Why Protein is Important | A Closer Look at Protein Powders, Protein Shakes, and Protein Calculators

What about protein?

You hear a lot in the media about tracking calories, lowering cholesterol, and ditching sugar.

But protein somehow gets undermined in many traditional medical practices, and I want to change that.

Hi friends. I’m Hilary Beckwith, ex-dieter and holistic nutrition expert. Over the course of my work and studies, I’ve learned just how important dietary protein is. Not only the amount of protein but the quality of protein.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• benefits of eating enough protein

• how protein impacts your mood and mental health

• recommended protein intake

• what might be preventing you from digesting dietary protein

• ways to add protein to your meals

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health benefits of protein

Two factors determine the quality of any dietary nutrient, including protein:

1. Your body’s ability to digest a food and absorb its nutrients

2. The quality of food you’re consuming

You can be using all the protein powders, downloading all the best protein calculator apps, eating protein foods, and downing protein drinks. But if your digestive health is not up to par, and you’re consuming the same heavily processed protein powder every day, you might as well be flushing your money down the toilet.

WHY DOES YOUR BODY NEED PROTEIN?:

• NEUROTRANSMITTER PRODUCTION - Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers similar to hormones, that regulate mood. Certain amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are precursors to neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and epinephrine (adrenaline).

  • Tryptophan: precursor to serotonin

  • Tyrosine: precursor to catecholamines (dopamine, epinephrine)

  • Glutamine: precursor to glutamate from which GABA can be synthesized

  • D-phenylalanine: inhibits the enzyme that breaks down endorphins, hormones that “relieve pain, reduce stress, and improve mood.”(1)

• ANTIBODY FORMATION - Antibodies are formed as part of your body’s adaptive immune system. When an antigen is present, antibodies multiply in order to fight the invader and also have the ability to remember the antigen should it ever come back again (2). These antibodies are formed from proteins.

• MUSCLE BUILDING - Similar to bones, muscles go through a process of breaking down and rebuilding. Resistance exercise causes the muscle tissues to break down, then muscle protein is synthesized post-workout to repair and rebuild the muscle tissue even bigger than before (3). Amino acids are necessary for this process to occur.

• NUTRIENT TRANSFER ACROSS CELL MEMBRANE - Channel proteins (see Figure A, below) are formed from amino acid subunits to create a tubular structure that is nestled within the cell membrane to allow nutrients to travel in to and out of the cell.

• COLLAGEN IS NEEDED FOR HEALTHY JOINTS, SKIN, NAILS, AND HAIR - Collagen is the most abundant form of protein in your body, and according to Cleveland Clinic, accounts for 30% of your body’s protein (4).

• CARRIES OXYGEN THROUGHOUT THE BODY - Hemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells that binds to oxygen in the lungs and carries it to cells and tissues throughout the body as needed. the word globin describes a colorless protein that when bound to heme (iron), becomes hemoglobin.

Figure A - Image found on this website

To sum it all up, the benefits of getting a wide variety of quality protein in your diet, include:

• improved mood and mental wellness

• healthy skin, hair, and nails

• improved arthritis symptoms (or prevents arthritis altogether)

• good energy throughout the day

• helps you feel more satiated at meals, reduces cravings

• supports immune function

• supports muscle formation in conjunction with resistance training

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recommended protein intake for women

Many researchers agree that the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is based on inconclusive research, and yet has been the RDA for over 70 years (5). All the more confirmation we need to understand that no RDA suits all bodies.

However there has been further research that suggests that protein intake higher than the RDA is more beneficial, and that RDA values are not considered optimal.

Currently, the RDA for protein for individuals (male- and female-bodied) 18 years or older, is 0.8g per 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of body weight.

For a 150 lb individual, this equates to about 54.5 grams of protein daily. Based on what I’ve learned about how the body uses protein, I would argue that this is too little.

Apart from the protein functions discussed earlier in this article, one of the more prominent impacts I see in my clients who consume inadequate or low-quality protein is on blood sugar levels. Protein itself does not influence blood sugar metabolism (although protein can be converted to glucose by the liver if needed). But by not consuming enough protein, my clients turn more to carbohydrates in the form of starches or sugars.

