Nut-Free Trail Mix

This is a great snack, particularly if there are nut allergies/sensitivities that you have to consider.  My son enjoys taking it to preschool with him for snack.  The best part is that it is super-easy to throw together. 

In  this recipes we use seeds in place of nuts.  Seeds are some of the most mineral rich foods on the planet!  Sunflower seeds are rich in Vitamin E, which is an anti-oxidant.  Anti-oxidants help to slow the aging process and may protect against some cancers too.  Pumpkin seeds (aka Pepitas) are very high in both iron and zinc which can be lacking in some vegetarian diets.  Zinc can help improve immune function (even more important now that we are into cold and flu season), and may help with fertility.  Iron is important for energy and blood cell health.  Pumpkin seeds also contain vitamin E, folate, omega 3 fatty acids, and magnesium. 

In the picture, I used raisins and cranberries, but really any dried fruit will do.  If they are larger pieces (like prunes or peaches) you’ll probably want to dice them up into smaller pieces, especially if they’ll be consumed by little eaters.  Make sure you also read the note/tip at the end of the recipe too.  Enjoy!

Nut-Free Trail Mix

1 large handful raw sunflower seeds

1 large handful raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

2 handfuls of your choice of dried fruit (raisins, unsweetened cranberries, cherries, blueberries, prunes, peaches, apricots, figs, etc.)

Throw together in a gallon-size ziploc bag and shake to combine

NOTE: Try throwing a Dixie cup in the bag with the trail mix.  Most little dixie cups hold about 1/4 cup of trail mix, which is also 1 serving size!  Great for portion control!  If you want to be sure how much your cup holds, fill it with water, then pour the water into a liquid measuring cup.  They you’ll know how much it holds.  Or instead, you could fill the dixie cup with 1/4 cup water then mark the cup at the water line.  🙂