To build muscle you need protein, calories, and rest.

Carbs definitely help the muscles pop, and provide a great source of calories. So I would try to add some starchy vegetables and some fruit to your diet. Things like Yuca, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Banana, etc.

If you are eating whole foods you will also need more fat to fuel your workouts. I try to get the majority of my fat from meat and veggies cooked in butter\ olive oil . But a spoonful of nut butter helps with upping fat and calories. I also try to eat some avocado (mostly in the form of guacamole).

I am also good with Dairy. If you are, heavy cream in your coffee (or butter if you are bullet proof) is a good way to sneak in extra fat -- but I prefer my coffee black.

if im trying to pack on muscle (which i am) i eat lots of meats (1-2lbs a day), eggs (8-12 a day), potatoes (white primarily and sweet also 1-2lbs a day). the vegetables are there if they're there but i don't get my panties up in a bunch if i don't eat a lot of plant matter. lots of butter, coconut oil, and olive oil. ice cream on more frequent occasions (2x a week)ben and jerry's chunky munky is the tits. just generally eat a lot of good food and if you're lifting right the muscle will follow.

Milk, milk, and MILK!

Tried, tested, and time approved. Milk is nature's perfect science for building mass. That IS what it does.

Grass fed beef liver, Okinawan sweet potatoes and Red Palm Oil (separate not together) seem to work good for me

Why don't give a good source of whey concentrate or isolate a shot? It has been working for ages for body-builders. Just a good serving post-workout should do nice, and if you pair it with carbs, even better because of the high insulin response that is highly anabolic. The very same one that can trigger fat storage also. A two-sided sword I guess, that you have to know and tweak for your purposes. But, for maximum muscle anabolism, fast acting carbs like sucrose or other state-of-the art formulas will deliver the best results. You can also look at weight-gainer formulas.

Of course this are far from the Paleo natural food standards. But what are you looking after, conforming to Paleo the most, being healthy or achieving maximum muscle size? For maximum muscle size and if you don't mind spending some money, I think that is the way to go. If more towards Paleo/overall health, then I guess dairy is the second next choice, and paired with some complex carbs but relatively fast, like white rice or potatoes would deliver more or less similar results for someone who is not a pro. Then there's all the other animal sources paired with other starchy/tubery carbs and fruits.

But all this may just be very picky and elitist in the end. Maybe if you just train hard and have a proper caloric surplus on a daily basis with plenty of good protein, fats and the right amount of carbs, you can achieve over the time the full potential size for your genetics.

I know milk is good for muscle building, but what about raw kefir?

raw milk!!!! i love the stuff. thank god/evolution/whatever for cows.

movements build muscle not food.

German quark is most similar to sour cream in the US. I sure do miss that stuff!

I think "quark" is actually called "curd" in the USA, but it's not chees-ish, it's rather sweet or at best neutral in taste. I like it mixed with some good real cocoa, makes a great Nutella substitute :) You might also go for cottage cheese, which I find easier to eat by the pound or half-pound.

I'll tell you whats not on my list of top 10 muscle building foods--Ezekiel bread. Throw that idea out the window and grab yourself some sardines my friend.

I don't know about your location but here in Germany many bodybuilders swear by quark a kind of cheese cream. I believe it is the food with highest percentage of L-Glutamin and derivatives. Here it is really cheap, 250gr. cost around 0.70 euro, and it is a natural way to get 3gr of L-Glutamin along very similar nutrients that complement it. I believe that is the recommended dose of L-Glutamin supplements for bodybuilders.

It does not taste great, and you can really taste the milk, however with quark you can get more casein (proteins) and less lactose (sugar).

I usually hear that it is a great before bed meal because it has the slowest absorbed proteins/aminoacids. Therefore you can supply proteins to your body all night long. Having much lower sugar content when compared with plain milk should not disturb your sleep, however L-Glutamin works as a stimulant for some people

I believe it is much more expensive in the States, so it is a muscle building food that you will not read about too often in english speaking forums. However people asking your same question in german are always told about quark.

Top Foods (in no particular order):

• protein: beef/bison/wild game, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs
• carbs: yams/sweet potatoes/potatoes, beets, carrots, bananas
• fats: avocado, mufa rich nuts (almonds, cashews)
• micronutrients: cruciferous vegetables, asparagus, berries, citrus fruits, various fresh herbs, spices
• dairy (optional): cottage cheese, protein powder (not really but kind of)
• water

Of course, you can't neglect proper nutrient timing, training, and rest. But those foods are great.

Some good choices would be veggies high in carbs, like potatoes, corn, bananas, dates, and beets. Eggs, poultry, and lean beef will also boost your testosterone levels. Have you thought of using a testosterone supplement along with your diet to boost your levels?