Trail mix is one of the best snack foods out there because it’s good for you, it’s easy to make and there are so many different combinations of ingredients that can be included in it. Making trail mix is easy because it simply involves choosing the snack foods that you want to include in the mix, adding them together in the amount that you see fit and then mixing it all together.

Here is a look at the different types of ingredients that you might want to include when making your own trail mix:

• Nuts. Any type of nut can be included in trail mix although you should realize that the taste of some nuts may overpower the mix because they’re so strong. Walnuts are a great trail mix food. So are almonds but you’ll want to consider whether or not to have salted almonds since the salt will impact the taste of the trail mix. Peanuts and cashews are simple nuts that add texture and taste to a trail mix without overwhelming it.

• Seeds. Seeds are a great addition to trail mix because they are healthy for you and easy to snack on. Sunflower seeds (shelled, of course) are a favorite choice. So are pumpkin seeds which you can remove from pumpkins yourself, roast and then add to trail mix. Flax seeds and other seeds can add additional healthiness to your trail mix.

• Cereals. It’s great to add bits of your favorite cereals to trail mix. This can be almost any kind of cereal – granola, bran flakes, shredded wheat, cheerios – although you’ll probably want to avoid any very sugary cereals.

• Crackers, pretzels and popcorn. Add some crunch to your trail mix with any kind of small cracker or pretzel that you enjoy. Try to get crackers that aren’t going to crumble into bits. Cheese crackers and goldfish are a great addition to trail mix. Popcorn is another great addition to trail mix if you’re going to be eating it soon after making it.

• Dried fruit. Get a bit of your sweet tooth satisfied by adding dried fruit to your trail mix. Any type of dried fruit will do. Common ones that are used are raisins, dried cranberries and dried apples. For a more exotic trail mix, try dried mango, dried ginger or dried strawberries.

• Sweets. Some people add chocolate to their trail ix in the form of chocolate chips or MnMs. Others add white chocolate chips or mint chocolate chips. Still others like to add yogurt-covered fruits or even candies. The one thing to know about this is that these things melt so if you’re taking your trail mix somewhere warm and you don’t want it to be messy then you should skip these sweets.

You can take these basic ingredients in any combination that you think sounds good (or that you happen to have in your cupboard) and play around with them to make new types of trail mix. In this way, making trail mix can be a very creative process! But if you want some basic simple recipes to get you started, here are some good ones to try:

Basic Trail Mix Recipe

Combine one quarter cup each of the following ingredients: unsalted peanuts, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, dried cherries, dried apricots, raisins, chocolate chips, pretzels, Cheerios, Chex, granola. (Feel free to leave out any ingredients that don’t sound good.) Mix together in a big bowl. Store in an airtight container or eat immediately.

Toss and Go Trail Mix Recipes

Combine one quart cereal with two cups each of a dried fruit and a nut or seed. For example, one quart of Cap’n Crunch Cereal with two cups walnuts and two cups apricots. Alternatively, try one quart of Oh’s Cereal with two cups mixed dried fruit and two cups sunflower seeds. Toss it all together and take it with you on the road!

Ultimate Trail Mix Recipe

If you think that the more ingredients the better when it comes to trail ix then this one is for you. Combine equal parts of the following: dried cranberries, dried blueberries, dried apple, dried pineapple, peanuts, cashews, almonds, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, mini marshmallows. Mix it all thoroughly and eat it before those sweets start to melt!

Healthy Trail Mix

Trail mix can be a really healthy snack food if you choose the right ingredients when you’re making it at home. This simple recipe relies on a set of truly healthy ingredients. Combine equal parts white raisins, raw almonds, raw sunflower seeds and dried pineapple. Make sure that the pineapple is organic, unsulfured, unsweetened dried pineapple. Mix together completely. Enjoy your healthy snack!

Advanced Trail Mix Recipe

If you’re looking for something that will take a little bit more time to make at home so that you can really enjoy the process of cooking then you may be interested in this Almond, Toasted Oat and Cherry Trail Mix Recipe that takes thirty to sixty minutes to make (but only moments to enjoy!)

Use the following ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked old fashioned oats
• 2/3 cup dried cherries, chopped
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1 tablespoon stick light butter, or similar product, melted
• 1/4 cup honey

Follow these steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Combine rolled oats, cherries, almonds and salt in a large mixing bowl.
• Add butter and honey slowly.
• Mix.
• Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Spread mixture out on cookie sheet.
• Bake twenty minutes, stirring periodically for even cooking.
• Let cool.
• Enjoy

As you can see, even a more complex trail mix recipe doesn’t have to be complicated at all! It’s fairly easy to make trail mix and you can try your hand at many different recipes over the years. Perhaps you’ll come up with a signature trail mix recipe all your own!