Snacks Mixes – Creating healthy snacks the whole family will enjoy

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Snack Attack – has anyone else felt like snacks are the new shiny object in the household?

With being home so much, we can be snacking from the convenience, boredom, anxiety, hunger, or because we are on fire with our baking skills now 😉 Therefore, we need to be having snacks that can leave us satisfied… and maybe offer some nutritional benefits too!

How? Snack Mixes.

How you can make them work for your family:

  • Invite your kids to assemble – place in single serving bags for you or your family to quickly grab!
  • They are lower in calories, sodium and sugar – which is better for everyone!
  • Cereals and crackers are often inexpensive, especially if you compare to the price you would pay for pre-made snack mix – you are getting more and it’s a fun activity!

Components:

Cereal (4 cups), Crackers (1 cup of bite sized), Dried Fruit (1/2 cup), Nuts (1/2 cup) and a treat (1/4 cup)!
Yields: 25 snacks – 1/4 cup serving size. 

You can make any variation using your favorites in each cateogory – or to make some special snack mixes, check out these recipes:

 

RECIPES

Praline Pecan Crunch Snack Mix Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 8 cups of oatmeal squares cereal (I used the entire 14.5 ounce box of Quaker Oatmeal Squares cereal.)
  • 2 cups pecans, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set it aside.
  2. Add the oatmeal squares and chopped pecans into the prepared baking pan and mix well.
  3. In a large microwaveable bowl, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup and butter.
  4. Microwave the sugar mixture for 1 minute 30 seconds and then stir. Microwave for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute 30 seconds or until boiling. 
  5. Stir the vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt into sugar mixture.
  6. Pour the sugar mixture over cereal mixture and stir to coat everything evenly.  (Carefully, and while everything is still very hot.)
  7. Bake it in the preheated oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
  8. Transfer mixture to a baking sheet, spreading the mixture in an even layer.
  9. Let it cool completely and then break it into pieces.
  10. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

 

Roasted Chickpea Snack Mix

Ingredients:

  • 1 low-sodium chickpeas — (15 ounces) rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 T coconut oil — melted
  • 1/2 T pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/8 tsp smoked paprika — optional
  • 1/4 c raw pumpkin seeds — pepitas
  • 1/4 c raw almonds — or pecan halves
  • 1/3 c dried cherries
  • 1/4 c dark chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Lay the chickpeas on a double layer of paper towels and dry them as much as you can, changing out the towels as needed. Remove any skins that come loose (no need to get them all). Spread the chickpeas in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. (Do not be tempted to add anything to the chickpeas. Starting them out in the oven plain helps them become extra crispy!).
  2. Remove the chickpeas from the oven and drizzle with the coconut oil and maple syrup. Sprinkle with the cinnamon, salt, and smoked paprika. Toss to evenly coat (the pan will be hot—be careful!—let cool a few minutes as needed), then return the chickpeas to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
  3. Remove the pan from the oven once more and give it a little shake to rotate the chickpeas. Add the pepitas and almonds to the pan in a single layer. Continue baking until the nuts are toasty and the chickpeas are brown and crisp, about 8 to 10 additional minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool completely.
  4. Once the chickpeas and nuts are cool, add them to a serving bowl. Stir in the dried cherries and dark chocolate chips. Divide into desired portions and store for later or munch immediately!

 

Ginger Wasabi Snack Mix

Ingredients:

  • 3 c crispy rice squares cereal
  • 1½ c chow mein noodles
  • ¼ c butter
  • 2 T rice vinegar
  • 1 T soy sauce
  • ¾ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 c wasabi peas
  • 1 c Blue Diamond Wasabi & Soy Sauce Almonds

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, toss together rice cereal and chow mein noodles.
  3. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and cayenne, whisking together. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
  4. Pour melted butter mixture over rice cereal and chow mein noodles, and stir to evenly coat.
  5. Spread mixture out evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 8-10 minutes, until mixture is lightly browned and no longer wet.
  6. Let cool on pan, then transfer to a bowl and toss with wasabi peas and almonds.
  7. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

 

Need more nutrition tips or guidance? Registered Dietitian, Vanessa Lennick is here to help!
Find her “Let’s Eat” Private group on Facebook.