Healthy Trail Mix Recipes

16 Nov Healthy Trail Mix Recipes

Healthy Trail Mix Recipes

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season can lead to times when you’re feeling famished but are left with no healthy options. Instead of mindlessly munching on junk, prepare some snacks ahead of time that will be calorically dense (keeping you fuller, longer) and have greater nutritional value than a small Chick-fil-a fry.

All you have to do is combine dry ingredients and some seasoning (optional), store in an airtight container in a dry, cool place, and you’re good to go. Just be sure to keep serving size to a quarter cup or less, and be weary of dangerous, sugary ingredients.

Ingredients

Nuts

• These little powerhouses are loaded with healthy unsaturated fats, protein, fiber, antioxidants, vitamin E, and other essential vitamins, nutrients, and minerals.
• Choose either raw or plain, roasted. Salted and sugary options can lead to over-indulgence and increased sodium intake.
• Healthy Options: Almonds, pistachios, cashews, peanuts, and walnuts. Macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, pecans, and pine nuts are also good options in moderation.

Seeds

• Seeds provide comparable nutritional benefits to nuts. Hemp seeds, for example, are are an excellent source of aminos, omega-3 fatty acids, gamma linolenic acid, protein, zinc, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and calcium.
• Pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax, or hemp seeds in trail mix can add an extra boost of nutrients.
• Again, be sure to get either raw or plain, roasted.

Dried or Dehydrated Fruit

• Fruit can be tricky, especially if your goal is weightless. Pay attention to the ingredient list and serving sizes.
• Dried fruit can be a great source of fiber, antioxidants, calcium, and vitamins A, C, and K, just be sure to indulge sparingly.
• Dried fruit options with as little added sugar and preservatives as possible is your best bet. Often times, cranberries and raisins, are sweetened with cane sugar or apple juice).
• Our Favorites: Goji berries, coconut flakes, blueberries, strawberries, apricots, banana chips, date pieces, mango.

Grains

• Adding some complex carbohydrates to your custom blend will increase fiber and keep you fuller and more energized, longer.
• Choose whole grains and avoid highly processed cereals loaded with sugar, additives and preservatives.
• Our Favorites: Granola, toasted oats, and puffed rice cereal

Sweets

• Beware! Adding sweets to the mix can easily be a gateway to endless snacking.
• It’s probably best if these are avoided all together, but should you desire a little extra sweetness, opt for dried fruit, cacao nibs, coconut flakes or a dusting of cacao powder and cinnamon.

Savory Extras

• Once you’ve chosen your base ingredients, adding spices is a great way to create your own flavor variation.
• Some exciting seasoning options are sea salt, curry, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, or cayenne pepper.

Mix it Up!

Depending on your nutritional and taste needs, portion each ingredient out accordingly. Keep in mind, a serving size of ¼ cup or less for the entire mix is ideal to keep you from eating the entire mix before you’ve even left the house!

1. Tropical Mix: Cashews, Brazil nuts, small pineapple chunks, coconut flakes, banana chips.
2. Fall in Love: Pecans, maple granola, pumpkin seeds, nutmeg, cinnamon.
3. Savory: Almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper.
4. Power Mix: Goji berries, pistachios, coconut flakes, flax seeds, cacao nibs.
5. Nutty: Almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cashews, pecans, goji berries.
6. Rawsome Energy Blend: Walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt, date pieces.

What’s your go-to trail mix combination?

-Health & Wellness Coach
Michelle C.

Inspiration: https://greatist.com/health/21-healthier-trail-mix-ideas

https://glutenfreescdandveggie.blogspot.com/2014/03/trail-mix-gf-scd.html