How to Make Healthy Trail Mix

Processed trail mix may look healthy, but if you check the label, it often includes hidden salt, sugar and preservatives. Make your own healthy trail mix, and you can be sure it's chock full of your favorite fresh and healthy ingredients. Take some along on your next hiking trip or keep some on hand for a healthy snack.

Things You'll Need

• Unsalted raw nuts (walnuts, pecans, macadamia, peanuts, cashews)
• Preservative-free dried fruits (blueberries, dates, bananas, apples, cranberries, raisins)
• Preservative-free dried tropical fruits (papaya, pineapple, mangos)
• Sunflower or other healthy seeds
• All-natural, crunchy cereal of your choice
• Healthy sweets (flaked coconut, carob chips, yogurt-covered raisins, dark chocolate chips)
• Resealable bag or plastic container

Instructions

1. Make some "gorp," good old raisins and peanuts. Fill a resealable bag with raisins and peanuts and leave it as is, or supplement the gorp any way you like. Try dried cherries, spicy hot peppers or dried carrots.

2. Mix up a healthy tropical trail mix, including dried papaya and pineapple, macadamia nuts, unsweetened flaked coconut and cashews, or be exotic and add some dried mangos.

3. Combine ingredients to create some healthy human bird food, which can include raisins, sunflower seeds, dried dates and dried blueberries.

4. Devise your own personalized healthy trail mix according to your tastes. Try dried bananas, apricots and apples, all-natural crunchy cereal, carob chips, yogurt-covered raisins or sunflower seeds.

5. Put the healthy trail mix in a resealable bag or plastic container.

Resources

• Healthy trail mix recipe