Healthy Homemade Trail Mix (A family favorite)

Healthy Homemade Trail Mix, travel-friendly snack provides energy and essential nutrients, and can be customized to suit any picky snacker in your family and satisfy any dietary need! My husband, with his knack for perfect proportions, created this mix. We store it in a glass jar at home, ready for our next adventure.

Whether it’s a scenic hike, a thrilling skiing trip, or a long drive, my family always packs some in a Ziplock bag for a quick and tasty – perfect snack. People worldwide love trail mixes for their versatility. This travel-friendly snack provides energy and essential nutrients, and what’s more, they can be customized to suit any picky snacker in your family and satisfy any dietary need! This recipe offers just the right balance of sweet, salty, and spicy, making this chocolate lover here VERY happy because I didn’t need to pull out my secret stash of dark chocolate chips. 

Why spend on store-bought trail mixes when you can make your own at a fraction of the cost? I could grab all these ingredients at my local farmer’s market, which was a bonus. This recipe includes a variety of ingredients, such as unsalted peanuts, raw almonds, walnuts, unsweetened tart cherries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, green raisins, regular raisins, gooseberries, apricots, figs, raw cashews, and wasabi peas. But you can make a variety of trail mix with whatever combinations your store offers. This healthy trail mix recipe is a perfect blend of crunchy and chewy elements, making every bite an experience to savor, especially when binge-watching your favorite series on Netflix. 

Benefits of Trail Mix

Trail mixes are convenient and healthy snack options that can provide various benefits. If I didn’t convince you already to make your trail mix, here are some of the top benefits of this homemade trail mix:

1. Packed with Nutrients: Our trail mix is not just a tasty snack; it’s a powerhouse of essential nutrients and minerals, hitting your daily value of nutrition. It’s the perfect balance loaded with protein, fiber, healthy fats, and antioxidants, all crucial for your overall health. So, snack away confidently, knowing you’re nourishing your body with every bite.
2. Energy Booster: The trail mix is an excellent energy source. The combination of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats in trail mix can provide a quick energy boost, especially if you have low blood sugar, and help you power through your day.
3. Convenient: Trail mix is a highly convenient snack option. You can easily pack it in a small Ziplock bag or container and take it anywhere, in your gym bag, kid’s lunch box, purse, etc. It’s great for game night, too!
4. Customizable: You can customize your trail mix with your favorites. This way, you can add more of what you love and satisfy your personal tastes.
5. Delicious snack for a vegan and gluten-free diet.  

Ingredients for Healthy Homemade Trail Mix Recipe 

Now that you know the benefits of trail mix, let’s examine the trail mix ingredients you’ll need to make the best trail mix. Make sure to use the finest ingredients you can source, because the health benefits of nuts are expansive.  

• Peanuts are an excellent source of fiber, which can reduce inflammation and improve digestion.  Some people like Virginia peanuts, but I am indifferent.
• Almonds contain healthy fats and can help support heart health and lower blood pressure. They are also a source of vitamin E and magnesium.
• Walnuts are a great source of protein, healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidants supporting brain health.
• Unsweetened tart cherries are a delicious source of antioxidants and fiber, which can support digestive health.
• Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of protein, healthy fats, minerals like magnesium, zinc, and iron, and antioxidants that bolster the immune system.
• Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of protein, healthy fats, and vitamin E, an antioxidant that can help reduce inflammation.
• Green raisins are a great addition to any mix. They’re high in fiber and promote digestive health.
• Good old raisins are a good source of fiber, which can help support digestive health.
• Gooseberries can reduce excess cholesterol in arteries and vessels, making it easier for the heart to pump blood.
• Apricots are low-calorie and low-fat fruits high in fiber and nutrients. They’re also rich in vitamins, minerals, and flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties.
• Half a cup of dried figs contains up to 7 grams of fiber, making it a high-fiber food that helps maintain a healthy digestive system and prevent constipation.
• Raw unsalted cashews are a vegan and vegetarian diet staple I love because they are a great source of protein and minerals like iron and zinc.
• Wasabi peas are a spicy, nutritious addition to any snack mix. They offer antioxidants, stabilize blood sugar levels, and promote digestive health.

Trail mixes are the way to go; your body will thank you. So, try my healthy and homemade trail mix the next time you want a quick and nutritious snack that you can never keep stocked in your kitchen!

Personalize your own trail mix to satisfy your taste buds and incorporate any additional favorite ingredients. Adding other kinds of nuts, maybe macadamia nuts.  Make sure to use unsalted and raw nuts. Other ingredients to consider are banana chips, coconut flakes, and freeze-dried fruit.  

Other travel friendly snacks that our family enjoys are Homemade granola  and Candied pecan bites.

Pro Tips & Meal Prep Ideas

1. Store your nut mixes in an airtight container, glass jar, sealed container, or Ziplock bag to keep it fresh. This will help prevent air and moisture from getting in and keep the mix crisp.
2. To extend the shelf life of your trail mix, store it in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Heat and moisture, especially from tree nuts, can cause the mix to spoil or become rancid.

What are some of your favorite trail mix ingredients? Leave a comment below and follow us @veggiecurean for more delicious recipes!

-BON APPÉTIT!

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Healthy Homemade Trail Mix (A family favorite)

5 from 1 vote

This mouth-watering recipe is a testament to the love and care my family puts into our snacks. It's a healthy and delicious homemade trail mix that we all enjoy. My husband, with his knack for perfect proportions, created this mix. We store it in a glass jar at home, ready for our next adventure.

Servings: 18 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Ingredients 

• 2 cups unsalted peanuts, roasted
• 1 cup almonds, raw
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup tart cherries, unsweetened
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup green raisins
• 1/2 cup regular rasins
• 1/2 cup gooseberries
• 1/2 cup apricots, dry, whole
• 1/2 cup figs, dry, whole
• 1/2 cup cashews, raw, unsalted
• 1/2 cup wasabi peas

Instructions 

• Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
• Once you have added all the ingredients, use a large spoon or spatula to mix everything until it is well combined. Make sure all the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the mix.
• After mixing, transfer the trail mix to an airtight container, glass jar, or Ziplock bag for storage. Your delicious and nutritious homemade trail mix can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere!

Notes

Pro Tips & Meal Prep Ideas

Store your trail mix in an airtight container, glass jar, or Ziplock bag to keep it fresh. This will help prevent air and moisture from getting in and keep the mix crisp.

To extend the shelf life of your trail mix, store it in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Heat and moisture, especially from tree nuts, can cause the mix to spoil or become rancid.