Each body has unique health needs, and it’s important to consider that blanket statements like these may not apply to your body. But for my typical client, one who is struggling with adrenal issues (sleep, energy, troublesome or irregular periods, PMS symptoms), has PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), or is dealing with gut pathogens like bacterial overgrowth, candida overgrowth, or parasites, I recommend 90 grams of protein per day.

Protein enables you to feel more satiated and slows the breakdown of food, which in turn does help with blood sugar levels. This effect is not going to come from your vegan protein powders or protein drinks, as those are generally made from starchy protein food sources like pea protein, and loaded with a number of other heavily processed ingredients.

Satiation and the slower breakdown of food is going to come from consuming high-quality whole-food forms of protein, paired with good digestive health.

So, what is a high-quality protein?

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complete protein vs. incomplete protein

Protein is made up of amino acids fused together by peptide bonds. The body can synthesize many amino acids from other sources, but there are nine amino acids which it cannot synthesize. These nine amino acids are needed to build protein, and in order to do that, they all need to be present simultaneously.

The inability of our body to produce these amino acids is what makes them essential amino acids, meaning, we must get them from our diet. The fact that they need to be present simultaneously in order to build protein, means we need to be consuming more complete proteins at each meal.

So, what’s a complete protein?

A complete protein is a food that contains all nine essential amino acids. Or a combination of foods that collectively contain all nine essential amino acids.

The nine essential amino acids include histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.

MY BEEF WITH VEGETARIAN DIETS (I will keep this brief)

Some might be angry with me for saying this, but I’ve looked at a lot of solid research over the years that supports what I’m about to say.

Vegetarian, and especially vegan diets, even the healthiest whole-food plant-based diets, simply do not provide enough bioavailable complete protein without consuming mountains of starchy carbohydrates.

… Stepping off my soap box…

READ MORE ABOUT PLANT-BASED DIETS HERE.

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how to get more protein in your diet

Increasing protein without addressing gut health is a recipe for disaster. If you have digestive symptoms like bloating, fatigue after meals, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn or indigestion, or excess and prolonged fullness after eating, it’s important to get your digestion back on track before you can properly digest protein.

I can help you with that.

Once digestion is up to par, increased protein will help with muscle building, fatigue, blood sugar levels, mood, and food cravings.

Here are a few ideas to help you out:

• START YOUR DAY WITH ANIMAL PROTEIN AND GREENS - Prioritizing green, leafy vegetables and animal protein will keep you full until lunchtime without that need for a pick-me-up in between. Here are some examples of what I typically eat for breakfast:

  • sauteed, finely chopped broccoli + 2 eggs or leftover protein from dinner last night + sauerkraut

  • finely chopped cabbage and onion + salmon fillet

  • root vegetable hash (shredded root vegetables + diced, cooked brisket or sausage + topped with a fried egg) - prioritize less starchy vegetables like radishes, beets, and kohlrabi

  • chopped dandelion greens, sauteed with chopped onion + top with favorite high-quality dressing (make your own, or my favorite is PCC’s house-made Green Goddess) + leftover steak

• NUTS AND SEEDS - Nuts and seeds are a great way to add protein to your day, whether as an isolated snack, or adding to a meal.

  • Add sprouted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) to any soup, breakfast dish, or salad. I keep a jar on my countertop so they’re always easily accessible.

  • Switch up your crackers and coffee for a handful of mixed nuts and a string cheese as a high-protein snack.

  • Nut and seed butters are available now in go-packs. Artisana and Justins are two of my go-to brands for this (no affiliation).

