Are you hitting the trail this summer? Wherever your trail takes you, this summer and beyond, homemade trail mix is an easy and totally nutritious option to say "YES!" to! Today, I'm showing you how healthy homemade trail mix can help you have a healthy snack when you're on-the-go, when you're traveling, or when you're simply enjoying a handful at home!

This simple DIY mix-and-match recipe for homemade trail mix can please all taste buds. And it offers good nutrition, too! Each bite is full of healthy fats, protein and fiber from whole, real food ingredients like whole grain cereal, nuts and seeds, and delicious add-ins.

Let's get (trail) mixing!

How to make your own trail mix: a mix-and-match recipe

To make healthy homemade trail mix, combine:

2 cups of whole grains, like multigrain flakes with flaxseed, toasted oat cereal, popcorn, or a combination of your favorites
1 cup of nuts and seeds, like cashews, pecans, peanuts, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pumpkin seeds or a combination of your favorites
1/2 cup of tasty add-ons, like dried fruit, unsweetened coconut shreds, cacao nibs, dark chocolate chips, goji berries, or a combination of your favorites

Simply stir all of the ingredients together and add to a glass jar. Seal and store for up to one week!

Mix-and-match trail mix recipe combinations

Enjoy these mix-and-match trail mix recipe combinations or make your own homemade trail mix using the simple formula above:

Classic Trail Mix: 2 cups of multigrain flakes, 1/3 cup of almonds, 1/3 cup cashews, 1/3 cup walnuts, 1/4 cup dried cranberries, 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (this is what I made in the video and in the primary recipe below!)
Breakfast Banana Pecan Oats Trail Mix: 2 cups of toasted oat cereal, 3/4 cup of pecans, 1/4 cup of peanuts, 1/4 cup of dried bananas, 1/4 cup of unsweetened coconut shreds
Tropical Trail Mix: 1 cup of whole grain flakes, 1 cup of toasted oat cereal, 1/3 cup of macadamia nuts, 1/3 cup of cashews, 1/3 cup of Brazil nuts, 1/4 cup of golden raisins, 2 tablespoons of dried banana, 2 tablespoons of unsweetened coconut shreds
Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Lovers Trail Mix: 2 cups multigrain flakes with cinnamon and cocoa, 3/4 cup peanuts, 1/4 cup almonds, 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips, 1/4 cup cacao nibs
Popcorn Trail Mix: 2 cups of air-popped popcorn, 1/2 cup of peanuts, 1/2 cup of pistachios, 1/4 cup dried cherries, 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips

The benefits of homemade trail mix

Is homemade trail mix good for you? You bet! Homemade trail mix offers several benefits! I find that the benefits of homemade trail mix are as follows:

It’s easy to make homemade trail mix! You can combine all your ingredients in less than 5 minutes. Simple!
You can add the ingredients to this mix-and-match trail mix recipe that you or your family like best. That means even the pickiest of eaters can enjoy this trail mix. The mix-and-match formula makes it enjoyable for all!
The trail mix features healthy fats, protein and fiber from real food ingredients. That's a combination that delivers both the energy you need right now AND the energy that can sustain you for a longer period of time! Yay!

How to eat trail mix

There are several ways that you can eat and enjoy trail mix. Here are some of my favorite ways to use trail mix:

Eat trail mix by the handful as a tasty snack! I like packing snack size portions into reusable snack bags (like these!*) for easy grab-and-go.
Top homemade trail mix onto plain Greek yogurt -- it adds a crunchy texture and additional flavor, similar to granola.
Enjoy it like cereal! Pour your favorite homemade trail mix combo into a bowl and top it with your favorite milk or non-dairy beverage.
Sprinkle homemade trail mix overtop of your next smoothie bowl!

Healthy Homemade Classic Trail Mix:

Ingredients

2 cups of multibran flakes with flaxseed, like these*
1/3 cup of almonds
1/3 cup of cashews
1/3 cup of walnuts
1/4 cup of dried, unsweetened cranberries
1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients.
Store in a glass jar until ready to enjoy or carry with you on your next adventure. I typically enjoy 1/4- to 1/2-cup portions at one time.
[Note: you can seal and store this for up to one week!]

This homemade trail mix recipe combination is great to tote with you to all your travels this summer and beyond. Will you say "YES!" to this fun, fresh food idea? Leave a comment to let me know what you think - or what combination you'll try first! I love hearing what you have to say! Share your thoughts or share this healthy recipe with a friend!