Trail Mix Tips & Tricks

It’s the end of August and today is National Trail Mix day! Trail mix is typically a healthful combination of mixed nuts, dried fruits, grains and occasionally small amounts of chocolate. Trail mix is simple to make, easy to store, light to carry, and fun to eat. There are many reasons to get excited about the different spins you can put on your trail mix!

The best part about trail mix is that you have so many options– you can make it yourself to cater it to your taste buds or buy it from the store. Whatever you choose, its still important to be mindful and I’m here to help you!

5 Tips for Homemade Trail Mix

1. NUTS– When you step into the supermarket aisle, you’ll see a variety of different types of nuts produced in different ways, thinkalmonds, cashews, peanuts, pecans, etc. They may be raw, lightly salted, salted, or roasted. When making your selection, try to go with the raw or lightly salted version of your favorite nut.

2. SEEDS– Another great addition to your mix are these nutritional powerhouses known as seeds, thinkpumpkin seeds orhemp or Same as with the nuts, when choosing the seeds, look for a variety made with little to no salt.

3. DRIED FRUIT– The supermarket offers several choices, including raisins, apricots, figs, pineapple, and mango among others. Many brands of store-bought dried fruits can contain extra sugars, so either read the Nutrition Facts label carefully, or make your own at home using a dehydrator!

4. GRAINS– These can be added for extra flavor. You can use granola or less common grains like oats, bran flakes, or plain popcorn

5. SWEETS– The most common sweet to add to trail mix is chocolate, perhaps in the form of M&M’s. If you choose to add a little chocolate to satisfy your sweet tooth,try dark chocolate chips too!

Simple Trail mix Varieties

Alright, so we’ve discussed the basic components of trail mix and ways to make smart choices when creating your own – now it’s time tohave fun with it by combining different ingredients each time to find your favorite. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind if you need some help!

Sunflower seeds, pretzels, peanuts, wasabi peas
Peanuts, walnuts, raisins, pumpkin seeds
Almonds, raisins, oats, white chocolate chips
Cashews, banana chips, raisins, peanut butter chips
Cranberries, almonds, cashews, oats, chocolate chips

Mixing up your trail mix is a fun task to experiment with on your own or with your kids! If you have children, consider including them in the flavor exploration. Who knows what you’ll all come up with when working together?

Your turn to take action: How will you create your trail mix? Let me know in the comments below!