• MEAL PREP PROTEINS FOR BUSY SCHEDULES - Meal prep is essential for anyone with a busy schedule who wants to eat healthier. Packaged options that are minimally processed are becoming more abundant, but there’s nothing quite as good (and in your control) than something prepared at home, with ingredients YOU selected. Here are some ideas:

  • boil and peel eggs for the week

  • fill a jar with mixed nuts to keep in your desk at work, or in your bag

  • make time for batch-cooking: Before I started working from home, I would batch-cook my lunches and snacks for the week, and portion them out so that I could just grab and go. Here are some meals I commonly made:

    • tuna salad with chopped greens

    • roasted non-starchy vegetables + chicken/steak/fish

    • soups (I would commonly add a scoop of cottage cheese to my warm soup for extra protein)

    • bento-box - sliced chicken or turkey, sliced or bite-sized vegetables (broccoli, cucumber, kohlrabi, radishes, turnips, etc.), nuts and seeds, cottage cheese, olives, pickled beets, sliced or string cheese, etc.

• DITCH THE VEGAN PROTEIN POWDERS, AND SWITCH TO HIGH-QUALITY COLLAGEN AND AMINO ACID SUPPLEMENTS - If supplementation is how you’re getting a chunk of your protein, consider ditching the heavily processed protein powders, protein drinks, and protein shakes. Here are some of my favorite products.

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did you learn something new?

Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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BLOG REFERENCES

1. C. C. medical. (n.d.-a). Endorphins: What they are and how to boost them. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23040-endorphins

2. Janeway CA Jr, Travers P, Walport M, et al. Immunobiology: The Immune System in Health and Disease. 5th edition. New York: Garland Science; 2001. The structure of a typical antibody molecule. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK27144/

3. Kwon, Y. sub, & Kravitz, L. (n.d.). How Do Muscles Grow?. How do muscles grow? https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/musclesgrowLK.html#:~:text=Muscle%20growth%20occurs%20whenever%20the,controlled%20by%20complimentary%20cellular%20mechanisms.

4. Cleveland Clinic medical. (n.d.). Collagen: What it is, types, function & benefits. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/23089-collagen

5. Wolf, R. R., Cifelli, A. M., Kostas, G., & Kim, I.-Y. (2017, March 10). Optimizing protein intake in adults: Interpretation and application of the Recommended Dietary Allowance compared with the acceptable macronutrient distribution range. Advances in Nutrition. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2161831322007165

Nutrition and Mental Health - How and What You Eat Has a Direct Impact on Depression and Anxiety

Nutrition and Mental Health

This article was written primary by Hilary Beckwith, in collaboration with Satya Wellness Collective, a mental health clinic in Seattle.

The relationship between nutrition and mental health is tied more closely than you may have previously thought. Acknowledging and addressing mental health has been more widely advocated in the past few years (thankfully!), but there has not been much emphasis on the interdependency between nutrition and mental health.

While it may be generally known that our mental health closely influences the types of food we want to eat, whether we want to eat at all, and how much we eat, what is often overlooked is how food affects our mood and general wellbeing.

Luckily, more and more research is demonstrating that the food we eat has a direct impact on our mental health.

let’s take a closer look

AMINO ACIDS & MENTAL HEALTH

One of the key components of nutrition and mental health is making sure you are getting the nutrients you need to support healthy neurotransmitter and hormone production, both of which greatly influence mood, anxiety, and food cravings. When you don’t get the nutrients you need, you may experience cravings for foods that are typically stripped of nutrients, perpetuating the cycle of poor nutrition, which negatively impacts mental health.

Let's look at a few examples of nutrients, specifically amino acids, that support optimal mental health:

Amino acids, which are proteins in their smallest forms, are the precursors to many neurotransmitters that impact our mood and mental wellness. The best way to ensure we are getting adequate amino acids is by regularly consuming a wide variety of quality proteins, like eggs, quinoa, nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables, and properly raised meats, poultry, and fish. 

Here are some important amino acids and the role they play in mental health:

• Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin, which helps us feel motivated, satisfied, and prevents worry. You may be low in serotonin if you commonly feel anxious or depressed, or crave afternoon carbohydrates.

• Tyrosine is a precursor to catecholamines ((kata-KOHL-uh-meens), such as adrenaline and cortisol, that when released at appropriate times, help us handle stress and to feel awake. Someone who commonly needs coffee to feel awake in the mornings, or craves sweets for an energy fix, may be low on catecholamines.

• Glutamine is needed to maintain the health of the digestive tract, and can help reduce sugar cravings, and symptoms associated with poor blood sugar regulation, like irritability, brain fog, and feeling shaky.

