National Trail Mix Day

Sweet and salty. Crunchy and chewy. Trail mix brings a whole handful of complex experiences to what is otherwise a fairly simple snack!

Trail mix is a high energy snack that is usually composed of dried fruits, nuts and energy snacks, designed to keep folks alert and energized when walking, hiking, and partaking in similar endurance and intense activities. National Trail Mix Day is all about creating a good trail mix and testing it out on the road.

History of National Trail Mix Day

Some people claim that trail mix was invented in the late 1960s by two surfers in California who needed a quick and easy snack to provide protein and energy. They started by mixing peanuts with raisins, which some people refer to as G.O.R.P., short for “Good Old Raisins and Peanuts”. Since that time and with just those two ingredients, trail mix has certainly come a very long way!

National Trail Mix Day is celebrated on this day each year, showing some love for the simplicity of this helpful and delicious snack that keeps many hikers, and just average people, going while they are spending time enjoying the great outdoors.

How to Celebrate National Trail Mix Day

Hit the trails on National Trail Mix Day, but don’t leave home without sustenance! Try some of these activities and ideas for celebrating and enjoying this day:

Make (and Eat!) Some Trail Mix

Trail mix is such a delightful snack to make because it really doesn’t require a recipe at all. Celebrate National Trail Mix Day by mixing up a batch! It can be hand-crafted, tailored to whatever the person making it wants it to taste like. Many people just make it with whatever they happen to have on hand, but some suggestions may offer a helpful guideline for folks who have never made it before.

Here are some of the basic components of trail mix:

• Nuts. Peanuts, almonds, cashews and pecans are all delicious nuts, but many people make their trail mix heavy on the peanuts as they are usually the most inexpensive of the nuts. The nuts used in trail mix are usually roasted and salted.
• Dried Fruit. Raisins are fairly traditional for trail mix, but dried cranberries, goji fruit, cherries, bananas, papaya, pineapple, apricots and so many other delightful flavors can be combined.
• Seeds. Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds and many others can work to add a healthful and tasty punch to that trail mix.
• Sweets. Some people like to add a little bit of sweetness to their trail mix by putting in some chocolate chips, M&M’s chocolate candies or other bite sized candy bits. Obviously, this adds a bit of empty calories to the batch, so the more healthful mix recipes won’t include this.

Take a Hike on a Trail (with Trail Mix!)

One of the best things about trail mix is its extreme portability and the fact that it is filled with a balanced amount of energy that is both instant and long-term. So grab a container of a favorite blend of trail mix and get out on those trails. After all, that’s where the name came from, so celebrate National Trail Mix by getting out into nature and taking a hike!