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!!!