Certified nutrition specialist Reena Vokoun shares grab-and-go spring snacks to replace sugary drinks and chips. Hard-boiled eggs, avocado toast with cherry tomatoes, mixed nuts, and berries are all protein-rich options that balance carbs and healthy fats. The CDC reports a 42% obesity rate in the U.S., driven by diets high in sugar and refined grains.
Reena, it is always so great to chat with you. You always give us great tips for living a healthier lifestyle, and today it's all about those snacks that can energize us. So maybe we reach for something healthy opposed to a Red Bull or too much coffee, right?
Absolutely, yes. These are nutrition hacks for healthy snacks and even light meals this spring. And according to the CDC, the obesity rate in the US has climbed up to 42%, and typical diets in the US far exceed the recommended levels of sugars, saturated fats, sodium, and refined grains. So these snacks really allow you to focus on more plant-based foods, high-protein foods. They're easy to grab and go and allow you to still have a healthy lifestyle even when you're busy.
I know, and a lot of these snacks are just like you said, easy. So let's start with the hard-boiled eggs. This is something you can prep ahead of time and grab instead of chips, etc.
Exactly. So hard-boiled eggs are really great for protein. If you boil them, you can keep them in your refrigerator for a couple of days, and they're just great to to eat hot or cold. You put a little salt and pepper and garlic. They're very delicious.
One of my favorite snacks. Yes. This is always a good one too.
Yes. So this one is avocado toast with cherry tomatoes and low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese. And you can use different types of breads for this one. You could use 100% whole grain bread. You can use sourdough bread as well, which is fermented. And so that really lowers your glycemic index levels, which can help your blood sugar. So if you want to have healthy grains, I would start with that as your base. And then sliced avocado the sliced cherry tomatoes, and low-fat avocado really allows you to get a good mix of those whole grains. You're getting, you know, healthy fats, you're getting lots of vitamins and minerals, calcium, and even a little bit of protein with the cheese.
Let's continue talking about some snacks.
Yes, so if you are looking for a sweet and salty combo, this is one of my favorites. I love mixed nuts. Mm-hmm. Exactly, so cashews, you could do walnuts, you can do almonds, peanuts, as long as you don't have any nut allergies. So for all of these snacks, make sure to talk to your doctor if you have any dietary restrictions, but nuts are great because they're high in protein, they're high in mono and polysaturated fats, they're again easy to grab and go. Yes, how good is that?
They're addicting though.
Exactly, you can throw them in a bag and put them in your purse or work bag, and instead of chips or something crunchy, this is a healthier option. You do just want to watch your portion sizes because nuts can be higher in calories.
I know, but they're so good. So that's the one thing.
They're so good, and one of my personal favorites is honestly chocolate-covered nuts, chocolate-covered almonds. Dark chocolate. Dark chocolate, because then you get some antioxidants as as well. The mixed berries are great. They're filled with fiber. They're filled with antioxidants. If you're having that sweet craving, maybe at work in the afternoon, this is another great snack to, you know, eat during that time of day, and it'll hopefully keep you full until dinnertime.
Mm-hmm. This was one of my favorite snacks as a kid. My kids love it, and it's still so good.
Yes, exactly. My kids love it too, and it's just sliced organic bananas with peanut butter. You could also use almond butter. You could use any kind of nut butter that you like, and you get that sort of savory, sweet snack. It's very creamy. Obviously bananas are high in potassium. The peanut butter is going to be high in protein and healthy fats as well. And these two ingredients are often used in smoothies and so many other, you know, really healthy meals and snacks. So this is kind of just getting to the raw ingredients.
Well, I love all of these tips. I bet people at home are thinking about how they can meal plan and stay energized and healthy this spring. People can continue getting more information from you through coaching, great workouts. Where can they find you?
Yes, absolutely. So passionfit.com is my website, and I am a certified nutrition specialist as well as a certified health coach, and I love to work with clients holistically. So not only on your nutrition, but how that pairs with your fitness and other aspects of your daily lifestyle to keep you healthy.
Alright, well Reena, thank you so, so much. We can't wait to see you again, and I'm just gonna— you don't need these, right?
Yes, I don't need them. You can enjoy them. Thank you so much, Ashley.
Thank you.
