Snack Smart: Dried Fruit

Need a yummy low cal snack on the go?
Try dried fruit. Its portable and much easier to stuff in a purse or backpack than squishing and bruising that real banana or apple.

A word to the wise though, watch the label.  A lot of dehydrated fruits are candied. All that sugar adds up to big calories that you don't need. The fruit is sweet enough on its own. Bananas and apricots are notorious for this.  Look at the ingredient list, if they add sugar, pass it by.

My favorite is the Kirkland brand freeze dried fruit. Just apples in a bag. 35 calories. The perfect snack in between class.  Great for lunchboxes for the kiddos too.

Potpourri: Obesity by tax bracket

I recently read a study whose findings indicated that women in a lower tax brackets are more likely to be obese than their wealthier counterparts.

To this I say a big fat "duh". Unless you're starving yourself, if you got no money, you eat off the dollar menu, or ramen. Cheeseburger and fries do not exactly help the waistline.

It's very easy to say, "Well If I had money for a personal chef and trainer, I'd be skinny too." That's true, but I know I still need to be making better choices. I can't afford a trainer or a fancy gym, but I can take community classes. Or run for free.

Food is still a problem though. Why is it that Cheap food is unhealthy, and healthy food is uncheap? Buying fresh fruits and veggies can kill a budget in a week. Try a farmer's market, a co-op, or growing your own. Or do what I do, beg your neighbors for leftovers from their gardens.