As the weather warms up for summer, it’s time to embrace nature and enjoy some fresh air- snacks in tow, of course! Equipped with sugar for a quick energy boost, complex carbs for short-term energy, and fats for slow burning, long energy, trail mix is a great option for staying fueled on all your outdoor adventures! 

 

Making your own is easy and fun way to get your kiddos in the kitchen, plus you can control how much, and what type of, sugar and fat goes into it, so it can be exactly what you want and need nutritionally.  The combinations are endless so you’ll never get bored and they’re totally customizable for allergies. Easily pack them up in a Dipper, Trailhead, Day Tripper, or Trailblazer container for on-the-go snacking. 

 

Here are a few of our favorite combos:

 

TROPICAL MONKEY MIX

 1 cup roasted salted cashews

1/2 cup peanuts

1/2 cup banana chips

1/2 cup dried pineapple chunks

1/2 cup coconut strips or chips

1/2 cup yogurt covered pretzels

 

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and store in an airtight container.

 

BERRY CRISP MIX

1 cup almonds

1/2 cup macadamia nuts

1/2 cup goji berries

1/2 cup freeze dried strawberries

1/2 cup graham cracker pieces

1/2 cup pretzel pieces

 

 Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and store in an airtight container.

 

PIZZA PIE MIX

1 cup walnuts

1/2 cup almonds

1 cup roasted chickpeas*

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds 

1 Tbsp oil (olive or avocado)

1 Tbsp tomato sauce 

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp salt

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together the oil, tomato sauce, and seasoning.

3. Toss the nuts, chickpeas, and seeds with the wet ingredients and cheese.

4. Spread the mixture evenly on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.

5. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. 

 *You can use store bought roasted chickpeas or make your own. To do so, drain, rinse, and pat dry a can of chickpeas. Roast at 400° for 20 minutes on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Then lower the heat to make your trail mix.

 

RANCH MIX

1 cup pecans

1/2 cup cashews

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup plantain chips

1 Tbsp oil (olive or avocado) 

2 Tbsp maple syrup

2 Tbsp dried onion

2 tsp dried garlic

1 Tbsp dried dill

1/2 tsp salt

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together the oil and maple syrup.

3. Toss the nuts, seeds, and chips with the wet ingredients.

4. Spread the mixture evenly on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.

5. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. 

 

Or you can pick up some of your favorite ingredients and use this quick formula to get you started:

 1 1/2 cups raw  or already roasted nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews, macadamia, pistachio, peanuts, etc.)

1/2 cup raw seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds) 

1 cup dried fruit, sweetened or unsweetened ( raisins, cranberries, blueberries, cherries, goji berries, bananas, pineapple, mango, apricots, figs, dates, etc)

1 cup extras (chocolate pieces, popcorn, pretzels, cereal pieces, roasted chickpeas, yogurt covered raisins or pretzel pieces, coconut flakes, etc)