Not all trail mixes are created equal! With this tutorial on how to build a healthy trail mix, you’ll get the low-down on what to include, what not to include and how to customize your homemade trail mix to your needs and wants!
Trail Mix gets a bad rap far too frequently. I’m not going to delve into the conversation as to why fat is good for you (mainly because it’s the weekend and I don’t need to get worked up before it), but let’s just say that all of the flack that trail mix gets in the weight-loss and occasionally healthy living community isn’t always warranted.
I’m not about to go out and say that most conventional trail-mixes on the market are healthy, because that would be straight falsehood, but I am going to try to convince you that your conceptions as to why trail mix isn’t part of a healthy diet stem from all of the wrong accusations.
True, trail mix is high in fat and sugar. Fat from the nuts and seeds and sugar from the dried fruit and occasional add-ins. *News alert* your bodies need both fat and sugar to function. Again, not going to delve too much into this, but the important thing here is that it’s the QUALITY of the fat and sugar that affect our bodies, not whether or not it’s a part of our diet.
If trail mix was all built like this recipe, you could rest assured that it is of the utmost quality; however, few store-bought trail mixes are this simple.
God only know where they’re sourcing their ingredients from, and typically their dried fruit is coated in sugar, nuts and seeds roasted in hydrogenated oils and then the entire mix is coated in bad-quality salt and jacked up in price. I think you’re getting where I’m going with this…
I think good quality homemade trail mix, in moderation is 100% part of a healthy diet. Especially in those circumstances of high physical activity where you need energy, fast.
I will forever associate homemade trail mix with my hiking adventures. I pretty much exclusively munch on trail mix when I’m out hiking to a point where it also starts to infiltrate all of my meals. It just packs a serious nutrition bang for its buck.
In September, I’ll be hiking in Yosemite and being the planner that I am, I am already prepping every detail, including this healthy trail mix! I mean I needed to make sure it tasted good at least 7 times before we actually leave…right?!
I have my go-to trail mix, which I’ll share with you today, but I’ve also created a customizable recipe so that you can sub in and sub out your favourite ingredients. But before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s have a look at the anatomy of the trail mix:
HEALTHY TRAIL MIX RECIPE
1. Nuts – Feel free to use any kind of nut here! Ideally, purchase raw nuts that haven’t been coated and roasted in hydrogenated or soybean oils and salt. You’re welcome to dry roast them at home for an added toastiness, but if you’re a nut purist, just keep them raw.
2. Seeds – Don’t forget about seeds! Often overlooked for the health benefits of nuts, seeds actually pack a serious nutritional punch including protein, iron, magnesium and an array of vitamins and minerals. Again, look for raw, unsalted seeds.
3. Dried Fruit – Because of the high sugar content in dried fruit, they’re a great snack to help boost your low blood sugar after a high dose of physical activity. Be careful when picking dried fruit! Do your best to find sun dried fruit that isn’t coated in sugar and is ideally unsulfured. It’s more expensive, but it’s worth it.
4. Fun Stuff!– Just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean you can’t throw in a little fun! I’m all about balance, so feel free to add in a handful of your favourite decadent or healthified decadent treat. Dark chocolate and popcorn are my favs so those are my go-tos but feel free to get a little crazy with some pretzels, peanut butter chips or other sweet treat.
Now let’s learn how to build your own healthy trail mix!
PrintHow To Build a Healthy Trail Mix
Not all trail mixes are created equal! With this tutorial on how to build a healthy trail mix, you’ll get the low-down on what to include, what not to include and how to customize your homemade trail mix to your needs and wants!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 cups 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: Raw
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
For the customizable version:
- 1 1/2 cups raw nuts i.e. almonds, pecans, cashews, peanuts etc..
- 1 cup raw seeds i.e. sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds etc…
- 1 cup unsweetened, unsulphured dried fruit
- Fun stuff (amounts vary) i.e. 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate, 1 cup popped popcorn, 1 cup pretzels etc..
- Spice i.e. 1/4 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg (optional)
My Go-To Trail Mix Recipe:
- 3/4 cup raw pecans (I toast mine in the oven for 10 mins at 350 degrees F)
- 3/4 cup raw cashews (I toast mine in the oven for 10 mins at 350 degrees F)
- 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup unsweetened, unsulfured cherries
- 1/2 cup unsweetened, unsulfured raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped 82% dark chocolate
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
- Store in a ziploc bag or mason jar.
