Mix & Match Trail Mix

            Trail Mix is one of my favorite snacks, but pre-mixed trail mix is usually expensive and  notorious for dried fruit with added sugar and salted nuts which takes away from the nutritional value. For these reasons this semester I have started to make my own. When made correctly with the appropriate proportions it is healthy very portable snack for a long day of classes and meetings. Maybe its just me but there is nothing worse then a warm apple or smushed banana that you put in your bag for a snack later in the day, so i have begun to use my extra small tupperware usually used for a salad dressing or dip for portion control for my trail mix! 

             My favorite mix is Raw Unsalted Almonds, Raw Unsalted Walnuts, No sugar added craisins, No sugar added Dried Blueberries, and Dark chocolate chips (with 65% or higher cocoa). The approximate ratio would be about half nuts, fourth of the dried berries, and a fourth of the chocolate. Some of the nutritional value of the ingredients i use are:

• Raw Unsalted Almonds: High levels Protein, Potassium, Magnesium, and Vitamin E. 
• Walnuts: Omega-3 Fatty acids, Magnesium, Potassium, and Calcium
• Cranberries: Antioxidants, Phytonutrients (Have protective properties against heart disease and cancer) 
• Blueberries: B Vitamins, Vitamin C, small amounts of Iron, Calcium, Potassium. 
• Dark Chocolate: Helps reduce risk of heart disease and lowering blood cholesterol levels, and possible benefit memory and learning.

             Some other things you can add to your trail mix are roasted Chick Peas, Sunflower seeds, Chocolate covered almonds, pretzels, Pistachios, Cashews, Pecans, Yogurt covered nuts, Dried pineapple, dried papaya, Marshmallows, your favorite cereal, Goldfish, banana chips, and pretty much anything you can imagine.