regardless of whether those calories come in smoothie or homemade power bar form, you’ll need to stay on top of what and how much you eat to achieve your goal to Build Strength or Gain Muscle with Centr. The ‘how much’ part of the equation is different for everyone, and a subtle change can make a big difference to your progress. Need some help finding a strategy that works for you? Try my top snacking tips for members focused on muscle.
Be sure to read and save Your Build Muscle Snacking Guidelines for extra help to fuel the results you’re training for.
Tip 1: Calories come in all shapes and sizes
If you’re struggling to hit your daily energy needs to gain muscle mass, one of the easiest ways to up your calorie count (and get more micronutrients) is by including nuts and seeds in your snacks. For example, just ¼ cup of walnuts is close to 200 calories!
You’ll find a recipe for one of my favorite Centr nut and seed snack bars below.
Tip 2: Stack your snacks
There is no uniform calorie number that everyone needs to hit to add muscle. Everyone’s body is different, so it’s important that you monitor your progress when training, and increase snack portions if you’re not seeing gains. For example, one everyday snack is around 150 calories, so having 2 servings will up your intake to 300 calories. You shouldn’t immediately double every single snack across your day – start with one extra serving, then see how your body responds.
Curious about using supplements take your muscle gains to the next level? Check out our supplements guide first.
Tip 3: Timing is everything
Timing snacks around your training (i.e. pre or post-workout) can help to promote recovery and muscle growth. To maximize your results, aim to have a pre-workout snack with carbohydrates and protein around 1 hour before training, and – if your main meal is still some time away – a post-workout snack with protein within 1-2 hours of training.
The type and duration of your training also factors into the kind of pre-workout snack you should eat. As long as you have eaten a meal at some point before training, a lower intensity session likely won’t require a pre-workout snack. But if you’re about to power into a strength training session, you’re going to need to take some fuel on board.
Tip 4: Smoothies are the real superheroes
This is guaranteed to come up whenever I speak about building muscle: if you don’t already, you need to learn to love smoothies! They are such an easy way to get plenty of nutrients in, without having to sit down to a large plate of food.
The post-workout Super Smoothies you’ll find on Centr – like the classic Banana Peanut Butter – are high in calories and specifically designed to help you meet your increased daily energy needs on the Build Muscle meal plan. Clients I work with will also have a smoothie before bed when they are training the next morning.
Be sure to incorporate a whey or plant-based protein powder, or mix a high-protein food such as tofu or Greek yogurt into your smoothies to support muscle growth and repair.
Angie’s 3 favorite snacks for building muscle
Building muscle is hungry work! Need some snack inspiration? Get started with some of my personal favorites.
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Choc Walnut Bliss Balls
We all need a little something just to keep us motoring through the day, and these chocolatey bites are great when I’m on the run. Remember, if you’re not seeing muscle gain you may need to up your intake – add an extra bliss ball then monitor your progress and see how your body responds.
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Angie Asche
NUTRITION
Sports dietitian Angie Asche will power your plate with no-nonsense food advice. Founder of Eleat Sports Nutrition, Angie works with MLB, NFL and NHL athletes to get the best from their bodies. With a Masters of Science in Nutrition & Physical Performance, and as a certified exercise physiologist and personal trainer, she’s got the expertise you need to achieve your goals.
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