February 04, 2011

Frugal Friday - Trail Mix

My kids love a good trail mix, and I love giving it to them!


I don't often purchase trail mix readymade from the store. To me, trail mix is the perfect opportunity to use up those little bits of left-overs to create a hearty snack.  So, my trail mix doesn't have a specific recipe, but we do follow a formula:


Around here, we like salty-sweet, so I alway throw in something crunchy and salty (Goldfish, Veggie Sticks, Pirates Booty).  Since protein is often something kids don't get enough of, nuts are a must, and dried fruit is ALWAYS a welcome addition (make sure your dried fruit isn't sweetened, it's sweet enough and your kids don't need the extra sugar).

The day I took this photo must have been a super special day because I spy some white chocolate chips!  This isn't something that's typical for me to throw in, but if I have it on hand, it is a nice treat!  Another sweet that my kids love in the mix is chocolate covered soy beans, yummy and packed with protein!

What do your kids like to snack on and how do you keep it healthy?

2 comments:

Happy Mommy said...

Hana loves popsicles, no matter the weather outside. We actually made a batch this week; I guess all the ice and snow made her tummy rumble. I use organic yogurt or pudding and layer it with fresh fruit in those inexpensive little popsicle-maker containers (that's the unofficial name). Freeze it for a few hours and PRESTO! A healthy little snack and a happy little girl!

Midlife Army Wife said...

We always make our own trail mix too! I agree about using up the leftovers. Dry cereal is something we often add to ours. For a special smores treat you could do graham cereal, chocolate chips and mini marshmallows with some nuts thrown in for protein of course :)