This sweet and salty trail mix is the perfect snack for on-the-go days!
Hey there my sweet peeps! A little update, I’m going to MEXXXIICCOOOO in 8 days and I couldn’t be more excited. Nick and I are going to Barcelo Maya just outside of Cancun I. CAN’T. WAIT. We booked the trip in November, so I’ve been waiting for a few months, and it couldn’t have come at any better time. Work is crazy right now. I leave just wanting to sit in my car and close my eyes. Does anybody ever feel like that? I will literally close one eye on the way home sometimes. Not safe, I know, but better than falling asleep. That’s usually when I turn on DMX really loud and try to wake myself up. I’m so ready for this icky, grey damp weather to be over with. I need some sunshine! AMIRITE?!
On to the trail mix! I have been eating this trail mix for over a year now. I don’t know how I haven’t gotten sick of it by now. It’s my go-to snack on Wednesdays and Fridays. You guys will soon learn I’m a creature of habit. I won’t eat the same thing everyday, but I have a certain breakfast for Monday through Friday and same goes for snacks. I know, I’m weird. Sometimes it’s just easier not to think about it.
I’m horrible at making decisions. I’m probably the most indecisive person (apart from Nick, I think he’s worse. Which makes it less than ideal when we are trying to decide what to do, what to eat, what to watch… you get the point.) If I don’t have a plan for meal, I will stand in front of the fridge for 20 minutes going back in forth between what I want to eat. That’s why meal prep is my shit. I don’t have to think, I just grab my meal and it’s that simple. And if i’m not feeling what I have planned, I have 4 other day’s lunches to choose from.
Seriously back to the trail mix. This snack is so easy to make! Just throw in ½ cup of almonds, ½ cup pepitas, ½ cup dried cranberries. Mix together and viola!
Almonds are a great source of protein and healthy fat. They are known to reduce risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol along with keeping your skin, hair, eyes, and liver healthy. Pepitas are also good for heart health and are full of zinc which help boost the immune system. You can’t beat these powerhouse nuts 🙂
Of course you could substitute or add any other nut. I’ve added cashews and peanuts before, which were also delicious, but I always go back to the old faithful, almonds, pepitas and dried cranberries.
I like salt, so I like to get sea salt almonds and pepitas, but you could totally do raw and it still tastes good! I’ve recently discovered that my body does not handle nuts very well. I would get stomach aches and bloating after eating any kind of nut. After a some research, I found that our bodies aren’t actually made to digest nuts. Most nuts contain compounds that are very difficult for our stomachs to break down, creating gas, bloating, upset stomach, etc. To learn more about nut digestion, check out the Pilates Nutritionist post here.
If you have this problem, I have a solution for you! SOAK YOUR NUTS! Lol seriously, by soaking nuts, the compounds that make the nut hard to digest, break down, making it easier for your stomach to absorb. I’ve tried it and it has helped tremendously.
How to soak nuts:
- Add water and 1 tablespoon of sea salt to a large bowl (leaving enough room for water to rise when you add the nuts.)
- Add nuts to the bowl and let them soak for 7 hours (most nuts need to soak for this long.)
- Drain water from bowl using a colander and dry nuts using a towel.
- Spread nuts evenly onto a baking sheet and turn oven to lowest setting. (150F – 200F)
- Bake for 2 – 4 hours (a lot of bloggers recommend using a dehydrator if you have one. I don’t. You can bake longer depending on the crunchiness desired.)
- **Note if you don’t bake the nuts, they will get moldy.
If nuts don’t upset your stomach, don’t worry about soaking!
- • ½ cup almonds
- • ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- • ½ cup dried cranberries
- Measure out all the ingredients and put in an air tight container.
- Shake container until ingredients are evenly mixed.
- Enjoy!
