Treat everyone’s taste buds with this easy to make Spiced Holiday Trail Mix recipe.
It’s delicious, sugar-free, and low carb.
It’s also perfect for the holidays. Whether you’re the host or the guest, everyone will love this flavorful snack.
Perfect for pre-dinner spreads, potlucks, or munching between meals.
This satiating treat keeps blood sugar and insulin stable–the key to optimal health and weight, and kicking cravings to the curb.
(For those with nut allergies or sensitivities, I’ve also included a nut-free option that uses seeds!)
THE LOWDOWN
Servings: Makes six 1/4-cup servings.
Prep time: 2 minutes to combine all ingredients. If you do not use purchased already-sprouted nuts, then add in time to soak nuts per Nuts & Seeds: Ideal Preparation for Optimal Nutrition guidelines below, then dry.
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup raw macadamia nuts
- 1/2 cup raw almonds
- 1/2 cup coconut shreds
- 1 tsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon*
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger*
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves*
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg*
- pinch of unrefined salt (or to taste)
*Ideally, use organic or “wild” crafted/harvested herbs and spices.
See options below for more ideas!
SUPER-EASY PREP
IF YOU USE PURCHASED ALREADY-SPROUTED NUTS:
Simply toss everything together in a bag and shake to evenly distribute oil and spices. Store in tightly sealed container.
IF YOU SOAK YOUR OWN NUTS:
The night before, soak raw nuts per the Nuts & Seeds: Ideal Preparation for Optimal Nutrition guidelines below, then in the morning, drain, blot on paper towel, then place in a food dehydrator, or oven/toaster oven at no more than 120 degrees, until dried (times will vary, begin with 60 minutes). If 120 degrees is not available, then use the lowest heat possible. Be sure to turn at least once.
The next day, toss everything together in a bag and shake to evenly distribute oil and spices. Store in tightly sealed container.
That’s it!
NUTS & SEEDS: IDEAL PREPARATION FOR OPTIMAL NUTRITION
Like grains, starchy-legumes and beans, nuts and seeds should be soaked for the same reasons, though they contain much higher levels of phytic acid than grains, starchy-legumes or beans do.
For this reason, they should be soaked from a raw state (it’s pointless to soak a pasteurized or roasted nut or seed) for around 7 hours; some people believe they should be soaked for as much as 18 hours. After soaking, nuts and seeds can then be air-dried, dehydrated (in a food dehydrator), or oven-toasted (at very low temperatures, not over 120 degrees. You can at least opt for your oven’s lowest setting, but that will likely surpass 120 degrees).
Ideally, nuts and seeds should be consumed raw and soaked/sprouted to preserve the health benefits of all their awesome healthy fats. Roasted nuts and seeds taste great, and though the heat from roasting can reduce the phytic acid content a little (far less than soaking/sprouting), the can severely damage their fats, most of which are unsaturated (read: fragile and prone to oxidation, which in turn means they become carcinogenic or cancer-causing).
(Note that almonds from the US undergo mandatory pasteurization, so truly raw varieties can be harder to come by these days.)
Because soaking is not always convenient, it is ideal to limit consumption of roasted nuts and seeds, and, if possible, to consume them with fermented foods that contain friendly bacteria that help you digest phytic acid.
(I explain all about antinutrients, phytic acid, nuts, seeds, grains, beans and legumes in my bestselling book Eat Like a Fatass, Look Like a Goddess: The Untold Story of Healthy Foods, and teach you about how to apply these ideas–in the kitchen and on your plate–in my training program, The 28-Day Goddess Lifestyle Transformation.)
OPTIONS
- Use any high-MUFA nuts: macadamia, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, cashews.
- Be creative with spices: try adding some vanilla extract, or mesquite powder.
- Add a dusting of organic stevia (sweetener) to taste (this has been my favorite for the past decade: Kal Pure Stevia Organic Extract — 1.3 oz
).
- For those with nut allergies or sensitivities: substitute the above with pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. However, know these are not high-MUFA (like the above listed nuts), but are instead high-PUFA, which are highly unstable, so definitely buy them raw (then soak or sprout), and keep your munch-portions small.
Really got a lot out of this post? I empower you with even more provocative, taboo–and delicious–nutrition and lifestyle guidance in my premium training program, TOTAL CRAVINGS CLEANSE: Your Ultimate Mind-Body Reboot. Learn more about it here.
If you’re not on my list for FREE updates, be sure you sign up in the box below!
And share this post with three friends. I’m sharing life-changing, provocative evidence-based research with you because I know how frustrating the world of conflicting nutrition suggestions can be, and I’m committed to helping you become a radiant, satisfied–and informed–Goddess. What I’m sharing with you doesn’t cost you a cent, but if you find this info helpful, share this post with three friends as payment.
Image courtesy of criminalatt at FreeDigitalPhotos.net