Trail Mix!

Clean Eating Trail Mix! Here's a healthy snack to pre-pack! 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups raw peanuts
• 4 oz dried fruit (raisin, cherries, blueberries, apricots – any dried fruit will work – just be sure to read the label and avoid any with added sugar!)
• 1 1/2 cups roasted and unsalted cashews
• 1 cup roasted and unsalted sunflower seeds
• 4 oz dry roasted pumpkin seeds
• 2 cups roasted and unsalted almonds
• you can even add dark chocolate chips... I do! ;)

Preparation:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Store in an airtight container or separate into snack sized bags and store in a dry and cool place.

*Separating this into small snack bags is a great way to pre-plan your snacks for the week and to limit yourself from eating the entire container in one sitting ;) 

Why nuts???

•       Almonds – Almonds are a good source of protein, vitamin E, manganese, magnesium, copper, vitamin B2 , and phosphorus. Almonds are also concentrated in protein; a quarter-cup contains more protein than the typical egg. Although one-quarter cup of almonds contains about 18 grams of fat, most of it (11 grams) is heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. Eating almonds can lower bad cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease, provide protection against cardiovascular disease and diabetes, boost energy, and help prevent gallstones. Whole almonds (with skins) provide the most heart-healthy benefits. 

• Cashews – Cashews are high in antioxidants and have a lower fat content than most other nuts; additionally, 75 percent of their fat is unsaturated fatty acids.  Eating cashews promotes good cardiovascular health, even in individuals with diabetes.
   
• Peanuts – Peanuts are a good source of heart-healthy monosaturated fat, antioxidants,& folate, making them heart-healthy, a good way to reduce your risk of stroke, and possibly even cancer. Peanuts are also a good source of vitamin B3 (niacin), folate, copper, manganese, and protein, and are a significant source of resveratrol, a chemical studied for potential ANTI-AGING ( yes please!) effects.. Peanuts and peanut butter may also help prevent gallstones and protect against Alzheimer's disease. It wise to ensure that peanuts, especially raw ones, are stored in a cool, dry, environment (such as a refrigerator or freezer), as an extremely toxic and highly dangerous fungus (aflatoxin) can easily grow on peanuts when the temperature is between 86-96°F and humidity is high.
   
• Pumpkin seeds / pepitas – Eating the green, hulled, pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas) may promote prostate health, protection for men's bones, anti-inflammatory benefits for those with arthritis, and help lower cholesterol. Pumpkin seeds are a good source of the essential fatty acids, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron, and copper, protein, and vitamin K.