Super Trail Mix One

1 cup mixed nuts (walnuts, pecans, cashews, almonds, peanuts)

¼ cup raisins

¼ cup dried cranberries

image YIELD: 4 SERVINGS (6 TABLESPOONS PER SERVING)

Protein: 6 g / Saturated Fat: 1 g /

Polyunsaturated Fat: 6 g /

Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g /

Dietary Fiber: 4 g / Calories: 240

Combine everything, and store in a resealable plastic bag (or four resealable single-serving bags) in the refrigerator.

Super Trail Mix Two

The best puffed cereals to use for this lighter mixture are Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs or Nature’s Path Organic Corn Puffs cereal. A combination of the two is very nice.

1 cup mixed nuts (walnuts, pecans, cashews, almonds, peanuts)

¼ cup raisins

¼ cup dried cranberries

3½ cups unsweetened whole-grain puffed cereal

image YIELD: 5 SERVINGS (1 CUP PER SERVING)

Protein: 6 g / Saturated Fat: 1 g /

Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g /

Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g /

Dietary Fiber: 4 g / Calories: 241

Combine everything, and store in a resealable plastic bag (or five resealable single-serving bags) in the refrigerator.

Baked Vanilla-Cinnamon-Coated Nuts

A sweet egg coating baked onto nuts practically makes them into cookies. This is a heavenly portable snack, and it’s also great for entertaining.

Nonstick spray for the baking sheet

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon cinnamon (rounded measure)

½ teaspoon salt (rounded measure)

image cup granulated sugar (or more)

5 cups raw, unsalted nuts in large pieces (any combination of whole almonds, cashews, and/or walnut or pecan halves)

• Store these in a tightly closed jar for several weeks in the refrigerator, or for several months in the freezer.

• One batch makes a good twenty servings (and they are very good)!

image YIELD: 20 SERVINGS (1 HEAPING ¼ CUP—10 TO 12 PIECES—PER SERVING)

Protein: 7 g / Saturated Fat: 2 g /

Polyunsaturated Fat: 8 g /

Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g /

Dietary Fiber: 3 g / Calories: 208

  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Generously spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
  2. Break the eggs into a large bowl and beat well with a fork or whisk. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and image cup sugar, and beat until blended.
  3. Add the nuts and stir until they are thoroughly moistened. Let stand 5 minutes.
  4. Transfer the nuts, plus any remaining liquid, to the prepared baking sheet, and push together into a single layer, so the nuts are touching, but not piled vertically. (It should be one large, flat mass.)
  5. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 15 minutes, then use a spatula to scrape the nuts and their coating from the bottom of the baking sheet, and rearrange everything, so nothing is sticking and the nuts get moved around a bit. This helps them cook evenly.
  6. Bake another 15 minutes, then remove from the oven. If your taste runs sweet, you can sprinkle the nuts with 1 to 2 teaspoons additional sugar while they are still hot and on the baking sheet. Let the nuts cool completely on the baking sheet, then transfer them to clean jars with tight-fitting lids for storage. (You can also just transfer them to bowls for instant eating.)

Baked Cajun-Style Savory-Coated Nuts

A spicy coating baked onto these nuts makes them crisp and highly flavorful. They make a very fulfilling portable snack, and are perfect for entertaining, too.

Nonstick spray for the baking sheet

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)

½ teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon cayenne

4 cups raw, unsalted nuts in large pieces (any combination of whole almonds, cashews, and/or walnut or pecan halves)

Up to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice (optional)

• Store the nuts in a tightly closed jar for several weeks in the refrigerator—or for several months in the freezer.

• One batch makes sixteen servings!

image YIELD: 16 SERVINGS (1 HEAPING ¼ CUP—10 TO 12 PIECES—PER SERVING)

Protein: 7 g / Saturated Fat: 2 g /

Polyunsaturated Fat: 8 g /

Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g /

Dietary Fiber: 3 g / Calories: 200

  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Generously spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
  2. Break the eggs into a large bowl and beat well with a fork or whisk. Add the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, if using, salt, cumin, thyme, and cayenne, and beat until blended.
  3. Add the nuts and stir until they are thoroughly moistened. Let stand 5 minutes.
  4. Transfer the nuts, plus any remaining liquid, to the prepared baking sheet, and push together into a single layer, so the nuts are touching, but not piled vertically. (It should be one large, flat mass.) If you like a tart flavor, sprinkle the top with up to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice.
  5. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 15 minutes, then use a spatula to scrape the nuts and their coating from the bottom of the baking sheet, and rearrange everything, so nothing is sticking and the nuts get moved around a bit. This helps them cook evenly.
  6. Bake another 15 minutes, then remove the baking sheet from the oven. Let the nuts cool completely on the baking sheet, then transfer them to clean jars with tight-fitting lids for storage. (You can also just transfer them to bowls for instant eating.)

