Why are trail mixes so popular among backpackers? Nutrition, portability, shelf life, and ease of packing are the top reasons. Also, trail mix is one of the best hiking snacks you can take.
Are you an adventurer, hiker, or backpacker? Yes? Then you might be wondering about the best energy source that will fit your needs wherever you go. It should be powerful yet compact. That’s where trail mixes come in! Trail mixes are excellent energy sources that fit easily into your small pockets, allowing you to hike and explore without worry. They are one of the best ways to refuel your body.
Over the years of backpacking, we have tried many trail mixes, from top brands to homemade blends with custom ingredients. In this guide, we will explore how to choose the best trail mixes and highlight the ones you should carry while hiking.
Editor’s note: We updated this guide on November 29, 2024, after further experimenting with trail mixes to give better comparisons and insights into the 2024 and 2025 top options.
Quick Recommendations
- Best Overall: Power Up High Energy Trail Mix
- Value For Money: Happy Belly Trail Mix
- Best Protein Pack: Power Up Protein-Packed Mix
- Best Tasty Option: Nature’s Garden Omega 3 Deluxe Mix
What is The Trail Mix?
Trail mix is also known as scroggin. It’s a perfect combo of energy and portability, hence without taking up space. It comprises granola, dried fruits, nuts, and enjoyable seeds, which make up a perfect crunchy snack.
Further, the ingredients in trail mix can vary depending on personal preferences, like almonds, peanuts, raisins, and sunflower seeds. Or even chocolate chips or dried cranberries to lock in sweetness.
Top 7 Best Trail Mix
Now you have got all the details about a robust trail mix, you may be worried about purchasing a good one directly without spending time. Well, you don’t have to stress about that now! Cause we have enlisted highly researched and affordable 7 best trail mixes. Which are with in depth reviews to help you choose with relaxation. Let’s have a look!
1. Power Up High Energy Trail Mix
If you are looking for a convenient and tasty trail mix to boost your energy levels, then this is the best option for you. It’s just 190 calories per saving! We have found it as a go-to brand because of its good value. It’s affordable and of good quality at the same time.
The best thing that we experienced about it was that it was not overly sweet and salty, and it had a good variation of nuts. So we found it overall healthy and safe, which is the main aspect of our reviews for you. Moreover, It also fitted effortlessly in the backpack. It also has impressive packaging, as it re-seals very well.
Albeit, if you are in search of a trail mix that is more meal-like, then this won’t be the perfect snack for you. On the other hand, if you just want to hastily get rid of the hunger and get the salty plus savory taste too, then go for it. Lastly, we have found it very handy and fulfilling in our rocky journeys.
Ingredients
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Cherries
- Peanuts
- Pumpkin seeds
- Raisins
2. Happy Belly Trail Mix
It comes in a 1 Pound, 2.5 Pound, and 16 Ounce Pack. It is perfectly light on the salt. Happy Belly Trail Mix has a splendid taste and texture due to its exquisite combo of nuts, fruits, and chocolates. Your taste buds will find it enchanting and your body will find it dynamic.
We personally found it better than candy and most energizers. Since it has a good mix of healthy fats and fibers, it stays with you much longer. A very leading feature that we found about it was that whenever we used the same pack, it always sustained the crisp freshness. Also, it has only 170 calories. Its chocolaty taste also makes it divine for kids.
However, it has a touch of a little more peanuts than usual. So, if you are someone with nut allergies, it would be better to avoid it. Overall, it had a reasonably good and defining role in our hiking journey.
Ingredients
- Peanuts
- Milk chocolate candies
- Cashews
- Soy
- Raisins
- Salt
- Sugar
3. Power Up Protein-Packed Mix
If you are someone looking for a meal-like snack then this is the best hit for you. It has 190 calories and other essential nutrients. The best thing we found regarding it was, unlike other snacks, it didn’t leave any residue on the fingers.
Besides, it is a superb antioxidant due to its constituent cranberries. It even has a splendid taste with yogurt and salad. And another amazing thing about it, which most people will resonate with, is that it’s vegan.
Furthermore, it is also gluten-free and Non-GMO. This reflects it is the best go to for allergic and dietetic people. So, it is also safe for all age groups. And another important aspect is that it really does a good job at the packing time. It will easily glide into your backpack.
