Best Trail Mix Ingredients for Hiking

Do you seek out the perfect vista for your mid-hike snack or do you munch away without dropping your pace? Either way, trail mix is a must-pack snack for any hike.

As great as GORP (good old fashioned raisins and peanuts) is, it can’t compete with the more sophisticated trail mix ingredients available today. When designing a healthy mix, aim to use 50% nuts, 30% dried fruit, 10% seeds, and 10% “fun stuff.” Here are some ingredients to start with:

Nuts

Nuts make up the bulk of your mix, providing a source of vegan protein, fibre, healthy fats, and micronutrients. Choose from raw, unsalted varieties of almonds, peanuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, or pistachios.

Dried Fruit

The natural sweetness of dried fruit pairs well with nuts and supplies a surge in energy. Use unsweetened varieties of dried cherries, apple rings, cranberries, raisins, blueberries, pineapple, apricots, or dates.

Seeds

Seeds round out the nutritional value of trail mix with additional vitamins, minerals, fibre, healthy fats, and enzymes. Pumpkin, hemp, sunflower, and flax seeds are satisfying options.

Fun Stuff

This is where you can get creative and put your own spin on any trail mix recipe! Adding ingredients such as dark cocoa nibs, candied ginger, or banana chips increase sweetness, while baked lentils, soy nuts, or puffed quinoa raises the crunch factor.

3 Great Trail Mix Recipes

Following the 50:30:10:10 ratio, try these three energizing combinations:

Cashews, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and candied ginger
Almonds, dried cherries, sunflower seeds, and dark cocoa nibs
Walnuts, chopped dates, hemp seeds, dark cocoa nibs, and large coconut flakes.

When your hike is over, help your body recover with a PGX® Satisfast™ Organic Vegan 15 g Protein Bar.

What do you like to eat on the trail? Let us know in the comments section below.