• GABA, or Gamma-AminoButyric Acid, is known as the "calming" neurotransmitter. It is derived from Glutamine (amino acid) and it is helpful in relieving symptoms of anxiety, stress, and fear.

• D-Phenylalanine is a precursor to hormones called endorphins, which are known to reduce pain, help manage stress, and give a sense of well-being. One who struggles with anxiety, chronic pain, or craves food as a reward, may have trouble producing endorphins.

• Vitamin B6 & Zinc are not amino acids, as you probably guessed, but they can be highly supportive in regards to nutrition and mental health, as well. People who suffer from social anxiety, are often found to be deficient in these two nutrients. 

Practitioner grade forms of these supplements can be purchased directly from my online dispensary. **I do not condone the use of supplements without the supervision of a qualified health professional.

DIGESTION & MENTAL HEALTH

When it comes to nutrition and mental health, how we eat is just as important as what we eat. Your eating habits and atmosphere impacts your digestion of food, assimilation of nutrients, and your emotional relationship with food.

As we learned in previously discussing amino acids, we need to be sure we're consuming a wide variety of quality protein to ensure we are getting the amino acids needed to support neurotransmitter production. Equally important is your digestive ability to properly break down those proteins into amino acids. Mindful eating supports the digestive process, enables you to enjoy food more, and increases awareness of how you feel when you eat. Mindful eating is one of the most effective way to address your nutrition and mental health. 

Here are my favorite mindful eating techniques:

• Sit down to eat (your car and desk do not count!): When you eat while multitasking (driving, working, cleaning, studying, and even cooking), your body is using its sympathetic nervous response (ie. "fight or flight"), and intentionally inhibits the digestive process. Sitting down with your meal keeps you grounded while you eat, and helps trigger and maintain your parasympathetic nervous response (ie. "rest and digest"). As a bonus, relationships with those who surround you during meals, will improve with your presence.

• Deep breaths: This is especially important if your meal is the only calm in a busy day. Before you take your first bite, take five slow, deep breaths, in through your nose, and out through your mouth. This helps your body flip that switch from "fight or flight," to "rest and digest."

• Chew your food: This may seem obvious to you, but it's often underestimated. Adequate chewing is not only important to our enjoyment of the food, but it helps us to better know when we are full, and supports the stimulation of adequate stomach acid and digestive enzymes needed to digest your food. There is no magic number of "chews." I recommend chewing until your food becomes liquid. If you feel the need to "wash down" your food, you are not chewing enough.

• Minimize beverages with your meals: Liquids, especially low-caloric liquids, like black coffee, water, or tea, will dilute stomach acid and digestive enzymes in your stomach. It's important to minimize fluids like these while eating, to less than 6 ounces, if any.

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how blood sugar affects mental health

BLOOD SUGAR & MENTAL HEALTH

One last important factor in addressing nutrition and mental health is eating to support blood sugar regulation.

Think of a time when you experienced low blood sugar. How did you feel in that moment? Did you feel irritable? Unwell? Shaky? Tired? Did you lose the ability to focus?

Eating to support blood sugar balance, not only prevents chronic illnesses like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, it also improves mood, and helps us feel more grounded, even when we are hungry. 

Poor blood sugar balance often looks like:

• High energy after consuming carb-heavy meals or snacks (“sugar high”), followed by a sudden drop in energy about 2-3 hours later

• Feeling excessively hungry, or unwell when you don’t eat

• Irritability when hungry

• Shaky when hungry (this is adrenaline being released in response to stress)

• Loss of focus when hungry

Optimal blood sugar balance looks like:

• Steady energy throughout the day

• Ability to recognize when you’re hungry without feeling shaky, irritable, or unwell

• Staying full for longer periods of time

• Improved mood and focus

• Ability to handle a sweet treat without the consequences of poor blood sugar balance

So, how do you eat to support optimal blood sugar balance?:

• Choose whole, or minimally processed foods as much as possible. 

• Focus on quality proteins, fats, and vegetables. Whole grains, fruits, or starches should be eaten in smaller amounts.

