Trail Mix - Tips For Making Healthy Trail Mix

Making trail mix can be fun and easy, especially for your kids. In fact some of the various trail mixes on the market today are kid friendly and are quite healthy for you. However, some are not. There are many factors into making these energy booster snacks without including all the things that hinder good, healthful eating habits . There are specific ingredients to look out for.

Some of these are loaded with sugar and fat, and that of course defeats the purpose of eating what is good for you. There are so many variations of these delicious mixes and also lots of fun ways to make them nutritious and good for the whole family. Trail mix snacks are also ideal for camping, as they are easy to just grab and go. So, what can be bad about them?

Below are some tips on how to make these simple treats healthy

Too Much Of A Good Thing - Too often these goodies are packed with tons of sugar. Did you know that dried fruit is higher in sugar than fresh fruit? Yep! To make them dried, they are dehydrated and that of course removes the water.

Grapes are perfect as an example. One cup of grapes holds 50 to 60 calories. Whereas, raisins has approximately 350 to 400 calories for one cup. That's insane! So you DO have to watch out for sugar that goes in these "so called" healthy snacks. Diabetics especially should be aware of all the sugar hidden in these gems. There are many other nutritious foods that can be added to these mixes.

Watch The Fat Intake - Peanuts and cashews are high in fat. You can replace them with soy nuts. Also pistachios has less fat and calories than peanuts. You can also try using sunflower or pumpkin seeds for added protein. However, use pumpkin seeds in moderation, as they are normally high in fat. Sunflower seeds has less fat.

Toss The Salt Shaker - You also have to watch out for peanuts and pretzels due to the added sodium. Opt for unsalted nuts and pretzels for more healthier snacks.

Below are some ingredients that go into preparing good healthy trail mixes

Cheerios
Low fat popcorn
Unsalted sunflower seeds (shelled)
Unsalted pretzel twists or sticks
Sugar free chocolate chips or m&ms
Soy nuts
Unsalted mini rice cakes
Corn, wheat or rice chex cereal
Low fat granola cereal clusters
Low fat sesame seeds

You can also purchase low sugar or sugar free dried fruits at various heath food stores. Also one of the lowest sugar dried fruits is apple. Figs are another healthy choice. If you must use high sugar coated treats, use them in moderation. When preparing these goodies, you can toss them in tight ziploc baggies that are easy to take along on picnics, walks, or wherever you go.

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Article Written By Tammy Embrich

Tammy is an Internet marketer, article marketer, and ghostwriter. You can find more recipe articles, parenting and grandparenting articles, tips, and more at Grandparenting Articles and Tips

Tammy also offers work at home articles, free job leads, work at home tips, recipes, and more at Work At Home Jobs

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