People think building muscle is all about eating more protein. But there’s a lot more to it than that. And it’s not really all that complicated – in fact, it can be really delicious! If you’re an older adult who’s trying to build muscle, considering adding most or all of these muscle-building foods to your diet.

#1: Pea Protein Powder

Pea protein powder isn’t just for people who would rather get their protein from non-animal sources. Pea protein is perfect for anyone who:

• Has food allergies, especially soy, dairy, or gluten
• Has irritable bowel issues
• Finds it easier to drink a smoothie than chewing cooked meat
• Follows a vegetarian or vegan diet

Unlike other plant protein sources, pea protein doesn’t contain the phytoestrogens that soy does, and it’s also less likely to be genetically modified. Win, win!

#2: Grass-Fed, Free-Range Animal Meat

Lean protein is out; grass-fed, free-range animal meat, on the other hand, is in! Why does the meat you eat need to have such a long resume these days? For a few very important reasons:

• Grass-fed meat contains more muscle-building types of healthy fat than grain-fed animal protein
• Free range animals get more exercise and provide a higher quality of protein
• These animals are less likely to be treated with synthetic hormones or toxic antibiotics which can have negative health consequences for people who eat the tainted meat

If you’re not sure where your meat comes from, and you can’t find anything on your food label, ask your local butcher. Better yet, see if you can find any local farmers markets or ranchers near you that raise, slaughter, and sell their animals locally. The shorter the distance from farm to table, the healthier it is for you.

#3: Wild-Caught Fish

Like free range land animals, wild caught fish have a higher quality of protein because they get more exercise than farm-raised fish. Also, they have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids – which helped build muscle – because they have free access to natural food sources. Farm-raised fish are basically the exact opposite.

#4: Peanut Butter

If you want to build muscle, you’re going to need healthy fat. Not only is peanut butter a powerhouse of healthy fats, but it’s especially good for you as you age. Its soft texture makes it easy to chew, digest, and add into a variety of recipes.

#5: Healthy Plant Oils

Here’s a short but potent list of healthy plant oils you should be incorporating into your diet if you want to build muscle:

• Avocado oil
• Olive oil
• Flaxseed oil
• Coconut oil
• MCT oil

These plant oils have a healthy omega-3 to omega-6 ratio which is anti-inflammatory and boosts protein synthesis. But be careful – not all plant oils are created equal. Some plant oils are highly processed which makes them very unhealthy, such as:

• Soybean oil
• Canola oil
• Corn oil
• Sunflower or Safflower oil
• Cottonseed or Grapeseed oil

If you’ve never thought of any of the plants in that second list as particularly oily, It’s because they’re not. They have to be processed to become oil, which wipes away the healthy omega-3 fatty acids (which are necessary to build muscle) and leaves behind unhealthy omega-6 proinflammatory fatty acids. That’s the opposite of what you need to build muscle.

#6: Beans, Beans, the Wonderful Fruit

Most beans contain relatively high amounts of protein and fiber per gram carbohydrate. And because these carbohydrates are not refined ones, they are easier for your body to digest and they have less of an impact on your blood sugar. The fiber benefit helps you improve your gut health, which can improve your nutrient absorption so that most of the protein you eat ends up getting used to build and preserve muscle tissue.

#7: Edamame

Edamame has the same fiber and protein benefits that you would get from beans. But it has a few extra goodies that’s some beans don’t. It contains folate, which is an important B vitamin your body uses during protein synthesis. It also contains vitamin K and manganese, which are important for musculoskeletal health.

#8: Quinoa

Quinoa is one of the few plant sources of protein on this Earth which is classified as a “complete protein”. A complete protein has all nine essential amino acids that are necessary to synthesize protein and build muscle. Quinoa also contains fiber and essential muscle-building minerals like magnesium and phosphorus.

Whether you’re dealing with fats, protein, or carbohydrates, all of the major food groups make a contribution towards helping you build muscle and stay strong as you get older. As long as you eat the right foods and pick up a few other healthy habits, you’ll have strong muscles and greater mobility no matter how old you get.