Elderly care providers could combine two fun things in one: National trail mix day happens on August 31st, and it’s a perfect time to go for a little picnic or outing at the park and bring along some homemade trail mix for a healthy snack. This unique recipe combines several different kinds of nuts and seeds for a variety of tastes and textures.

 

Temptation Trail Mix

1 cup salted peanuts, roasted and blanched

1 cup tart dried cherries, pitted

¼ cup white chocolate chips

¼ cup dark chocolate chips

¼ cup peanut butter chips

½ cup cashews

½ cup mixed nuts

1 cup salted whole almonds, roasted

  • Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well
  • Keep stored in an airtight container
  • Great for traveling, parties, snacks, etc.
  • Tip: Store container of trail mix in freezer until next use to prevent nuts from going rancid.

 

What are the benefits of including nuts as part of a healthy lifestyle?

  • Eating nuts are good for a person’s heart. They contain unsaturated fat as well as other nutrients.
  • They are a handy and healthy snack food.
  • They are relatively inexpensive, and can be purchased in raw form, or unsalted form.
  • Some nuts may have more nutrients than others in some areas, but all nuts are a powerhouse of nutrition in a very tiny package.
  • For those with heart disease, using nuts in the diet instead of a less healthy snack can keep a person more in line with a heart-healthy diet.
  • Nuts help lower LDL – the bad cholesterol. High LDL is one of the main contributors of heart disease.
  • Nuts reduce a person’s risk of developing serious blood clots which can lead to a fatal heart attack.
  • Nuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
  • Nuts are a great source of fiber, vitamin E, plant sterols and L-arginine. L-arginine helps in improving the health of the walls of arteries by helping them become more flexible and thus less risk to produce blood flow-blocking blood clots.

 

Ways to introduce more heart-healthy nuts or trail mix into the diet

  • Stir a spoonful of trail mix into oatmeal at the end of cooking time
  • Sprinkle some cashews into the next Asian noodle dish
  • Add chopped walnuts into chocolate chip oatmeal cookies
  • Keep a bag of nuts in the freezer to snack on instead of buying potato chips
  • Make your own easy snack mix by mixing equal parts of raisins, dry cranberries, peanuts, mixed nuts and chocolate chips.

If you have a loved one who could benefit from the help of elderly care in San Ramon, CA contact the caregivers at Hillendale Home Care. We help seniors and their families with many levels of home care service. Call (925) 933-8181 for more information.