With all the hiking and camping that happens in Colorado, trail mix is almost a main food group. But commercial trail mixes contain candy, sweetened fruit, and unprepared nuts: not the superfoods they claim to be! This can be problematic if you are following a dietary protocol... you can't buy GAPS legal trail mix very easily! Fortunately, trail mix is fairly easy to make, and when you make your own, you can ensure the preparation (and ingredients) are exactly what you want! Below is a recipe for trail mix. Please explore beyond my ideas! You may figure out the next winning combination. If you do, make sure you share it with us in the comments! Enjoy!
GAPS Friendly Trail Mix Ingredients
Homemade or Store Bought Yogurt for the Whey
Salt
Filtered Water
Nuts of Your Choice, such as Almonds, Cashews and Walnuts
Seeds of Your Choice, such as Pumpkin Seeds
Dried Fruit of Your Choice. I used Raisins and Dried Pineapple.
Carob Chips or Chocolate Chips (if you can tolerate them in your diet or on your GAPS Stage)
A Note About Nuts and Seeds: Be sure to buy raw and organic nuts (not roasted and salted), except raw cashews. Raw cashews cannot be purchased; they're poisonous!
Directions for making your own trail mix
Using homemade or store bought yogurt, strain out whey. Rinse the nuts and seeds that you want to use through cold water.
Fill jars and bowls with filtered water. Keeping each kind of nut and seed in it's own separate bowl, add 1/4 cup whey to each jar and bowl.
Let nuts and seeds soak and ferment. Most nuts and seeds need 24 hours for proper fermentation. Cashews and pumpkin seeds take only 8 though!
After 24 hours, take the nuts out and set them either on dehydrator trays or on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Let them dry until they become crispy, preferably keeping them under 110° to keep the enzymes live.
Mix any amount of crispy nuts with dried fruit. I used dried pineapples and raisins but you can use any dried fruit that you like and are tolerating! You can also add chocolate or carob chips to your mixture, if you can tolerate them.
Store your trail mix in small baggies for a portable trail snack!
GAPS Legal Trail Mix
ingredients:
- Homemade or Store Bought Yogurt for the Whey
- Salt
- Filtered Water
- Nuts of Your Choice, such as Almonds, Cashews and Walnuts
- Seeds of Your Choice, such as Pumpkin Seeds
- Dried Fruit of Your Choice. I used Raisins and Dried Pineapple.
- Carob Chips or Chocolate Chips (if you can tolerate them in your diet or on your GAPS Stage)
instructions:
How to cook GAPS Legal Trail Mix
- Using homemade or store bought yogurt, strain out whey. Rinse the nuts and seeds that you want to use through cold water.
- Fill jars and bowls with filtered water. Keeping each kind of nut and seed in it's own separate bowl, add 1/4 cup whey to each jar and bowl.
- Let nuts and seeds soak and ferment. Most nuts and seeds need 24 hours for proper fermentation. Cashews and pumpkin seeds take only 8 though!
- After 24 hours, take the nuts out and set them either on dehydrator trays or on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Let them dry until they become crispy, preferably keeping them under 110° to keep the enzymes live.
- Mix any amount of crispy nuts with dried fruit. I used dried pineapples and raisins but you can use any dried fruit that you like and are tolerating! You can also add chocolate or carob chips to your mixture, if you can tolerate them.
- Store your trail mix in small baggies for a portable trail snack!