• Examples of Quality Proteins: pasture raised poultry and eggs (light and dark meats), grass-fed beef, pork from rooting pigs, cold water wild-caught fish, wild-caught seafood, quinoa, lentils, grass-fed dairy products, nuts, seeds, high protein vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, artichokes)

• Examples of Quality Fats: Olives, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Unrefined coconut oil, nuts/seeds/butters, grass-fed full fat dairy, avocados, egg yolks, sardines

• Use Mindful Eating techniques, previously discussed

Other techniques to support insulin sensitivity and adrenal response to blood sugar, can include intermittent fasting techniques, and Ayurvedic herbs known to support the HPA axis (Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Adrenal). My favorite product for this is called HPA Adapt, by Integrative Therapeutics (also available through my online dispensary).

It should be noted that intermittent fasting and supplementation should only be done under the direction and care of a qualified practitioner. 

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want to explore more about your own nutrition and mental health journey?

More information about my work with nutrition and mental health, and how I can help you, can be found on my website.

Interested in working with Hilary? Click here to book a free consultation.

Want to share your experience with nutrition and mental health? I would love to hear it (and it may help others looking for answers)! Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Easy Weeknight Recipe: Mediterranean Superfood Bowl

Easy Healthy Vegan Recipe

This recipe is my favorite in terms of versatility and nutrient density. It’s the perfect healthy recipe for easy summer evenings.

The ingredients can be switched up easily without risking flavor components and can easily adapt to your nutritional needs. The romesco is plant-based on its own, so there’s no need to adapt if you eat vegan.

While the fresh vegetable component does not make this a freezer-friendly meal, the sauce does freeze well. In fact, we eat these often in my home, so I typically will double or triple the recipe for romesco and freeze it in individual portions.

One batch of sauce, greens, & grain, makes 4 bowls. Top to your tummy’s content to make the tastiest healthy recipe!

Want to know how to choose the best quality ingredients for this recipe? This is the best resource for understanding food labels.

Let’s get to the recipe!

Mediterranean superfood bowls - plant-based and vegan-friendly

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 16oz JAR ROASTED RED PEPPERS (OR ROAST YOUR OWN!)

• 1 CLOVE GARLIC, PEELED

• ½ TSP SEA SALT (MORE TO TASTE)

• JUICE OF 1 LEMON (ABOUT ¼ CUP)

• ½ CUP EXTRA VIRGIN, COLD-PRESSED OLIVE OIL

• ½ CUP WHOLE, RAW ALMONDS

FOR THE BOWLS:

2 CUPS LOOSELY PACKED, CHOPPED (PICK ONE):

• DANDELION

• ARUGULA

• SPINACH

• BABY KALE

½ CUP UNCOOKED GRAIN (PICK ONE) (omit, if you’re grain-free):

• QUINOA

• WILD RICE

• FARRO

PICK 1-2 FATS/PROTEINS:

• OLIVES (KALAMATA, GREEN, BLACK)

• RAW PUMPKIN SEEDS, LIGHTLY TOASTED

• CRUMBLED FETA CHEESE

• QUALITY HUMMUS (OR CHICKPEAS!)

• AVOCADO

PICK 2-3 (OR 4 OR 5) HERBS/VEG/OTHER TOPPINGS:

• HEIRLOOM DICED TOMATOES

• DICED CUCUMBER

• MICROGREENS

• SLICED RADISHES

• ARTICHOKE HEARTS

• PEPPERONCINI

• CHOPPED CAULIFLOWER

• THINLY SLICED RED ONION

• SLICED GREEN ONIONS

• FRESH CILANTRO/ITALIAN PARSLEY/BASIL, CHOPPED

• LEMON JUICE

• EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

• SALT & PEPPER

• SLICED JALAPEÑOS

1. Cook the grain you selected according to package directions (unless omitting). Allow to cool to room temperature.

2. Place all sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor fitted with a chopping blade. Blend/process on high speed until desired consistency (I prefer it a tad on the “chunky” side).

3. Prepare the greens and other toppings. There is no hard & fast rule to this – go with your favorite textures & flavors! I prefer my ingredients to be more finely chopped, giving it a “chopped salad” mouth feel, but you may enjoy a chunkier texture.

