Pack Ahead For Trail Mix Day

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This Monday,  August 31, is National Trail Mix Day.  Trail mix may not be your thing, and you may not even be planning to do any hiking anytime soon, but this is a great cue for you to get packing and stash some healthy snacks for the days ahead.

This does not have to be anything complicated.  You may already have some packaged trail mix that you like in your pantry, but it’s not doing you any good there.  You need that trail mix to be out and about and where you are.  Take a few minutes right now and re-package it.  You can use small resealable bags if you like, but because this is for more long-term storage, you might consider using small glass jars or metal tins.  This will keep your mix fresh for a long time, which is just the idea because there is nothing more disappointing that eating something that tastes off.

You can also mix up your own.  I am a huge fan of this because it lets you have exactly what you want, and how often do you get that?  I used raw almonds, roasted and lightly salted almonds, roasted pepitas, raw walnuts, and roasted, salted sunflower seeds.  You can add dried fruit, dried coconut strips, maybe even dark chocolate chips, but be careful here because the heat could compromise your mix depending on where you are stashing.  Dry cereals, pretzels, granola clusters –   you can make this entirely how you want it to be, because you are making your own.  An added healthy bonus here:  buying your own dried fruit lets you weed out things you don’t want, like added sugar, preservatives (hello, unwanted sulfites) and other unnecessary added ingredients that prepackaged trail mixes often contain.  You can also be picky and buy organic, or local, and let’s not forget how much money we are saving by making it ourselves.  Also, making your own lets you take allergies into consideration.  Peanut only, gluten free, you get the idea…  You can even be clever and get seasonal, like adding dried apple and cranberries for fall.

Don’t make this too complicated.  I like to stick to just nuts because they will keep for long periods, but then again, I refill my containers often because they get emptied!  For now, just see what kind of nuts you have on hand and pack them up into some kind of container that works for you.   Go and put these where you might need them.

Great places to stash your trail mix:

• backpack
• purse
• car
• locker or gym bag
• desk drawer at work

Come Monday, you’ll be ahead of the game.  When you get stuck in traffic, or trapped at your desk through lunch, or end up staying late at school, you will have a healthy snack.  One you didn’t have to pack the night before, and one that hasn’t spoiled.  It is also right where you need it to be because you put it there.  You have not only succeeded in eating something good, you have also circumvented having to eat something less desirable out of desperation.

And… If you happen to be at home today, try to think to the week ahead,  What can you make at home today that will translate into lunch or another dinner for the coming week?  Even if it’s just cutting up extra veggies, try to make some things today that you can use later on.