Carrot-Almond-Oat Gems

Soft and chewy—and brimming with grated carrot and almonds—these dense nuggets are deeply satisfying and make a great portable breakfast or snack. They are packed with fiber and vitamins, and will fill you up while also taking care of your sweet tooth.

Nonstick spray for the pan

2 cups whole almonds

¼ cup rolled oats

3 to 4 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt (scant measure)

1½ cups (packed) finely shredded carrot (about ½pound)

1 to 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

image teaspoon almond extract

• This recipe is truly quick and easy if you use a food processor for grinding the almonds and grating the carrots. If you don’t have a food processor, you can do step 2 in a blender, and grate the carrots by hand.

• A mild honey or pure maple syrup can replace the sugar. If using either of these, add it with the grated carrot in step 3.

image YIELD: ABOUT 1 DOZEN PIECES

Protein: 6 g / Saturated Fat: 1 g /

Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g /

Monounsaturated Fat: 8 g /

Dietary Fiber: 3 g / Calories: 168

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray an 8-inch round cake pan with nonstick spray.
  2. Place 1½ cups of the almonds in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the oats, sugar, and salt, and process with a few long pulses until they combine to become a powder. Transfer this to a medium-size bowl. Finely chop the remaining ½ cup of the almonds and stir these in.
  3. Using the fine-grating attachment of the food processor, grate the carrot(s). Add this to the almond mixture, along with lemon zest and extracts, and mix with a fork until thoroughly combined.
  4. Transfer the batter to the center of the prepared pan, and shape it into a circle about 1 inch high and 6½ inches in diameter. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 30 minutes or until dry on top.
  5. Remove the pan from the oven, and cut the baked mixture into pieces while still hot. (You get to choose the size and shape of the pieces. Cutting a dozen wedge-shaped “gems” works well.) Cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool for at least 15 minutes longer. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator, and serve cold or at room temperature.

Date-Peanut–Flax Seed No-Bake Nuggets

Here is one terrific vehicle for flax seeds, which can’t really be effectively consumed on their own.

1image cups (packed) pitted dates (about ½ pound)

½ cup flax seeds

½ cup peanuts

½ cup dried cranberries (optional)

½ to ¾ cup peanut butter (salted or not)

1 to 2 tablespoons flaxseed oil (optional)

½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)

• Use a high-quality “natural” peanut butter for best results.

• Purchase flax seed in bulk at natural-food stores, and store in a cool, dark place.

• These will keep for weeks or even months (if you don’t eat them sooner) when stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator or freezer.

image YIELD: ABOUT 2 DOZEN NUGGETS

Protein: 3 g / Saturated Fat: 2 g /

Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g /

Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g /

Dietary Fiber: 2 g / Calories: 92

  1. Place the dates in a medium-size bowl. Mash them with a spoon if they are soft and sticky. If you’re using dates that are drier or in rolled form, just break them into smaller pieces with your fingers or cut them with scissors, then put them in the bowl and push them together with a spoon.
  2. Grind the flax seeds—and then the peanuts—to a fine meal in an electric spice grinder or a blender. (Process with a few short buzzes, rather than long pulses, to be sure they don’t get too oily and turn into paste.) Add them to the dates, using a fork or your fingers to rub everything together. Mix in the dried cranberries as you go.
  3. Add the peanut butter, mixing and mashing it in with a spoon or your hands. You can also add some flaxseed oil at this point, to help everything hold together (and for added nutrition).
  4. Use your hands, or two spoons, to scoop up heaping teaspoons of the mixture, and shape each piece into a tight little ball (about 1 inch in diameter). Roll each ball in the coconut, if desired. Place the nuggets in a shallow plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, and refrigerate or freeze as soon as you’re done. Eat at room temperature or cold—or even frozen, if you like!

Pistachio-Currant Halvah No-Bake Nuggets

So satisfying and good for you, these will work their way into the heart of your busy lifestyle as a grabbed breakfast on the run, or an afternoon pick-me-up snack.

1 cup sesame tahini

2 tablespoons light-colored honey

½ teaspoon salt (scant measure)

image cup dried currants

image cup minced or ground pistachio nuts, lightly toasted

image cup sesame seeds (hulled or unhulled)

• These keep for weeks or even months if stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator or freezer.

image YIELD: 2 DOZEN NUGGETS

Protein: 3 g / Saturated Fat: 1 g /

Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g /

Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g /

Dietary Fiber: 2 g / Calories: 115

  1. Combine the tahini, honey, and salt in a medium-size bowl, and use a fork or the back of a spoon to mix and/or mash them together until reasonably well blended.
  2. Add the currants and pistachio nuts, mashing them in as best you can. It will be a little stiff.
  3. Place the sesame seeds on a plate. Use your hands (wetting them, if necessary) to make the tahini mixture into 1-inch balls, then roll each ball in the sesame seeds until thoroughly coated.
  4. Place the coated nuggets in a shallow plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, and store in the refrigerator or freezer. Eat them cold or at room temperature—or even frozen, if you like!