4. Divide the greens, grains, sauce, then your toppings, among 4 separate bowls. Enjoy right away, or store in airtight glass containers. Will last 4-5 days in the refrigerator, depending on ingredient freshness.

did you make this recipe?

How’d it go? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Homemade Trail Mix Recipe Without All The Processed Ingredients

Easy Healthy Recipe for Summer Time

Maybe it sounds really simple to you, a DIY Trail Mix.

What’s the big deal? Throw in some nuts, raisins, M&Ms - VOILA!

Or, buy it off the shelf! Trail Mix is a health food, right?

But I’m here to tell you two things about your Trail Mix…

1. the ingredients in the store-bought Trail Mix, are toxic, and …

2. I would bet good money that there are at least two ingredients in your store-bought mix that you don’t like. (amiright?)

What a waste!!

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The weather is warming up, and we are getting into more enjoyable hiking & camping weather, here in the northwest.

I effing LOVE this time of year.

And what better staple to have on hand than your tried-and-true Trail Mix. It’s satisfying, lightweight, high fat, high protein, and checks all the flavor and texture boxes. Plus, it has the ability to be PACKED with nutrients.

All of these factors make Trail mix the ultimate “health food” for hiking, right?

But can we really call it a “healthy” choice if it is laden with toxic oils, sweeteners (yes, sweeteners), and they’ve stripped it of nutrients?

Making your own Trail Mix is easy. The struggle comes with choosing quality ingredients.

Most folks (myself included, for a good portion of my life) have not taken the time to evaluate the quality, and operate under the common misnomer that “nuts and fruits can’t be bad for you.”

THE HARD TRUTH IS, THEY CAN BE BAD FOR YOU.

So I’m going to help guide you through it.

By the end of this article, you will have a Trail Mix that is loaded with digestible nutrients, free of toxins, and the best portable snack choice to keep around.

The two main ingredients in a fantastic Trail Mix?

Something SWEET, and something SALTY.

Easy enough…

The SWEET typically comes from dried fruit and chocolate, and there is no need to deprive yourself there.

The SALTY often comes from roasted nuts and seeds.

Let’s talk about the SWEET.

It’s commonly thought that dried fruit is a healthy snack. But what happens when conventional dried fruit is made?

1. It gets sweeter - When fruit is dried, the fruit’s sugar is concentrated by way of making the actual fibrous tissue smaller, keeping the sugar content the same. Say you typically consume a handful of blueberries in one sitting, and that handful consists of about 20 berries. Now, say you take a handful of dried blueberries, now counting to 60 berries… That is a LOT of sugar in one sitting.

2. It gets coated in oil - yep, food manufacturers use oil (or corn starch, or more sugar) to coat the fruit after it’s dried, to prevent it from sticking. Very often, the oil used is a canola or vegetable oil, known to be incredibly toxic.

3. It gets (even more) sweetened - This one just BAFFLES me. Very often, MORE SUGARS are added to the already super-sweet dried fruit. Our culture has been conditioned to think that dried fruit is “healthy” candy. Unless you can find dried fruit that is not coated with toxic oils and sugars, I assure you dried fruit is not a health food.

Next time you are in the market, look at the ingredients on a bag of dried fruit. Should be just fruit, right? It rarely is.

Your best option is to make your own. But most people are not going to do that (and that’s okay - it’s the world we live in!).

If the best option works for you, then go get it, girl! Most of us need to come back to our “Good, Better, Best” mindset that I teach in the Kitchen Detox Workshop.

For many of us, the Better option is more suitable. Look for dried fruits that use better quality oils, like avocado, or coconut. And look for “unsweetened” on the label (then make sure they actually are unsweetened).

I also recommend choosing fruits that naturally contain less sugar, like tart cherries and cranberries.

Another option is to choose freeze-dried fruits, which are much more widely available than they used to be. They often don’t contain sweeteners or oils, but their texture can be ruined if any moisture gets in your Mix, so, use with caution.

Ooooh, and the SALTY?

