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When that late afternoon hunger hits, it’s easy to grab whatever’s convenient. Maybe a handful of mini donuts or a bag of chips will hold you over until dinner. But then comes the guilt when you glance at the label and see all the added sugar and preservatives. You start thinking about how those ultra-processed snacks aren’t doing your health or your waistline any favors.
If you’re watching your calories, you might steer clear of trail mix because it’s known to be calorie-dense. A typical quarter-cup serving of trail mix has about 173 calories, so those 100-calorie packaged and processed snacks may help keep you under your daily calorie goals. But don’t count out trail mix. Trail mix can actually be a smarter snack choice, depending on what’s in it. A mix that’s heavy on nuts and seeds gives you fiber, protein, and healthy fats – all of which help you feel full longer and help you lose weight.
Just be sure to check the ingredients. Some trail mixes sneak in sugary extras like M&Ms, chocolate chunks, or those so-called “yogurt-covered” raisins. Those can quickly turn a healthy snack into a sugary one that works against your goals.
Comparing healthy and unhealthy trail mixes
Every grocery store will offer a variety of trail mixes to suit your taste. Even nut companies like Planter’s and Emerald make convenient packages and tins of trail mix that come in handy when you need a snack. Trader Joe’s makes a ton of trail mixes that can offer something healthy and something not-so-healthy.
Trader Joe’s Just a Handful of Rainbow’s End Trail Mix doesn’t have artificial dyes but is instead colored with turmeric, spirulina, and red radish powder. That may lead you to believe it’s healthy until you look at the first ingredient: candy-coated chocolate. Sure, you’ll get plenty of healthy fats from the peanuts and almonds, but the 8 grams of added sugar to make this mix so tasty can add up throughout the day. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend getting less than 10% of your daily calories from added sugar. If you’re trying to keep your diet to under 1,800 to help you lose weight, that’s 45 grams of added sugar.
Trader Joe’s Elevated Nut Mix might not have anything fun like granola or dried fruit, but it has just six ingredients: cashews, almonds, macadamia nuts, pecans, sunflower oil, and salt. Although there are just 4 grams of protein, there are also 5 grams of fiber to keep your stomach full. The 10 grams of carbs and 5 grams of net carbs mean it’s friendly for those on the keto diet.
Make your own healthy trail mix
If a can of mixed nuts doesn’t quite do it for you, you can try a homemade trail mix. Begin by looking for a package of mixed nuts that has less sodium than potassium. For example, Fisher sells oven-roasted mixed nuts on Amazon with 110 milligrams of sodium but 180 milligrams of potassium. This mix of almonds, cashews, pecans, and pistachios will also give you plenty of healthy fat with zero cholesterol. Try adding about a cup or so to your mix.
You’ll also want to add some seeds, such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Sunflower seeds also have protein and fiber, but you’ll also get a healthy dose of magnesium in an ounce. An ounce of pumpkin seeds doesn’t have as much fiber, but you’ll get 8.5 grams of protein and more than a third of your magnesium needs every day. Add half a cup of each of these seeds to your nuts.
Now for adding a little bit of sweetness to your trail mix. Ordinary trail mix uses raisins, but why not try dried blueberries? Dried blueberries give you 2 grams of fiber and plenty of antioxidants to keep your body healthy while aiming for weight loss. Mix in a cup of dried blueberries with your nuts and seeds. A ¼-cup serving is 170 calories with 5 grams of protein, 2.4 grams of fiber, and 7.3 grams of sugar from the blueberries. Remember that natural sugars from fruit don’t count towards your added sugar intake.
