Ectomorph Diet: Food List, Sample Menu, Benefits, More

If you would categorize yourself as tall, lean, or lanky, you might be an ectomorph. It’s one of the three main body types, along with endomorph and mesomorph.

While there is limited research to support body type diets like the ectomorph diet, some experts say it can provide a framework for your ideal diet and exercise plan.

What Is an Ectomorph?

Other Body Types

How Do You Know if You’re an Ectomorph?

You may categorize yourself as an ectomorph if you know you don’t gain weight easily.

“Ectomorphs are the tall, thin people in the gym, and they’re often male. They’re trying to put on muscle and get stronger,” says Nanci Guest, PhD, RD, a nutritional scientist at the University of Toronto.

She points out it’s not your actual body shape but genetics that is likely responsible for your tendency toward one specific body type.

Ectomorphs may find they can “eat whatever they want” and not gain weight. This might sound ideal, but eating whatever you want without focusing on healthy nutrients can negatively impact your health, regardless of your weight or body mass index (BMI).

Ecto-Endomorph Hybrid Type

Over time, says Catudal, ectomorphs can become a hybrid body type, such as an ecto-endomorph.

An ecto-endomorph is characterized by long limbs and a bigger belly due to a sedentary lifestyle and a diet high in ultra-processed foods. This can happen as you age, too.

What Is the Best Type of Diet for an Ectomorph?

Lower-fat diets can work well for ectomorphs, including vegan and vegetarian diets filled with plenty of plant-based protein.

Catudal recommends against a ketogenic (keto) diet, which is very high in fat and low in carbs.

Food List for an Ectomorph

Ectomorphs tend to be more tolerant to carbohydrates, so they don’t need to limit them as much as other body types.

Prioritizing protein combined with strength training can help you build more muscle.

Meat and Fish

• Chicken
• Turkey
• White fish (cod, sole)
• Seafood (shrimp, scallops)
• Eggs
• Lean steak or beef

Dairy

• Fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese

Fruits and Nonstarchy Vegetables

• Berries
• Mangoes
• Oranges
• Apples
• Pears
• Bananas
• Cauliflower
• Green beans
• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• Brussels sprouts
• Squash

Nuts and Seeds

• Almonds
• Pistachios
• Peanuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Pumpkin seeds

Whole Grains and Starchy Vegetables

• Whole-wheat bread
• Old-fashioned or steel-cut oats
• Brown rice
• Quinoa
• Buckwheat
• Sweet potato

A 7-Day Sample Menu for the Ectomorph Body Type

Day 1

Breakfast Old-fashioned or steel-cut oatmeal topped with strawberries and walnuts

Snack Hard-boiled egg and soy milk latte

Lunch Mediterranean quinoa salad with chopped veggies and olive oil

Snack Apple and almonds

Dinner Turkey and mango tacos wrapped in lettuce leaves served with a side of black beans

Day 2

Breakfast Smoothie made with fruit, almond milk, and protein powder

Snack Trail mix made with nuts and dried fruit

Lunch Avocado toast topped with a fried egg, side salad

Snack Carrots and black bean dip

Dinner Sliced flank steak fajitas with onions and peppers wrapped in sprouted whole-grain tortillas

Day 3

Breakfast Sweet potato toast topped with a thin smear of nut butter and a side of turkey bacon

Snack Pear with mixed nuts

Lunch Bean and veggie burger served on a whole-grain bun, side of steamed broccoli

Snack Protein bar

Dinner Grilled chicken, sautéed kale, tomato and cucumber salad, side of farro

Day 4

Breakfast Whole-grain toast with fat-free or low-fat Greek yogurt and a sliced pear

Snack Protein bar

Lunch Mixed greens salad with chopped vegetables, roasted turkey, and vinaigrette

Snack Apple and a slice of cheese

Dinner Chicken and mushroom stir-fry over brown rice

Day 5

Breakfast Slice of veggie frittata with roasted sweet potatoes

Snack Banana with almond butter

Lunch Tuna mashed with avocado on whole grain crackers, side salad

Snack Protein bar

Dinner Quinoa bake made with tomato sauce, mixed vegetables, and chicken

Day 6

Breakfast Fat-free or low-free Greek yogurt parfait with chopped apples, walnuts, whole-grain cereal, and cinnamon

Snack Small smoothie with protein powder

Lunch Turkey chili and a side salad with vinaigrette

Snack Sliced veggies dipped in homemade guacamole

Dinner Grilled shrimp and vegetables kabobs on a bed of quinoa

Day 7

Breakfast Overnight oats made with fat-free or low-fat yogurt, almond milk, and topped with raspberries

Snack Hard-boiled egg, piece of fruit

Lunch Turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread, mashed avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion, baby carrots on the side

Snack Broccoli dipped in hummus

Dinner Roasted cod, Brussels sprouts, baked sweet potato

Advantages of an Ectomorph Diet

An ectomorph diet is higher in carbs than eating plans for mesomorphs and endomorphs. So if you’re averse to low-carb diets, you may find this eating plan easier to adopt. However, make sure you also include plenty of healthy protein and fats.

If you’re an ectomorph, says Catudal, thanks to a higher metabolism and your body’s ability to process carbs, you’re likely able to eat carb-heavy dishes like pasta without as much effects as the other body types.

Additionally, by increasing the amount of protein you eat and combining it with weight training recommendations (below), you’ll stimulate your body to build more muscle.

Disadvantages of an Ectomorph Diet

Making sure to eat enough protein along with healthy carbs is important with an ectomorph diet. Because you’re increasing carbs, you risk losing muscle without the right balance of nutrients.

If you’re a hybrid ectomorph and carrying excess fat around your waist, a higher-carb diet might not be the right match for you, says Melina Jampolis, MD, an internist and board-certified physician nutrition specialist in Valley Village, California. “Many patients who have been thin their whole lives gain weight in their belly,” she says.

In that case, replacing high-starch foods like pasta and bread with complex carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, oats, and beans may help prevent unwanted weight gain.

“The good news,” Jampolis suggests, “is that ectomorphs tend to respond very quickly to cutting carbs, meaning they can lose weight efficiently.”

More Eating Approaches Like the Body Type Diet

Atkins Diet

Cabbage Soup Diet

DASH Diet

Intermittent Fasting

Mediterranean Diet

MIND Diet

Paleo Diet

Ectomorph Workout: Which Exercises Are Best for This Body Type?

“The rule for ectomorphs is weightlifting,” says Catudal. But, if you tend to gravitate toward cardio, he suggests leaning into that desire and pairing it with body weight movements. Catudal recommends:

• Circuit workouts twice a week like push-ups, squats, or jumping jacks
• Weight workouts three times a week using dumbbells or machines at a challenging weight

The Takeaway

• “Ectomorph” is a body type that describes people with leaner frames and faster metabolisms. They burn carbohydrates more effectively and don’t easily gain weight.
• The best diet for an ectomorph is one with plenty of healthy carbs and adequate protein.
• Getting enough protein along with strength training is important for ectomorphs to maintain and build muscle.