Heart Smart Trail Mix

By: Jodie Shield, MED, RD

Go nuts! You have got to try this trail mix recipe. It’s loaded with all sorts of heart-healthy ingredients. My sister-in-law, Mickey, shared it with me when we were hiking in Sedona – what a beautiful place! I told her that I had just posted a blog about the top three healthiest nuts and how good they were for you. So she whipped up a batch and told me she snacks on this instead of chips. In fact, over the past year, she has lost 30 pounds and brought all of her blood lipid levels (cholesterol, triglycerides, etc.) into normal ranges.  What’s her secret? She has changed her eating habits and started eating more heart-smart foods such as nuts, lots of fresh fruits and veggies and she now avoids highly-processed foods with added sugar. Mickey says she feels full and satisfied which prevents her from overeating.

The trail mix recipe I am sharing with all of you is actually her “base” recipe.  Go ahead and add what ever nuts you like such as pistachios or cashews.  You can use any type of dried fruit – Mickey often adds dried mango or dried cranberries.  And you don’t have to add the chocolate chips – she did that just for me and my kids and we loved it!  So get cracking and try this trail mix recipe.  What nuts are you going to add?

Heart Smart Trail Mix

Makes 32 (1/4 cup servings)

Ingredients:

2 cups walnuts (unsalted)

2 cups pecans (unsalted)

2 cups smoked almonds

1 cup seedless raisins

1 cup Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips (60% cacao)

Directions: Add all of the ingredients to a large zip-lock bag or container. Shake until well combined. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 months.

Nutritional  Information per (1/4 cup) Serving: 135 calories, 2 grams protein, 9.5 grams carbohydrate, 11 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 2 grams fiber, 9 milligrams sodium

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