Similar to dried fruits, it’s widely known that nuts & seeds are a staple of a healthful eating habit. Full of Omega 3s, fiber, & protein… They’re satiating, crunchy, and have a variety of flavors.

But did you know that, similar to dried fruit, many store bought, roasted nuts, are laden with the same types of toxic oils used to keep dried fruit from sticking: cottonseed oil, canola oil, vegetable oil…

A common method of roasting nuts is called oil roasting, wherein the nuts are soaked in a sodium chloride solution to remove the skins, then submerged in very hot (increasing the toxicity) oil. They’re basically deep fried.

As the nuts are packaged and stored, the oils continue to increase in rancidity and toxins.

SO, it’s pretty safe to say it’s a good idea to stay away from commercially roasted nuts. Dry roasted nuts are slightly less toxic.

Raw nuts have their own downfalls, too. They are much more rich in antioxidants, vitamin E, omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, fiber, minerals… raw nuts are a super food!

But they can be difficult to digest for some individuals, especially when we don’t chew them adequately. They contain something called phytic acid, which binds to the minerals in them, making those nutrients harder for humans to digest.

So what are our choices?

I do sometimes roast my own raw nuts, if I am looking for that lighter crunch factor. It’s fun to mess around with seasonings and make them my own.

But to do that properly can take some time - it’s not difficult, but oven roasting takes a few hours. Not everybody likes to take that time.

The better option is to purchase nuts that are sprouted.

Sprouting the nuts (although not all nuts/seeds can be sprouted) unbinds the phytic acid from important minerals, and allows them to be more easily digested by our human bodies.

👉👉READ MORE ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF SPROUTED FOODS

Sprouted nuts & seeds can be store-bought, or easily made at home from raw nuts & seeds. (this is a terrific guide to sprouting)

Now that we’ve got the ‘why’ sorted out, let’s dig into what you came here for!

MAKING THE ULTIMATE TRAIL MIX!

The ultimate Trail Mix, like everything else in my world of nutrition, is going to be up to YOU!

That’s the greatest part!

No more picking out the peanuts and raisins (my two least favorite components of a traditional mix). I also don’t like seeds in my trail mix because they’re more difficult to eat on the run when they are mixed with bigger components, like cashews or pecans. I prefer seeds for topping on salads, bowls, or smoothies.

Point is, YOU are driving the Trail Mix bus this time, my friend!

I say, take what you like, and RUN with it!

So what are the components of a GOOD Trail Mix?

The ratio of salty:sweet is the most important.

My personal preference is about a 4:1 mix of nuts/seeds:fruit.

For me, it’s more about the low-sweetness factor (I don’t prefer it).

For you, that might look more like a 3:1 or 2:1, or maybe you prefer an all nuts/seed mix with no sweet. That’s okay, too!

The first thing you need to figure out is how much Trail Mix to make to suit your needs. In my family, we eat about 3-6 servings a week. Since I am a huge advocate for batch cooking, I typically make a 7-8 cup batch, which lasts us 7-8 weeks. I store it in an airtight container in a dark, cool cabinet.

By that logic (I’m no math major), you could say to use 1 cup of a nut/seed/fruit ratio for every 3 servings you need. Play around with it, and find what works well for your family!

Once you figure that out, gather your ingredients in the ratio that you prefer, and let’s go!

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easy healthy trail mix recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 7 cups organic, raw, sprouted nuts (I like a mix of macadamia, cashew, pecans, walnuts, and a smaller bit of almonds)

• 1 cup dried, sour cherries

• flaked sea salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the cherries. Sprinkle with flaked sea salt, and mix. Since this is primarily where my sweet:salty ratio is coming from (raw nuts are not salted), you want to make sure biting into one of those salty cherries tastes just right!

2. Add the nuts!

3. Mix together until well incorporated (the large bowl helps prevent spills)

4. Pour into airtight container and store in a dark, cool place.

**If opting to flavor your nuts or sprout your own, you will need to make sure they are completely dehydrated prior to mixing, to ensure mold does not contaminate your mix.

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was this helpful?

What are your favorite Trail Mix components (or what components do you just dread in a store-bought mix)?

Share them with me and other readers in the comments below!

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