Building A Trail Mix

Are you struggling to incorporate more whole grains, fruits, seeds, plant-based protein, or healthy fats into your day? Building a trail mix can be the perfect way to include them! It also doubles as a go-anywhere, refueling snack. Add it to a lunch box, work bag, purse, or book bag!

When building a trail mix, the possibilities are endless. If you don't have time to make your own from scratch, it's ok. Use the readymade store-bought ones and to balance them out, adding one of the crunchy options below.

It is important to keep an eye on portions and the choices in mind because the calories can add up quickly.

Do you have a favorite trail mix?

Here are some ingredients to add to build yours!

Crunchy:

Whole-grain cereal (Cheerios, Chex, Kix, Kashi)

Crackers/Goldfish

Popcorn

Pretzels (ex. balls, mini, sticks, twists)

Sweet:

Dried apricots

Chopped dates

Raisins

Dried Cherries

Dried Mango

Dried Pineapple

Dark chocolate pieces/chips

Shredded coconut pieces

Candy (M&M or Reese's Pieces)

Protein:

Nuts (ex. peanuts, almonds, walnuts, shelled pistachios, cashews)

Pumpkins seeds (pepitas)

Unsalted sunflower seeds

Roasted chickpeas or lentils

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine at least one ingredient from each group; and gently mix. For an easy on-the-go snack option, portion out into snack bags.

Photo credit: Media from Unsplash/Tetiana Bykovets