If you’re currently looking to build muscle, the type of food you eat will undoubtedly make a difference.

If you think you can pack on pounds of muscle on a diet consisting of egg whites, vegetables, oatmeal, and fish oil capsules, you are sorely mistaken.

While that may work very well for those looking for lose fat mass, when it comes to building muscle, you’ll need a different protocol.

Focusing on foods that are higher in calories and not entirely “clean” is often the best way to go if you want to experience noticeable results in a shorter period of time.

The reason I say don’t eat completely clean foods is because it can be difficult to rack up the calories you need to gain weight if you only eat these types of foods.

With that said, overall nutrition is definitely still important because regardless of whether or not you gain muscle, you still want to be healthy and have these muscles looking good.

Therefore, the following foods are “must haves” when it comes to your diet program.

Raw Nuts, Mixed

Try not to focus on just one type of nut, as the nutritional profile will vary slightly from nut to nut. In general, though, nuts are an excellent source of high-density energy, which will mean more weight gain for you.

fresh blackberries

When it comes to choosing fruits, you really can’t be berries. Loaded with antioxidants, they will really help keep your immune system fully functional, meaning you won’t have to worry about missing time in the gym due to illness.

Lawyers

To gain good quality weight, you’ll need to eat your share of healthy fat. Avocados help make this possible and are used beautifully in a variety of ways, from chopping them into salads, adding them to vegetable dishes, or creating them as a condiment.

Salmon

Consuming at least two servings of salmon is important because, firstly, it will give your body the amino acids it needs to form new muscle tissue, and secondly, because it has a high profile of omega-3 fatty acids.

lean meat

While beef is typically avoided by those who are more focused on losing weight, it should be a mainstay in the diet of those trying to gain weight. Not only does it contain iron, which is necessary to transport oxygen to muscle tissue, but it is also a source of protein with more calories than egg whites or chicken.

Broccoli

Yes, even when trying to gain weight, you should still eat vegetables. Broccoli has a good amount of vitamin C, which helps to further boost your immune system, along with many other essential vitamins and minerals.

So make sure your diet includes these items. You can be a little more creative when it comes to meals while trying to build muscle versus lose fat, so definitely take advantage of this fact.