So many trail mixes.. which one to choose??

Hi Everyone!!

You walk into Fresh Market, Whole Foods, or your local grocery store and you see bins and bins of different trail mixes.  All of them look delicious – but are they all created equal??

The answer is simply, no.  Here are my rules for choosing the best trail mix!!

1. Look at your labels!! Many trail mixes contain loads of sugar, preservatives, and unnecessary ingredients.  My rule of thumb – the less ingredients, the better. When you look at the ingredient list and it is a full paragraph of ingredients that you can’t pronounce, put it back!  Choose a trail mix that has dried fruit, nuts, and seeds.

2. Avoid empty carbohydrates. Avoid trail mixes that are loaded with lots of crackers, puffed wheat, pretzels.  These are empty calories and will not give you as much energy as choosing a trail mix with more nuts and fruits.

3. Not all nuts are created equal. Almonds are my favorite nuts to add to my trail mix.  Peanuts and cashews are MUCH higher in fat content and do not have as much nutritional value.  Nuts are a great source of protein and fiber – but don’t go overboard!  Even almonds have a moderate percentage of healthy fat.

4. Stay away from sweetened fruit. Naturally dried fruit is sweet enough!  Some trail mixes add cane juice or treat fruit with sulfur dioxide.  Keep it simple and choose a trail mix that does not have these ‘extra’ sweeteners.

EASY recipe for making your own trail mix at home!!!

Here is a simple, super easy recipe to make a large batch of trail mix at home!!

Ingredients:

1 cup almonds (raw or roasted)
1 cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup dried blueberries
1 cup dried cranberries

Simply mix all of the ingredients together and put in an airtight container.  You will have a delicious, healthy snack to eat when your sweet cravings hit!!  I love to keep healthy snacks like this in the house so that when I am tempted to have something sweet, I eat this instead of something much higher in calories.. like ice cream or a chocolate bar!

Take Action!!!  What will you keep in the kitchen cabinets as a healthy snack when your sweet cravings hit??  Let me know by posting below!! :)

To your health!!

Laura

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