National Trail Mix Day is observed annually on August 31st, which honors the mix developed as a healthy snack for long hikes. Trail mix is a type of snack mix, specifically a combination of dried fruit, nuts and sometimes chocolate developed as a food to be taken along on hikes.
- 17th Century – The recipe for trail mix is most likely European in origin, where it has been known as a snack under various names in various countries since the 17th century.
- 1910s – The combination of nuts, raisins, and chocolate as a modern trail snack from the 1910s, when outdoorsman Horace Kephart recommended it in his popular camping guide.
- 1958 – Trail mix is also mentioned in Jack Kerouac’s 1958 novel The Dharma Bums as the two main characters describe their planned meals in their preparation for a hiking trip.
- 1968 – Two California surfers claim the creation of trail mix. In 1968, they blended peanuts and raisins for an energy snack.
- Native Americans have eaten trail mix for thousands of years and originally included buffalo meat.
- In Australia and New Zealand, they call trail mix Scroggin.
- Trail mix is also called GORP (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts or Granola, Oats, Raisins, and Peanuts)
- According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the verb gorp means “to eat greedily”.
- Protein – Choosing the right nuts and seeds adds healthy proteins and fats, too. Consider adding these top protein-producing seeds and nuts to your trail mix:
- almonds, peanuts, pistachios, hemp, pepito, sunflower, flax, sesame, chia, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts
- Salty & Sweet – Not only does the flavor factor increase but the salt, along with drinking plenty of water throughout your hike prevents dehydration.
- Spice – Ramp up the flavor profile with some spice. Here are a few combinations to try:
- Fall blend – cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, ginger
- Savory blend– garlic powder, dill, lemon pepper
- Spicy blend – wasabi, mustard powder, lemon pepper, dried cilantro, dried lime zest
- Spicy sweet blend – paprika, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, a touch of brown sugar
- Energy Booster – Add chocolate-covered roasted coffee beans to your mix for a twist.
- Nuts. Peanuts, almonds, cashews and pecans are all delicious nuts, but many people make their trail mix heavy on 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.
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