Health for life

Holy cow! Did you guys know that the Ice Cream Man/Woman makes between $400 and $900 a day in the summer, depending on the weather? Wow. Time for a career shift.

Speaking about fun foods, reader Rachael wrote in with a question pertaining to last week’s Cooking for Small Children post:

Q: I have 3 children 3 and under. My two oldest love to snack! I have plenty of fruits and veggies for them, but sometimes they arent the easiest on the go. Id like to steer clear of snacks like cheddar fish or crackers, even. What are some delicious whole, nutritious, on the go snacks?!

A: Thanks for writing, Rachael! While I don’t have kids of my own, my cousins/friends/guy on the corner really seem to like Sabra’s single-serving hummus tubs. They’re portable, cute, and ain’t nothing wrong with a little chickpea dip. If you’re concerned about environmental factors, you can buy a larger tub and scoop little portions into a smaller piece of Tupperware.

But sweet readers, I know you have more on this. What are your little ones’ favorite healthy snacks?

Want to ask the interweb a question? Post one in the comment section, or write to Cheaphealthygood@gmail.com. Then, tune in next Tuesday for an answer/several answers from the good people of the World Wide Net.

If your goal is to gain weight instead of lose it, eating healthy snacks is one way to go. To make sure that you add on those much-needed pounds, go for food that’s high in calories, carbohydrates, protein and healthy unsaturated fats. If you’re counting your calories, make sure that your intake is more than the recommended. Pretty soon, you’ll see your weight rising healthily up the scale.
More than just choosing the right types and amounts of food to snack on, it will also help to change your eating habits. Use a generous heaping of olive oil, canola oil or peanut butter on your food. Also, make sure that your drinks contain some healthy weight-gaining sugars. Instead of strictly having 3 square meals, make sure to snack in between. To give you an idea of good, healthy munchies for weight gain, here are 7 snack ideas you can zero in on:

1. Nuts and Seeds

Nuts alone are good muscle building snacks. They are high in monosaturated fats, and even contain a healthy heap of protein and calories. For a better weight gain strategy, you can throw in some peanut butter for a tasty treat. Don’t overlook flax seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, pistachios, and other nuts and seeds.

2. Tuna

Tuna has been a long-time favorite of fitness buffs. Some would argue that it’s perfect for losing weight because of this fish’s low fat content. Being high in protein and healthy calories makes it a perfect snack choice for those who wish to gain weight.

3. Whole Fat Dairy Products

Veer away from low-fat skim products, and instead opt for the full-cream and whole milk. These are rich in protein and fat, which will help you quickly go up the scales. Feel free to add some whole fat cheese, like Swiss and Cheddar, to your snacks and sandwiches. Don’t hold the yogurt either, as this also contains some healthy weight-gaining dairy.

4. Crackers and Bagels

You need not zoom in to the white breads and high-carbohydrate offerings. Crackers and bagels made from whole wheat, bran and sesame can help you pack on some pounds. Use a generous heaping of peanut butter, jams, margarine or honey to ring up those calories and proteins.

5. Cereals

You might be surprised to note that cereals actually contain some healthy calories. The health conscious always seek these out in their daily diet, but they’re also great snacks for weight gainers. You can opt for the healthier cereal and veer away from frosted flakes and puffs. Go for a healthy heaping of granola, oats and muesli. Add in some raisins and fruits, and douse in whole milk. You got yourself a healthy high-calorie snack.

6. Fruits and Vegetables

Even if snacking on fruits and munching on salads is a favorite of dieters, those who aim to gain weight shouldn’t shun fruits and vegetables. They are high in vitamins, minerals and healthy sugars that can definitely aid you in adding a few healthy kilos. Snacking on dried fruits is also advisable, so don’t turn away from dried prunes, raisins and the like.

7. Traditional Snack Foods

This is one advantage weight-gainers have over dieters; they’re still at liberty to reach for the traditional snacks. Go easy on these carbohydrate high-calorie snacks, because they’re not all that healthy when taken in large amounts. But, the increase in calories will certainly help you reach your weight goal. Dark chocolates and baked potato chips should not be scrapped from your snacks list; pretzels are always good as well!
_http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/body-building/7-healthy-snacks-for-weight-gain.html

Todays question comes from college student Caitlin, who has finals coming up.

Q: What about healthy study snacks? i think i ate my weight in popcorn yesterday and definitely need an alternative!

A: Caitlin! Having been a carouser of the late-night cafeteria scene (read: mozzarella sticks, pizza, something called "broccoli cheesebake"), I understand your delicate, frommage-craving pain. Youd like something filling, but light. Tasty, but not time-consuming. And if its caffeinated, all the better.

This sounds lame, but fruit was always a good bet to start, with coffee acting as my beverage of choice. Energy drinks werent so popular back in 199X, but I might have avoided Monster and its ilk like a florescent green plague.

How about some all-natural granola bars? Or trail mix? Or, when all else fails, hummus, carrots, and pita will work wonders.

But I hand it over to you, sweet readers. What snacks will help Caitlin ace her semester-end tests?

Want to ask the interweb a question? Post one in the comment section, or write to Cheaphealthygood@gmail.com. Then, tune in next Tuesday for an answer/several answers from the good people of the World Wide Net.