it's Tastey Tuesday and I have the munchies!

More and more people today are starting to realize all the health benefits that nuts have to offer. From regulating your hunger to reducing your risk of experiencing cardiovascular disease, nuts are a great choice to include in your meals and snacks.

Luckily they are also easy to add and take no time to prepare making them a convenient choice for many. Trail mix is a great snack option for those who are participating in any type of long-duration runs or hikes as it provides a good deal of energy, is easy to eat and is lightweight to carry. It is also a great snack option for everyone else, however due to its calorie density nature, it is a smart idea to be particularly watchful of portion sizes.

Below are some trail mix recipes you can try. Remember that you can always omit some ingredients or add others in depending on what your particular diet calls for (low carb, high protein and so on).

Pecan Snack Mix
2 cups pecans
3 cups popcorn
3 cups cheese flavoured crackers
3 cups chex cereal
1 cup pretzels
4oz buttermilk salad dressing mix
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup dried cranberries

First preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Next in a large bowl combine pecans, popcorn, crackers, pretzels, cereal and pretzels. In another bowl, mix together salad dressing mix and olive oil. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and toss well. Transfer the mixture into an ungreased pan and bake for about 30 minutes. Once finished, let stand for 5 minutes and then stir in the raisins and cranberries.
This recipe can be stored in an air tight Tupperware container if need be.


Fruit Filled Trail Mix
1 cup diced dried fruit (prunes, apricots, pears, apples, etc)
½ cup raisins
¼ cup dried cherries
1.5 cups unsalted sunflower seeds
1 cup peanuts

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and enjoy. This is a super simple recipe that has plenty of carbohydrates and is the best choice for endurance athletes.


Spicy Pretzel And Nut Mix
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 ½ tsp garlic salt
1 oz. package of dry Ranch-style dressing mix
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup olive oil
2 cups mini pretzels
½ cup salted peanuts
¼ cup barbeque flavoured peanuts

In a small bowl, mix together the cayenne pepper, lemon pepper, garlic salt and salad dressing mix and oils. Next, combine the pretzels and peanuts in a sealable bag and then shake well. Allow this bag to sit for approximately two hours, shaking at half-time before serving.


Sweet and Salty Mix
1 cup peanuts
½ cup almonds
½ cup pecans
1 ½ tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon

First preheat the oven to about 300 degrees F. When it's ready, place the nuts on a large baking pan and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for about five minutes. While cooling, in another small bowl mix together both sugars, the cinnamon and salt. Transfer the nuts to a saucepan and sprinkle about ½ of the sugar mixture over them, while on medium heat. Once nuts are fully coated and heated, sprinkle on remaining sugar mixture, shake the pan to ensure all nuts are coated and then remove from the heat and let cool on a separate baking pan that is lined with wax paper. It is important to try and separate the nuts as much as possible so they do not begin sticking together.


So give any of these recipes a try next time you are looking for a heart healthy snack. Keep in mind that you will want to avoid trail mixes that call for a lot of added butter or sugar as this does add excess fat and simple carbohydrates that you do not want. Some is alright, but try and keep it to a minimum. When purchasing trail mix from the store, make sure you have a look at the ingredients because often they are high in saturated fats because of this reason.