Ingredients
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Cherries
- Peanuts
- Pumpkin seeds
- Raisins
4. Kar’s Sweet And Salty Mix
This comes in different sizes with a different number of constituent pack options also a variety of flavors like sweet and salty, peanut butter and dark chocolate, salted caramel delight, etc. It’s a really healthy snack having a definite and balanced proportion of salt and sweetness.
It’s also gluten-free and packed with protein-rich nuts, vitamins, and minerals, which gives a rewarding boost to your immunity. Our unique experience regarding Kar’s Sweet’n Salty Trail Mix was because of it being free from artificial colors and preservatives. And it even has no trans-fats. Noting its calories, it contains 270 cal. Furthermore, it’s lightweight and enjoyable.
Although its chocolaty flavor makes it unique, it is not preferable during summer hiking. As the chocolate components can melt because of the heat.
Ingredients
- Salted peanuts
- Raisins
- Cocoa candies
- Sunflower kernels
5. Nature’s Garden Omega 3 Deluxe Mix
We believe that this snack does the job same as its name. It’s short on sugars and calories, which makes it pretty useful for people on a diet. We also found the addition of Omega-3 as a pleasing concept. The 1.2 oz bag of Natures Garden Omega 3 Deluxe Mix gives 6-7 servings of delicious nutrient-rich goodness.
It has an exceptional blend of gluten-free ingredients and plenty of walnuts, pistachios, and pumpkin seeds. It provides the nourishment we need to power through our adventures.
This has truly saved us from unhealthy junk food and snacks. Going further, we did find cranberries more on it. However, this didn’t affect its likability much. Lastly, being cholesterol and sodium free makes it wholesome.
Ingredients
- Cranberries Sugar
- Sunflower Oil
- Walnuts
- Almonds
- Pecans
- Raw Pistachios
6. Enjoy Life Seed And Fruit Mix
This is one of our tested trail mixes that omit peanuts. Hence it has proven to be highly beneficial for allergic folks. In addition, it not only omits peanuts but other 14-common allergens too. For instance: tree nuts, dairy, soy, etc.
Essentially this mix has roasted pumpkin seeds and raw sunflower seeds that add important nutrients to the diet. The best thing about Pumpkin seeds is that they are rich in omega 3 and 6. Furthermore, we have found that it has Vitamin E, which protects from cancer and heart diseases.
It’s also gluten-free, vegan, and halal. Detailing this trail mix has natural sugars, so a guilt-free snack. However, its only concern is the tight zip-lock, which unlocks with a little difficulty at the first try. Anyways, we found it worth buying overall.
Ingredients
- Sunflower Kernels
- Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- Raisins
- Dried Cranberries
- Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
- Dried Apples
- Sea Salt
7. Back To Nature
Here we have another unique trail mix with a new tasty constituent. It’s strawberry. Who doesn’t love strawberries? What we found exquisite about Back to Nature Trail Mix is that it has no extra sweetness, which makes the strawberries rule alone perfectly. Besides, its nuts are not salted, and they are plain almonds and pistachios mixed with dried fruits.
Hence, a healthy munch. Another top-notch feature is that the snack remains ever-fresh. In essence, this is a lovable and recommendable trail mix for campers, hikers, and trail runners.
Ingredients
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Sugar
- Dried cherries
- Dried strawberries
- Dried blueberries
- Sunflower oil
- Sea salt
How To Choose A Trail Mix
Getting your hands on the right Trail Mix is an intrinsic job. After all, the options list is intricate, meaning numerous combos and flavors exist. Ranging from sweet and savory to salty and sweet. In addition, do you know that opting for the best trail mix can help you lose weight, grow muscle, repair tissue, and boost immunity?
To help you solve the puzzle of “the perfect trail mix”, we have catered a list for you to keep in mind.
- Type of activity you are going to do
- Flavor you like
- Ingredients
- Choose whole nuts over processed
- Avoid added sugar and salt
- Go for unsalted nuts
- Choose fresh dried fruit
- Consider ratios Of Fruits, and Extra
- Serving size
Type of Activity
Trail Mixes are highly customizable, and they offer a variety of diet designs. If your hike journey is long and challenging, then you’ll have to look for a nutrition design that will keep you active enough. You may even have the idea that carbohydrates and proteins perform this role very effectively. In essence, plenty of protein and complex carbohydrates will be the best choice in this scenario.
