On August 31 each year, we celebrate one of the most popular snacks - Trail Mix! August 31 is Trail Mix Day and is a great time to enjoy this delicious and nutritious snack!

Trail mix is a great snack for many reasons. First and foremost, it is great for on-the-go! Life is busy and a trail mix is the perfect snack that can be taken anywhere and does not need refrigeration, of course unless you include an ingredient that needs refrigerated. Trail mix works best when using dried or freeze-dried fruits and veggies since they do not require refrigeration.

In addition to being portable, trail mix is customizable, don’t like raisins, don’t add them. Allergic to peanuts? No worries, use pepitas or sunflower seeds instead.  Just as there are millions of people, there can be millions of varieties of trail mix depending on what a person wants to add.

Trail mix is also great for kids and anyone else who prefers or needs ‘finger foods’.  Being able to pick up the pieces within the trail mix is great to kids working on dexterity.  

Lastly, trail mix can be very nutrient dense and provide lots of healthy nutrients that our bodies need.  When making your trail mix, always try to include a source of protein such at nuts, seeds, crunchy chickpeas, or even jerky and a dried fruit such as raisins, raisins, or dried apples or apple chips. For even more nutrition you will also want to include a whole grain such as popcorn or cereal such as Cheerios.  When it comes to a little sweetness in your trail mix such as with candy pieces or chocolate chips, remember portion size and to add just a small amount. 

Checkout this neat chart from Produce for Kids to get you thinking about the ingredient in your next trail mix!

Here is one of our favorite recipes that includes beef jerky, a not-so-common trail mix ingredient: 

Jerky Trail Mix 
Recipe adapted from: NE Beef Council 

Ingredients 
•    1 cup popcorn, airpopped and light or no salt
•    1/4 cup Our Family brand oat cereal O's
•    1/4 cup chopped beef jerky
•    2 tablespoons Our Family brand almonds
•    2 tablespoons pepitas 
•    1/4 cup Our Family brand reduced sugar dried cranberries
•    2 tablespoons Our Family brand semi-sweet chocolate chips or candy pieces, optional

Instructions 

Mix all ingredients in a resealable bag.  Take on the go and enjoy. Be sure to enjoy within 24 hours or discard.  To reduce food waste, prepare smaller portions that you are sure will be eaten.  

If looking for premade trail mixes, find an excellent selection of Our Family brand trail mixes in our stores. If you are looking for an allergy-friendly trail mix, give the Enjoy Life nuts and seeds trail mix a try!   From the standard trail mix to fruit forward, savory, and indulgent options, we have a mix for everyone.   Be sure to pack trail mix for your next on-the-go snack and enjoy!

"This medical and/or nutritional information is not intended to be a substitute for individual advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition."

Stephanie is an award-winning registered dietitian who believes in empowering every individual to make nutritious food choices to support a healthy lifestyle. She believes in the power of food as medicine and loves sharing about nutrition with others.