- Will keep for up to 1 month.
Optional: If you really need the extra sweetness, you can coat the mix with 2 T maple syrup, spread it out on a baking sheet and allow it to dry before bagging.
Keywords: trail mix
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56 Comments
Samy Singh
February 21, 2019 at 10:37 pmany alternative for peanuts?
Guitar Music
February 21, 2019 at 10:39 pmwhat’s the problem with peanuts?
SK
November 17, 2019 at 3:19 pmDon’t know why their request to sub out peanuts.
But wanted to share that peanuts are inflammatory causing
Mike
February 20, 2020 at 1:50 pmPossible allergy, or perhaps a preference against them.
Maybe try shelled pistachios? Not real keen on alternatives, just passing through looking for a trail mix recipe 🙂
Holly
September 29, 2017 at 2:58 pmMy post is more current than some of the others, but I want to say this is the mix I go to over and over and over again. I make special batches when we go on vacation so we can avoid the processed snacks that are all too easy to grab when going to the beach. I made some for an all-family vacation back in June and my youngest grandson (7 years) ate it instead of all the small boxes of sugared cereal his mother brought for him. I’m making another batch today and had to look it up since I can’t find it on my laptop right now. That’s what prompted me to write today. It’s better than anything else out there. Thanks!
Alex
September 13, 2017 at 4:52 amI had to come up with an “Off the Trail” mix for my boyfriend who loves to eat trail mix as a general snack and has no clue what portion control is. I love the idea of adding popcorn since a bowl of seasoned popcorn didn’t work I’ve been looking to just make swaps. Roasting chickpeas until crispy works really well in it too and keep him feeling full too.
Davida @ The Healthy Maven
September 13, 2017 at 11:19 pmThanks for the feedback, Alex! My partner is the same way. He has zero portion control with trail mix 😉
Luxe Calendar
January 22, 2019 at 4:50 amOnce the building blocks are all set, adding spices is a great way to change up the flavor a bit. Or create your own mix of spices.
★★★★★
Sandra
March 22, 2017 at 1:28 pmThis sounds great, my problem is trying to figure out the calorie count for a homemade trail mix.
How do you get a calorie count?
Theresa
February 8, 2017 at 12:36 pmI love dried cranberries in my trail mix!
Joy
August 14, 2016 at 2:30 pmI made your go-to recipe except I added double raisins (instead of cherries since I could find any other dried fruit without added sugar), omitted the chocolate, and used walnuts instead of cashews. It is amazing! I roasted the pecans and walnuts – which I’ve never done – and those were incredible also. Thank you! So delicious!
Joy
August 14, 2016 at 2:32 pmCorrection- I *couldn’t* find any other dried fruit without added sugar.
Frances Melendez
September 2, 2015 at 5:33 amOnce the building blocks are all set, adding spices is a great way to change up the flavor a bit. Or create your own mix of spices.
Davida Kugelmass
September 3, 2015 at 9:18 amAgreed! I’ve tried it with pumpkin spice and it’s great!
Sabrina @ Nutritiously Sweet
August 4, 2015 at 12:22 pmMmm this looks delicious and exactly like what I make except the pecans – I do peanuts and some raisins thrown in!
Davida Kugelmass
August 5, 2015 at 6:57 amYes! I’m currently really digging pecans, but peanuts would be perfect too!
Laur
August 4, 2015 at 12:19 pmI love trail mixes but I definitely need to watch the portions! My hand just keeps going back to the bag haha! With this said, I like to use them as “toppings” to everything instead! It adds a nice crunch!
Davida Kugelmass
August 5, 2015 at 6:57 amTell me about it! Hence why the recipe includes a disclaimer that will-power isn’t included 😉
Ashley @ Fit Mitten Kitchen
August 4, 2015 at 12:13 pmCouldn’t agree more about the store-bought stuff! I wish people would realize just how easy making your own trail mix really is, and healthier! Just have to broaden your horizons. Hopefully this post helps! 😉
Stacy
August 4, 2015 at 12:03 pmYUM! I never thought about putting popcorn into trail mix…that’s going on my to-do list!
Janice
September 26, 2020 at 6:26 pmI just bought a bag of caramel corn to go into my next bstch of trail mix! I can’t wait..
Cassie
August 4, 2015 at 10:23 amI love trail mix to put onto yogurt, pancakes and smoothies!! Mine, however, would have a lot more chocolate! 😀