5 Foods to Eat Every Day to Get Shredded

Getting lean and shredded doesn't happen on accident. It takes consistent training over time plus a committment to eating and supplementing the right way to maximize results in both building muscle and dropping body fat.

In other words, it takes a lifestyle to get shredded... and to stay that way.

JYM Athlete Kevin Lo embodies that lifestyle. As we like to say around the JYM offices, Kevin is living the "JYM life." It's a culture. It's an everyday thing. The training, the eating, the science-based supplementation.

Where food is concerned, again, consistency is key. That's why Kevin's nutrition looks pretty similar day to day. Some meals change based off a particular training phase he's in, but for the most part he has his go-to foods, and he sticks to those. Below are his 5 favorite nutrition staples.

You may be surprised to see this list kicked off with a high-carb food, but not all carbohydrates are created equal. Not all fruits are created equal either, but it doesn't get any healthier on that front than berries. Kevin prefers a medley of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, mixed in a blender with his morning protein shake (including oat milk). Berries are very nutrient-dense and are packed with healthy antioxidants.

You can go with either fresh or frozen berries. The frozen ones are more convenient, work well with shakes and smoothies, and still retain pretty much all the nutritional benefits of fresh fruit.

Kevin's favorite protein source for the aforementioned morning shake is Plant JYM, as he prefers a plant-based protein over dairy (whey, casein) or egg. If you're worried about a plant-based powder not being "complete" or as anabolic as whey protein, rest assured that Plant JYM has been fortified with amino acids like BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine and valine), methionine, and lysine to match the profile of Pro JYM.

Plant JYM is also every bit as delicious as Pro JYM, so you're not sacrificing taste with this choice. That said, feel free to choose whatever protein source you like, whether it's Plant JYM or Pro JYM.

In the below video, Dr. Jim Stoppani discusses the muscle-building benefits of Plant JYM.

Kevin's main protein source at dinner time is red meat – namely, cuts of steak like New York Strip and Filet Mignon, bison, and lean grass-fed ground beef.

As covered in this Power Foods article on JimStoppani.com, grass-fed (versus conventionally raised) beef offers higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a healthy fat that can help you lose more fat while also promoting lean muscle gains. A lean steak or burger (at least 93% percent lean) is one of the most anabolic foods you can have for packing on muscle without adding body fat.

Any healthy, get-lean diet should include colorful (green) vegetables. Not only are they a rich source of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), but they're also relatively low in calories, meaning you can pretty much eat as many of them as you want without worrying about packing on body fat.

Kevin's favorite vegetables to accompany his steak at dinnertime are aparagus and broccoli. He also regularly has a salad at lunch; in this case, a dark leafy green like spinach or kale is a good choice.

This is one of Kevin's favorite sources of healthy fats. Sometimes he'll add almond butter to a protein shake, but otherwise it's plenty satisfying on its own or with a vegetable like celery or carrots.

Nuts and nut butters, including almonds and almond butter, are low in carbs and high in fat, but a vast majority of it is unsaturated. This makes most nuts (and almonds in particular) extremely beneficial for improving heart health and providing sustained energy during the day. Almond butter is also a very satiating (filling) food, so you won't be hungry 30 minutes after eating it.

To learn more about Kevin Lo, check out his JYM Athlete profile page.