It’s Summertime & The Snackin’ Is Easy

For most Americans summertime means travel, picnics, camping, hiking and overall fun outdoor activities. Whether you’re hitting the road, the skies or an RV, you may experience longer than usual stretches between meals. So, it’s important to prepare some healthy, nutritious and tasty snacks for your trip.

Exactly what you pack for your summertime snacks is an important consideration for you and your family. It makes sense to stick to a healthy eating routine, to offset any possible weight gain.

Choosing the right foods as snacks can help provide energy, decrease your hunger and keep you from overeating at mealtime. Travel snacks also need to be easily portable for the road or traveling by plane and must meet any restrictions imposed at airports.

That’s why serving size is also an important consideration. It helps to make sure the snacks are easy to carry in a pocket, backpack or in carry-on luggage. Parents also must think about food choices that their kids will actually want to eat. Packaged snacks are a great choice since the serving size is clearly marked on the label.

With so many factors to consider, nutritionist and Registered Dietitian Kristin Kirkpatrick says she has some perfect choices for summertime snacks, including new indulgent treats that allow consumers to satisfy their sweet tooth without all the sugar.

‘We are out of the house,” said Kirkpatrick. “ We are on the go traveling by car or plane. But really we are out of the house much longer. Maybe we leave at 8 a.m. and don’t come back until five. We really need to focus on smart snacking. Getting things that sustain energy and don’t drag us down so we can enjoy the summer.”

“I’m so excited to be partnering with Quest Nutriton to recommend some of my favorite products that I recommend all the time to my family, friends, my clients. You really have to focus on the activity, The activity will dictate the snack. Lets say Im going on a four mile hike with my family. Im going to have my kids, my dog, I need something that is easy to pack with me and sustain my energy. So I love throwing in the chocolate chip cookie dough bars into my backpack, 21 grams of protein. There really is nothing more perfect because it keeps me up and makes me able to do those long hikes and my kids love it too. If we are doing a picnic I can bring an icepack and bring something for everyone. I can do cheese cubes, fruit kabobs. The key is regardless of the activity you’re choosing you really want it to be nutrient dense, something that maintains the energy for anyone who is consuming it.”

“Bottom line when we fill our kids up with a bunch of sugar and carbs we put them on this blood sugar roller coaster. That makes them eat more, makes them crave really unhealthy foods. So we want to focus on protein and fiber as our main components.”

“For a sweet treat without all that sugar I absolutely love the Candy Bites are so good they are like an indulgent candy bar. There are two different flavors fudgy brownie with almonds and gooey caramel with peanuts.”

For more information visit https://www.questnutrition.com/

Kristin Kirkpatrick

Kristin Kirkpatrick is the President of KAK, Consulting, LLC and a dietitian and consultant of Wellness Nutrition Services at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute in Cleveland, Ohio. She is a best-selling author, an experienced presenter, and an award winning Dietitian. Kristin has been seen on both local and national shows such as the TODAY show, NBC Nightly News and the Dr. Oz show and has contributed to several national Newspapers and magazines such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, TIME, Runners World, Oprah, Martha Stewart Living, Food Network, Costco Connection, Self and Women’s Health. The Huffington Post named Kristin “one of 35 diet and nutrition experts you need to follow on twitter.” In December, 2017, Kristin’s show “the New Rules of Food” aired nationally on PBS and received rave reviews.

Kristin’s career began in Washington, D.C. where she assisted in lobbying efforts for Medical Nutrition Therapy reform on behalf of the American Dietetic Association Policy and Advocacy group. She then went on to become the Regional Coordinator of the Montgomery County, Maryland Hearts N Parks program. During her time with Hearts N Parks, she designed, implemented and measured health promotion programs within the Washington, D.C. metro area. Kristin then returned to Ohio to work for the Cleveland Clinic's Department of Cardiovascular Genetics. She eventually became the lead Dietitian in the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute.

Kristin is a sought after national speaker on a variety of nutrition and wellness related topics. In addition, Kirkpatrick writes for TODAY.com, Eating Well magazine, the Huffington Post, and US News and World Report and is a featured expert on Cleveland Clinic's Health Essentials. Kristin also serves on Dr. Oz’s Medical Advisory Board as well as the Advisory Board for Lose it! Kristin is also a Nutrition Expert with the NBC affiliate for Denver, Colorado.

Kristin has over 20 years of experience in the health management area, holds an MS in Health Promotion Management from American University in Washington, D.C., and a BA in Political Science from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She is licensed as a Registered Dietitian in the state of Ohio. In May 2012, Kristin received the Ohio Outstanding Dietetic Educator of the year award and, in 2013, received alumni of the year from her high school, Gilmour Academy.

In January 2017, Kristin published her first book, Skinny Liver: A Proven Program to Prevent and Reverse the New Silent Epidemic—Fatty Liver Disease. You can read an except here.

In her free time, Kristin enjoys running, hiking, skiing, reading, and spending time with her husband Andy, her 2 sons Jake and Boden and their dogs in their home outside of Denver, Colorado

Interview Courtesy: Quest Nutrition, LLC