Trail Mix, the Perfect Healthy Snack

The perfect healthy snack can be made in the convenience of your kitchen in less than five minutes. What I love about Trail Mix is the health benefits, it does not need refrigeration and you can easily carry it around with you. Personally I like to carry some in my purse when I'm on the road or on-the-go in case I'm in between meals and that sugar craving kicks in or if you simply need an extra burst of energy before exercise or if you hit a low during the afternoon.

I recommend using a variety of four different nuts. My favorite ones are raw and unsalted almonds, cashews, walnuts and peanuts. A tip I want to share for my walnuts is I buy the spicy version they have at Trader Joe's to balance out the sweetness from the dried fruit and chocolate chips. I also add three different dried natural organic fruits in moderation like pineapple, cranberries and raisins. A few mini chocolate chips which can be made of white, milk or dark chocolate. Of course if you have a high concentrate of cacao for the dark chocolate chips that would be the healthiest option and the highest antioxidant level. Some interesting health benefits from eating nuts. Almonds have the highest calcium content of all the nuts and it also contains, fiber, vitamin E and magnesium. Cashews are rich in iron and high in magnesium. Walnuts are high in omega-3 and antioxidants. Peanuts are high in folates which is essential for brain development and also high in vitamin E.

If you have a nut allergy you can use seeds instead. You can also add popcorn, pretzels and granola. There are lots of option, be creative and make your own version.

This is why I like to recommend Trail Mix as my to go to healthy and guilt-free snack.