30 Apr Crunchy, Chewy, Sweet, and Salty Trail Mix
Let’s begin this post with a simple exercise using the photo above, called “count the ingredients”.
Begin: 1. . . 2. . . 3. . . 4. . . 5. . . and 6! That wasn’t so hard, right?
Recently, my daughters brought home an empty bag of something referred to as “snack mix” given to them at school. Fortunately I’ve taught them the importance of reading ingredient labels and while they don’t always listen, they did on this particular day. Even they were shocked at the GINORMOUS list of items in this tiny 7/8 ounce bag and refused to eat it. It was truly mind-blowing! There were more than 100 ingredients, most of which you will likely be unable to pronounce. You can see it for yourself below:
Making your own snacks is one of the easiest things you can do and it will take you less than 5 minutes to prepare. Just keep jars of nuts, dried fruit and other items like chocolate chips and coconut flakes, which I used in this recipe… and POW you have yourself a quick and healthy treat. When I go to the supermarket, I like to pick up at least one variety of nuts, dried fruit or spices. Getting these items all at once can get expensive and this is one useful way I found to reduce my costs. Here’s a word of caution, when shopping for dried fruit, opt for apple juice-infused (as opposed to those sweetened with sugar or corn syrup). Most have naturally occurring sugar and don’t need added sweetener at all like goji berries, raisins or apricots. And get a load of this factoid… those who eat nuts live two to three more years than those who don’t as they are loaded with plenty of good fats, protein, and carbohydrates. The best part is that trail mix staple items are non-perishable and can last a long time in your cabinets and even longer if you store them in your fridge. Not sure how long nuts will last? Just check out this handy nut guide.
Trail mixes are great for replenishing after exercise, as a snack for kids (given they have no nut sensitivities) and to avoid highly processed items on-the-go. This recipe has only 6 ingredients and all cravings are satisfied whether your preference is crunchy, chewy, sweet or salty – or a combination of all! Plus, who is going to say “no” to chocolate? Not me, that’s for sure! So now I want you to start building your pantry and to pay attention to the ingredients in snack foods, including your favorite “healthy” granola and protein bars. You might be surprised at what you discover.
Do you have any trail mix recipes of your own? Stop keeping secrets and share them with me! I know there some Indian-spiced nuts and cacao nib fans out there. Show me whatcha you got… pretty please 😉
- ⅓ cup juice-infused cranberries
- ⅓ cup raw pumpkin seeds unsalted
- ⅓ cup raw slivered almonds unsalted
- 2 tablespoons Dark Chocolate Mini-Chips
- 2 teaspoons organic coconut finely shredded flakes unsweetened
- Pink Himalayan Salt
- Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix using a large spoon.
- Lightly sprinkle salt to taste (I used about ⅛ teaspoon)
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