Trail mix can be an incredibly healthy snack packed with antioxidants, good fats, and fiber. Instead of paying through the nose at the grocery store, I recommend you make your own. That is how:

the ingredients

There are three basic categories of ingredients you’ll use: dried fruits, nuts, and candy.

Dried fruit

Dried fruits contain many of the nutrients found in fresh fruit, although usually in smaller amounts. They also taste slightly different than their fresh counterparts, so even if you don’t like a certain type of fruit, you may still like the dried version.

Get unsweetened dried fruit if possible. You can look at the back and check the ingredients to see if any sugar was added, and check the label to see how many grams of sugar it contains. Choose one or two dried fruits from this list:

pineapple

Grapes

apricots

blueberries

Coconut flakes (not dried)

bananas

walnuts

Nuts are packed with healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, fiber, antioxidants, and protein. Look for unsalted, raw (not roasted) nuts to maximize healthiness. Choose one or two varieties of nuts from this list:

pecans

pistachios

walnuts

almonds

Macadamia nuts

sunflower seeds

cashew nuts

Misery

sweets

Adding some sweets makes the mix more satisfying for those with a sweet tooth. Then, when you’re craving something sweet, you can have trail mix instead of cake, ice cream, or a cookie. Dark chocolate chips are a great option here, as they are packed with antioxidants and contain less sugar. Choose just one from the list below:

dark chocolate chips

semisweet chocolate chips

white chocolate chips

candy chips

M&M’s

put it together

Here is a simple recipe:

1 cup of walnuts

1 cup of another type of nuts

1 cup of nuts

1 cup of other dried fruit

1 cup of candy

If you only use one type of nuts, I would use two cups to keep the same ratio. The above formula gives you a nice variety of flavors without having to buy twenty different ingredients.

You can experiment with many different combinations to find the one you like best. Every time you go to the supermarket, buy another type of nut or dried fruit and mix it with the other ingredients you already have.

My favorite recipe is:

1 cup of walnuts

1 cup of almonds

1 cup of pineapple

1 cup blueberries

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Just remember, while this is kind of healthy, it’s pretty calorie-dense thanks to the nuts. You don’t want to eat too much. A half cup is a good serving size and makes a great afternoon snack that will last you until dinner.