If you’re seeking to gobble a trail mix between meals that will keep your appetite maintained then a snack constituting less sugars and healthier fats will be the ideal plan. Someone with diabetes would go for low sugar and a healthy balance of fats and fiber. Of course, you can also add components based on your craving instincts, like a mood for either chocolaty or savory. Trail mix is one of the top options for camping snacks, perfect for sharing with a group or family.
Talking about my personal preference, I like to mix nuts, dried fruits, and seeds for a sweet-savory, and vital energy supplier. I also keep one ingredient under check, and that is low in salt. It’s true that salt is beneficial in replenishing electrolytes, but the problem is that too much can cause dehydration. This means more thirst, and more water, and we all probably won’t prefer carrying that much water along the rocky journey, aren’t I right?
Read The Ingredients
Before purchasing anything, we prefer reading the ingredient list, so why not for our backup supplier, the ‘trail mix’?
This practice will help you keep the nutrients in check, which you should be framed according to your type and extent of activity. Hence, keeping a balance between your health and preferred tastes.
Avoid Processed Nuts
Nuts have humongous benefits; they are good for your heart’s health and also good energy regulators. They are rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids.
But wait! This is all about whole nuts and not processed nuts. And the reason is, nuts lose their nutritious magic when processed. They get stripped off their oils and skin, leaving them dry, bland, and empty. We can call them ‘nuts without any goods’.
Avoid added Sugar and Salt
Extra added and artificial flavors are not good for health. So why should they be in something that we intend it to be our healthy energy generator? Added sugar and salts are the mothers of many health issues like heart diseases, obesity, cancer, weight gain, and decayed teeth.
Therefore, keep your snack away from extras and maintain its simplicity. A simple life is a key to a healthy life and a happy life. In conclusion, you can go for a mixture of dried fruits, almonds, walnuts, and peanuts. But this doesn’t mean no chocolate chip. Go for it as long as you maintain the balance!
Unsalted Nuts
Do you know that salty coatings are sodium coatings, and this is injurious to health because it disrupts heart functioning which introduces high blood pressure and stroke. So who on earth wants that? Thus, settle on unsalted nuts, which are valuable for your health.
Dried Fruit
Health Experts recommend a daily intake of a handful of dried fruits. These are even known for preventing disability (Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 – ScienceDirect). Being an adventurer, you would never afford to let go of a fit and lively body (off-course, no one else could either).
So choosing a trail mix of dry fruits high in antioxidants, vitamins like A, D, B6, K1, E, and other essentials is the best shield. Also, its shelf life can be extended by freezing it in ice cubes.
Ratios Of Fruits, and Extra
Choosing a trail mix that is perfect in its constituent ratios and delicious at the same time is like a dream. But we are here to make this dream come true. Although the perfect design varies from person to person—and each person’s mix is their unique reflection—we still have a general guideline with a perfect mix of fiber and protein without weighing out the crab and calorie intake. It surely will prove very useful for you.
Nuts 50%
Dried fruit 40%
Seeds or Granola 10%
Another pivotal matter is the mouthwatering taste which brings excitement. Chewing on crunch can get boring along the way if it’s flavorless. To make it enticing, you can incorporate apricots, cherries, flavored popcorn, chex cereal, and cinnamon, etc.
Despite your cravings for flavor and texture, do keep a balanced ratio in mind.
Is Trail Mix A Healthy Snack?
Well, the answer is yes. But the whole thing lies on the right ingredients in the correct proportions. The biggest benefit is that you won’t have an empty stomach and won’t need to carry luggage overloaded with food.
Trail snacks, while being ultralight-weight, are highly nutritious and customizable according to your preferences. They have a lot of proteins, fibers, and healthy fats. They even go best with tasty flavors to make them yummy and healthy on the same journey. Besides, if customized in the correct proportions, they help in losing weight. And that’s joyful to hear, isn’t it? They are convenient for kids too.
Summary
While Trail Mixes are handy inventions, they are also tricky when spotting the right one for one’s body. Everyone has unique tastes and different concerns. To have a practical approach in this matter, our guide will help you a lot. It will also give some helpful information. So, next time you jump into the store to fulfill your missions, don’t forget to take along with you our recommended trail mixes and some key points.
Hope you’ll find the trail mix of your life!
You will also like to read:
