Best Overall
Nature’S Heart Healthy Trail Mix
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Trail mix is one of the favorite snacks for most people who like to have a handful of fuel for their afternoon munching. It is an excellent choice for people planning to go on a hike. Trail mix is a blend of dried fruits and nuts that you can combine with seeds, cereals, chocolate, and pretzels. It provides a crunchy, sweet, and delicious combination for snacks. The mix gets its name because it is made for the trails. If you are going on a hike, you will not be carrying a lot of backpacks, so you need a small meal that can give you a lot of energy. It is also beneficial for hiking because you can store it in the backpack for a long time. Trail mix is shelf-stable, so you don’t need to carry a cooler with it. There are multiple options available for healthy trail mixes in 2024 so let’s start exploring the best options, including the top choice, the Nature’s Heart Healthy Trail Mix.
Buyer's Guide: Healthy Trail Mix
Can Trail Mix Help in Weight Loss?
Some people wonder if trail mix can help them lose weight, and if you are one of such people, experts would recommend giving it a go. People are most curious about trail mix for weight loss because trail mix consists of a high amount of calories. However, these dried fruits and nuts are rich in energy, making them an excellent healthy choice. The base of a trail mix consists of fruits and nuts, and dietitians highly recommend both for losing weight. People trying to lose weight often complain that they don't have any snacks to eat so a healthy trail mix can solve their problem. It would be best to consider the portioning of the trail mix when you are on a diet and check the ingredients included in the mix. Of course, you would not need an expert or a dietitian to inform you that a pack of trail mix with cashews, pistachios, and cherries will be better than an ultimate chocolate trail mix. If you are eating a candy and considering it a trail mix, you might want to reconsider and look for the low-sugar mix. You can also make healthy trail mixes at home to bulk them up with your whole-grain cereal or bran flakes.
Trail Mix or Potato Chips: Which Is Better?
Not to offend the lovers of potato chips, but if you are looking for healthy munching options that are crunchy and salty, you should prefer to use trail mix. The fruits and nuts in a mix are good for your health as they are rich in calories. While eating snacks, we pay little attention to the number of calories as snacks are usually consumed in a small amount. However, snacks contribute more to our health than our regular food. If you compare trail mix to granola bars or energy bars, you will still trust that a healthy trail mix is a better option for snacks. Bars are great snacks because they come pre-portioned, and you can easily throw them in your bag while traveling, but it contains a large portion of sugar compared to trail mix.
Is Chocolate Trail Mix Healthy?
All the chocolate lovers will say yes to this question because a little chocolate can make your snacks more satisfying. We all agree that dark chocolate has a lot of health benefits, so including a bit in the trail mix can bring no harm. The problem is that most store-bought trail mixes add multiple types of sweets or chocolates to them, ruining the concept of healthiness. Instead of just adding a few chocolate chips to the pack, some manufacturers also include various chocolate chips accompanied by yogurt-covered pretzels or peanut butter cups. These are indeed candies covered in disguise. You will notice that some of the trail mixes have M & M's, peanut butter chips, and raisins. Combining these ingredients will result in 180 calories, and it has 10 grams of sugar in each serving. Compare it to another trail mix made from almonds, walnuts, pecans, cranberries, and pepitas; this adds up to 160 calories and has almost half the amount of sugar. Combining these ingredients results in a healthier trail mix as it consists of fiber and healthy fats from nuts. If you are a chocolate lover who cannot resist chocolate, add a handful of chocolate chips to the mix (possibly dark chocolate chips).
Tips to Make the Best Trail Mix
Use different categories
If you are making a healthy trail mix at home or choosing one from the store, try to divide your choices into categories. You can easily customize your trail mix if you have a set category. While you can choose your categories, some of the famous ones are
- Nuts and seeds
- Dried or freeze-dried fruits
- Chocolate and nuts
Make a Pick From Every Category
If you are customizing your trail mix and want to end up with a fun and unique combination, you can make a pick from every category. Some users have shared their experiences with children; you can ask them to pick one item from each category and combine it to make a trail mix. It will result in a mixture containing everyone's favorite item.
Explore Different Combinations
A healthy trail mix is a convenient way to try new snacks and munch. You can get your kids on trying a variety of food, so they don't get bored of eating the same thing. It is likely that your children will only nibble a taste of the new combination, but it is a great place to start!
Reusable Bags for Packaging
The reusable bags are perfect for storing trail mix blends. It is easy to store your trail mix and carry it while traveling securely. These reusable bags are also dishwasher safe, so cleaning is not a tough job, and they are small and compressible so that you can tuck them in your bag.
Favorite Combinations for Trail Mix
Nuts and seeds
The foundation for most of the trail mixes is nuts and seeds. Users love the yummy little crunch that lends healthy fats and a portion of plant-based protein. Both fats and proteins are a great way to stabilize your stomach and keep your blood sugar. Often, it is a better choice to go for dry, sprouted, or raw seeds and nuts, but you can also choose the salty ones for more flavor.
Dried or freeze-dried fruit
The most fun part of creating a new variety is including various types of dried fruits. Users who start consuming trail mix for the first time are unaware of the various options available in dried fruits and usually stick with raisins. It would be best if you experimented a little to find your favorite dried or freeze-dried fruit for trail mix. These dried fruits are an excellent way to add fiber and potassium to your mix and a little touch of natural sweetness. The freeze-dried fruits are mostly unsweetened and have an intense fruity flavor. They are a great pick if you want a more fresh and bright flavor than dried fruits. Usually, experts suggest looking for unsweetened trail mix as the less sugar, the more healthy it is, but a little amount of natural sugar brings no harm.
A fun combination
A healthy trail mix does not necessarily need to be boring, so to make it more interesting, especially for kids, you can include a little crunchiness, saltiness, or sweetness. You should pick your trail mix carefully; a pack that balances out the healthiness of seeds and nuts with a little bit of sweetness and crunch is perfect.
Top Picks
- Best Overall: Nature’S Heart Healthy Trail Mix
- Delicious Taste: Nature’S Garden Healthy Trail Mix
- Best Flavor: Munk Pack Healthy Trail Mix
- Best Chocolate Trail Mix: Second Nature Wholesome Medley Trail Mix
- Most Well Seasoned Trail Mix: Planters Nut-Rition Heart Healthy Mix
- Best Variety Trail Mix: Blunon Store Healthy Trail Mix
Reviews
Delicious Taste
Nature’S Garden Healthy Trail Mix
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Best Flavor
Munk Pack Healthy Trail Mix
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Best Chocolate Trail Mix
Second Nature Wholesome Medley Trail Mix
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Most Well Seasoned Trail Mix
Planters Nut-Rition Heart Healthy Mix
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Best Variety Trail Mix
Blunon Store Healthy Trail Mix
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FAQs
Which nuts are the healthiest in trail mix?
Brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and peanuts make a healthy combination of nuts for trail mix.
What is a suitable amount of healthy trail mix?
Generally, ¼ cup of trail mix is a healthy portion to consume.
Which nuts are suitable for dieting trail mix?
Cashew nuts, brazil nuts, and almonds are suitable for diet trail mix.