Healthy Trails To You
Long bike rides. Rollerblading. Hiking in the woods or jogging on the beach. It’s time for outdoor activities. And that means easy-to-transport nourishment like Trail Mix.
Key components of this handy little snack are nuts, seeds and dried fruit, sometimes grains and even chocolate. That means these carry-on munchies can provide quality protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates.
Trail Mix is not low in calories, however, so portion control is wise. And to get the greatest nutritional bang for your buck, choose lightly or unprocessed ingredients - raw or dry roasted nuts/seeds, dried fruits without sulfites, if possible, and no added salt, oil or sugar.
Do-It-Yourself
Home Made Trail Mix - One serving is a handful.
Check ingredients you plan to use for any added salt, sugar or oil.
1. Mix together equal portions of white raisins, raw sunflower seeds and raw almonds.
2. Add an equal portion of unsweetened, unsulfured dried pineapple rings cut or torn into small pieces.
3. Add other nuts, seeds, fruits to taste: walnuts, pepitas, dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots, for example.
4. Store in a container to keep dry.
Toasted Nuts - Turn raw nuts into an even better tasting treat – with no added oil or salt.The nuts you use should be uniform in size so they toast evenly.
• Place nuts in a single layer in a skillet and toast over medium high heat, shaking continuously until the nuts turn golden – about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Place nuts on a baking sheet – in a single layer – and bake in a 400 degree oven about 7 to 10 minutes. Turn the nuts after about 3 to 4 minutes. Nuts are done when they’re golden brown.
Home-Dried Fruit - Almost any fruit can be dried. Select a ripe (not overripe) fruit.
Wash or peel fruit; pit and core. Fruits with skins - like blueberries, apricots, cherries - should be washed well and dried whole. Slice your fruit thin (thicker slices, take longer to dry) or try to speed up the drying process by steaming fruits 3 to 5 minutes. Or, you can place the fruits in a bowl of lemon water for several minutes (one lemon squeezed into 12 cups water).
Bake the fruit in a LOW HEAT oven – 90 to 120 degrees until chewy, not crunchy. Place fruit on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Don’t crowd the sheet; fruit should not be touching.
Dried Fruit Data
• Dried fruits are higher in calories due to the sugar concentration.
• Typically, light - colored dried fruits (apples, apricots, pears, pineapple, golden raisins) are treated with sulfur dioxide to maintain color. Untreated fruit (no sulfites) darkens and may change in flavor.
• Allergic to sulfites? Look for un- sulfered dried fruit at health food stores, or remove some of the sulfur by boiling the dried fruit for a minute or so, then draining off the liquid.
• Drying fruit is good for some nutri- ents and harmful for others. Dried fruit is high in fiber and many dried fruits are high in iron, potassium and selenium. Addition of sulfur dioxide destroys thiamine (B1) , and preserves vitamins A and C.
Dried Fruit Data
• Nuts are cholesterol free and low in
sodium, unless salt is added.
• What is a serving? FDA says it is 1.5 ounces which is 1 ½ handfuls or 1/3 cup.
• Walnuts are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids.
• Almonds are rich in Vitamin E.
• Cashews and pistachios are the lowest in fat of all nuts – 13 grams per one ounce serving.
• Pumpkin seeds and pepitas provide zinc, as well as amino acids alanin, glycine and glutamic acid.
• Sunflower seeds are high in Vitamin E, thiamine, and vital minerals like magnesium, manganese and selenium.
Sources: About.com; Cook’s Thesaurus; Go Ask Alice the Health Q&A Internet Service at Health Services, Columbia University; Planet Green; Sunmaid.com Healthy Living Page; University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County; Wikihow and Wikipedia.
The WELLBEING™ is published monthly by HRMS. Information in The WELLBEING™ is intended as general health information and should not replace medical advice or professional care. Please direct questions or comments to The WELLBEING™, 1847 West Jefferson Avenue, Naperville, Illinois 60540.