Here's how to bulk up with food you'll love and make sure you're getting your micros.

Not Just Chicken, Rice & Broccoli!

You don't need endless chicken and broccoli to build muscle. Protein is key, but so are vitamins and minerals like iron, magnesium, and zinc. These support energy, recovery, and hormone balance — and help turn training into visible progress.

Muscle Gain

Build strength and lean muscle with food you actually enjoy

The essential building block for strength, energy, and focus

Protein is your body's master repair kit. It provides the essential materials to build and maintain everything from 
        muscle to brain cells, helping you feel strong and think clearly. Including a good source of protein with your meals is also a great way 
        to feel full and satisfied for longer, which helps keep your energy steady throughout the day. 
        Spreading your intake across breakfast, lunch, and dinner helps your body make the most of it.

Protein

Although the minimum protein RDA for the general population is 0.8 g/kg/day, protein intakes in the range 1.2-1.6 g/kg/day are a more ideal target for optimising health outcomes.

Protein intakes beyond 1.62 g/kg/day result in no further gains in lean muscle.

Chicken

Lentils

Tofu

Yogurt

The sunshine vitamin for healthy bones, teeth and muscles

Often called the 'sunshine vitamin', Vitamin D is unique because your body creates it from sunlight. 
        It's essential for guiding calcium to where it's needed most, helping to keep your bones and muscles strong and healthy.

        During the darker autumn and winter months, or if you don't get much time outdoors, it can be tricky to get enough. That's when turning to food sources like oily fish, eggs, and fortified foods becomes a great way to top up your levels. For many, a simple daily supplement during these months is also a wise choice.

Vitamin D

Learn about vitamin D's key role in your health, the best food sources, and the daily amount to aim for.

Mackerel

Milk

Salmon

Helps make red blood cells and keeps the brain and nervous system healthy.

Vitamin B12, also known as Cobalamin, is vital for several key bodily processes. It's a primary component in the formation of healthy red blood cells, which are responsible for carrying oxygen to every part of your body. It also plays a crucial role in protecting your nerve cells and supporting the fundamental process of DNA creation.

        A unique aspect of B12 is its source. It is found almost exclusively in animal-derived foods like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. This makes it a crucial nutrient for those following a vegan or strictly vegetarian diet to be mindful of. Fortified foods (like some plant milks and cereals) or a reliable supplement are the best ways to ensure an adequate intake.
        
        Unlike many other B vitamins, your body can store B12 in the liver for several years. This means a deficiency can take a long time to develop, making a consistent, long-term source all the more important.

Vitamin B12

Learn about the B vitamins' key role in your health, the best food sources, and the daily amount to aim for.

Cheese

Tuna

Essential for oxygen transport and maintaining energy

Iron's most critical role is building haemoglobin, the protein in your red blood cells that acts like a transport system, carrying oxygen from your lungs to every cell in your body. This oxygen delivery is fundamental to your body's energy production and overall vitality.

        There are two forms of iron in our diet. Heme iron, found in animal products like red meat, is easily absorbed. Non-heme iron, found in plant-based sources like beans, nuts, and leafy greens, is also valuable, and its absorption can be boosted by pairing it with a source of Vitamin C.
        
        Because of menstrual blood loss, the iron needs for pre-menopausal women are significantly higher than for men. This is why being mindful of regular iron-rich sources in the diet is particularly important for this group.

Iron

Learn about iron's key role in your health, the best food sources, and the daily amount to aim for.

The NIH provides specific iron RDAs for different life stages.

WHO warns that iron deficiency anaemia is widespread and encourages iron-rich diets and fortification to prevent deficiency.

Liver

Red meat

Spinach

Supports sleep, mood and energy metabolism

Magnesium is one of the body's busiest minerals, acting as a crucial helper in over 300 biochemical reactions. This vital activity is essential for converting food into energy, supporting the smooth communication between your nerves and muscles, and helping to maintain strong, healthy bones.

        Because it plays a role in so many fundamental processes, the most effective way to ensure you're getting enough is through a consistently varied diet.

Magnesium

Learn about magnesium's key role in your health, the best food sources, and the daily amount to aim for.

The NIH provides specific magnesium RDAs for different life stages.

Almonds

Black beans

Pumpkin seeds

Wholemeal bread

Long-chain omega-3 from fish; vital for brain and anti-inflammatory effects

While plant-based ALA is the starting point, EPA and DHA are the powerful, ready-to-use forms of omega-3, found almost exclusively in oily fish and other marine sources. They are vital for brain function and vision, and play a key role in helping to regulate your body's inflammatory response.

        Instead of a strict daily milligram target, the simplest and most effective strategy is to aim for two portions of fish per week, ensuring at least one of them is oily. For those who don't eat fish, a quality supplement providing around 450mg of combined EPA and DHA daily is an effective alternative.

Omega-3 (LC)

The British Heart Foundation advises eating two portions (= 140g each) of fish per week, one of which is oily, providing about 450 mg EPA + DHA per day.

The NIH provides more guidance on long-chain omega-3, for which there is no universally agreed RDA

The NHS outlines the importance of fish in our diet, but notes that some oily fish are high in pollutants and should be eaten in moderation.

Anchovies

Herring

Sardines

Enhances muscle energy, strength and cognition

Creatine is a natural compound that serves as a rapid-access energy source for your muscles and brain. It helps your cells quickly regenerate ATP, often called the body's "energy currency," which is crucial for short, intense bursts of effort like lifting weights or sprinting.

        While your body produces a small amount of creatine and you get some from meat and fish, these sources are often not enough to maximise its performance benefits. A consistent supplemental dose is the most researched and effective strategy for increasing muscle strength, power, and supporting cognitive performance.
        
        Contrary to older advice, a "loading phase" with high initial doses is not necessary to achieve the full benefits over time.

Creatine

Creatine supplementation enhanced measures of memory performance in healthy individuals, especially in older adults (66–76 years)

Individuals should consume about 3g/day of creatine in their diet particularly as one ages