A Bodybuilder's Guide to Mass Gain During Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of the most celebrated times of the year for a bodybuilder. Forums are abuzz with delight as men and women discuss their plans for mass gain during this festive time. While the rest of the country is trying to regulate portions and pick lighter calorie foods, the bodybuilding community is ready to loosen that belt during the Thanksgiving feast. Even though you may see the holidays as a free ride to eat what you like in the name of mass gain you must keep your bodybuilding goals in mind. Here we will go through a list of foods to eat, foods to stay away from and foods to substitute for your pursuit of mass gain during the Thanksgiving holidays.

The Bird

As you should know, turkey is a staple in the diet of any bodybuilder. It may be the only time during the year that your family eats it but you don't have to change a thing. Bodybuilders often substitute ground turkey in meals that call for ground beef on a regular basis and realize the benefits of the bird over beef. In your pursuit of mass gain by all means pack down some turkey.

8 oz. Light or dark turkey meat with no skin is 65g protein, 0g carbs, 11g fat and 380 calories.

The Stuffing

A staple of Thanksgiving dinner, often found withing the turkey, stuffing offers up some good and some bad for the bodybuilder diet. Oftentimes loaded with sodium, this salty dish can lead to some serious water weight gain, on top of nixing almost 80% of your total allowed mg of sodium for an entire day. If you must indulge in this holiday treat please show some restraint with the serving spoon. Stuffing is not only packed full of sodium but of simple carbohydrates as well, lending a different kind of mass gain than you may have been looking for.

4 oz. Stove Top turkey stuffing is 12g protein, 80g carbs, 4g fat and 440 calories. (1840mg sodium!)

The Sauce

Another food rarely missed at the Thanksgiving dinner table is cranberry sauce. Made almost entirely of sugar there is very little good to be found in this food. Not only will it not lend itself to lean mass gain it wastes space you could be using on more turkey, fiber or complex carbohydrates. A good bodybuilder will know to skip this one during the feast.

¼ cup of cranberry sauce is 0g protein, 26g carbs, 0g fat and 100 calories.

The Carbs

Most Thanksgiving dinners that the bodybuilder reading this article will attend will have various forms of carbohydrates available for consumption. For solid lean mass gain a bodybuilder knows to eat as many complex carbohydrates and as few simple carbohydrates as possible. Here is a breakdown of the good and the bad.

Mashed Potatoes - Bad

Simple carbohydrates, usually high in sodium from the added salt and pepper or high in fat from the butter skip the mashed potatoes for a healthier alternative.

1 cup mashed potato has 4g protein, 23g carbs, 2g fiber, 11g fat and 204 calories. (That's not counting the salt and butter!)

Sweet Potatoes - Better

Higher in fiber and lacking the need for any added salt or butter sweet potatoes are a much wiser choice to the mashed variety.

1 cup baked sweet potato has 4g protein, 41g carbs, 7g fiber, 0g fat and 180 calories.

Macaroni Salad - Bad

Sky high in fat and typically made with white pasta macaroni this salad is a bad idea for the bodybuilder looking for mass gain on all fronts.

1 cup macaroni salad has 4g protein, 25g carbs, 25g of fat and 360 calories. (220 calories from fat!)

Whole Wheat Macaroni Salad - Better

Much lower in fat and also offering more complex carbohydrates and protein this is a perfect alternative to the common macaroni salad, especially if you toss in some nuts and fresh berries.

1 cup whole wheat macaroni salad is 7g protein, 36g carbs, The Veggies

Get your veggies aplenty during your Thanksgiving feast. Every bodybuilder knows that vegetables are meant to be had often and in mass quantity. This will not only lend itself to solid mass gain but to healthy body systems as well. Make sure to shoot for colorful and green vegetables as they tend to be the highest in fiber. Here's the lowdown on a couple holiday favorites.

Green Beans

1 cup fresh green beans has 2g protein, 9g carbs, Baked Squash

1 cup has 2g protein, 17g carbs, 1g fat and 80 calories

Broccoli

1 cup fresh broccoli has 4g protein, 7g carbs, This list should get any bodybuilder off on the right foot this Thanksgiving season during the constant quest for mass gain. Try to keep portions in check and indulge in the healthier options. If you're still feeling hungry head back to the turkey or vegetables for seconds and skip extra carbohydrates. Avoid adding butter or salt and you should be well on your way to a successful meal. Happy holidays!