Make-Your-Own Trail Mix

Looking for the healthiest, most satisfying snack ever?  It's got salty, it's got sweet -- Trail mix is the best way to combine real, whole, and superfoods in one portable jar!  Choose from a variety of options, and customize your own.  

Guidelines for making homemade trail mix:

1. One portion of nuts or seeds is a handful, or 1/4 cup - just be aware, since trail mix is so delicious, it is easy to overeat!

2. Choosing raw nuts and seeds means adding in living enzymes that are destroyed during the roasting process.  You can add a pinch of Celtic sea salt to raw nuts in the mix if you prefer salted nuts.

3. Choose real foods (foods that have only one ingredient) for your trail mix - avoid refined cereals, highly-processed candy or candy-coated fruit.

4. Get the kids involved!  Children love to help in the kitchen, and are more likely to sample a new snack if they have had a hand in the preparation.

5. Seek out quality ingredients.  Choose organic ingredients where possible in order to reduce pesticide load on your super-healthy snack.  Dried fruit should have ONLY ONE ingredient:  dried fruit (no sugar, sulfites, preservatives, etc.).  Dried cranberries are the only exception, as they are so tart that they are always sweetened.  Look for apple juice-sweetened dried cranberries such as Eden brand.

NUTS:                        
almonds
cashews
macadamia
pecans
peanuts
walnuts
pistachios
hazelnuts
pine nuts
Brazil nuts

SEEDS:
pumpkin
sunflower
sesame
hemp
flax

DRIED FRUIT:
mango
raisins
cranberries
apricots
dates
pineapple
cherries
blueberries
banana chips
goji berries
figs
apples

ADDITIONAL TREATS:
dried coconut
cacao nibs
dried ginger
dried chickpeas
cinnamon
Celtic sea salt
bee pollen
crumbled dark chocolate (such as Theo brand)