Chunky Monkey Trail Mix

Trail mix is an easy and versatile, completely customizable and portable snack. It provides lots of nutrients in a small package, perfect for providing fuel out on the trails, keeping you nourished on the go or satisfying cravings for something sweet. One of my brothers is especially opposed to healthy, fresh food and eating adequate levels of fruits and vegetables. He has an adventurous palate and open mind about trying new foods, but if they taste too healthy he won’t take more than one bite. For many years he has been pushing my creativity to come up with ways to sneak some extra nutrients into his diet, most recently this has been in the form of trail mix instead of processed cookies in his lunches. Since he has always been my little monkey- charming, curious, intelligent, funny and slightly mischievous- I used a base of peanuts, chocolate and dried banana for a chunky monkey flavor with some almonds and raisins to balance it out.

Peanuts are actually a legume, not a nut as their misleading name suggests, and they are good sources of protein, fiber, antioxidants and healthy fats (mainly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) plus vitamin E, several B vitamins and the minerals manganese, magnesium and phosphorus. Almonds have a very similar nutrient profile to peanuts but with even higher concentrations of most of the nutrients, along with a few extra. Both peanuts and almonds are very nutrient dense so a little goes a long way to provide energy and satiation. Their fats, protein, fiber and other nutrients help to keep cholesterol levels in check and maintain stable blood sugar levels, even when combined with foods higher in sugar like dried fruits and chocolate. It is best to purchase them in stores that have a high turnover rate so you can be guaranteed you are getting fresh ingredients. I like to get them in the bulk bin sections because you can really see what you are getting. Make sure to avoid any that look shriveled or dried out and store them in the fridge to keep their oils fresher for longer.

A typical serving of trail mix is only 1/4 cup, an amount that can fit easily into your palm. If you are active then there is no harm in doubling up, but try to avoid tripling or quadrupling unless you are that hungry. There is a widely spread false belief out there that consuming dietary fat makes one’s body fat stores grow, this is simply not true with high quality plant based foods containing mostly unsaturated fats like nuts and seeds. The exceptions to this rule are if the serving sizes are regularly way too high or if the fats consumed are from processed and artificially created trans fats that can’t be properly utilized by the body and are usually accompanied by other chemicals and a lack of nutrients, adding up to a food that causes lots of stress for the digestive system and is more likely to be stored as fat than used as a source of energy or support for the body’s functions. Carnivorous crossfitters are proof that diets high in saturated fats (most highly concentrated in animal foods, including red meats and full fat dairy) also don’t make you fat, but they aren’t as great for the heart and need to be balanced out by simple, plant-based unsaturated fats. All in all, nuts are a great food to have close-by to keep you fueled during the day and turning them into different types of trail mixes can keep them interesting.

Chunky Monkey Trail Mix
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Serves: 20
INGREDIENTS:
  • 1½ cup peanuts
  • 1 cup dried banana, sliced into bite sized pieces
  • 1 cup almonds
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • ½ cup raisins
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Toss all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container in the fridge (the coldness keeps the oils in the nuts fresher longer).

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