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Movement and Exercise

Trying to Build Muscle? Eat These 10 Protein-Packed Foods

Brittany DoohanBrian Clista, MD
Written by Brittany Doohan | Reviewed by Brian Clista, MD
Updated on November 6, 2025
Reviewed by Brian Clista, MD | November 6, 2025

Want toned, lean muscles? Chances are, you plan to hit that goal through exercise, aiming to strengthen muscles with a full body workout. The formula for strong, lean muscles is simple, but it’s not that simple. There’s one important factor that you may be forgetting: diet.

Most adults need about 0.8g of protein/kg of body weight (that’s about 52g a day for a 140 lbs person). However, the more active you are, the more you may need, so if you’re looking to add muscle, aim for 1.5-2g of protein/kg of body weight (about 95-127g a day for a 140 lbs person).

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Brittany Doohan
Written by:
Brittany Doohan
Brittany Doohan was the Content Director at HealthiNation and is currently the Editorial Director at Medscape. Through her work with Medscape, she won a Silver Telly Award in May 2022 for "Sleepless Nation: A Public Health Epidemic — Episode 2: A Decade Without a Diagnosis." She has worked in health journalism and video production for more than 8 years, and loves the challenge of explaining complex topics in an easy-to-understand and creative way.
Brian Clista, MD
Reviewed by:
Brian Clista, MD
Dr. Clista is a board-certified pediatrician who works in private practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He previously served as a National Health Service Corporation Scholar in the inner city of Pittsburgh for 11 years.

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