Top 5 Snacks That Should be on Your Shopping List if You're Trying to Gain Weight

1. Canned tuna is one of the best snacks if you're looking to put on some clean, fat free weight. Not only is it relatively cheap, tuna is made up of mostly protein (1 can ~ 30 grams of protein) that is complete which is exactly what is needed to repair damaged muscle tissue after a workout. Tuna is also a great midnight snack since it only contains 150 calories per can. Eating small meals at night will lower how much of the energy is stored as fat.

2. Fruits, while not high in calories, provide essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals which are also necessary to build muscle. They also contain a moderate amount of sugar which is perfect as a light snack before a workout.

3. Peanut butter is loaded with calories which you need to gain weight and muscle. While these calories come mainly from fat, they are the healthy, unsaturated kind that have been shown to prevent heart disease.

4. Whole wheat bread goes great with peanut butter and jelly to make a quick snack. Whole wheat, as opposed to white bread, contains more nutrients and will be digested slower which helps your body use the energy more efficiently and reduces the amount of calories needed to be stored as fat.

5. Chocolate milk can be a great addition to a meal or a good stand alone snack. It's high in calories, specifically sugar and protein (low fat chocolate milk) which can be great before or after a hard workout to aid in recovery.

For more shopping lists geared towards gaining weight, visit the Guide to Healthy Grocery Shopping. You can also check out what foods others are eating and share your own tips on how to put on muscle at the nutrition forums.

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