Trail Mix - Good Or Bad

[AvgGuy]

How bad is trail mix for you?

This mix has alot of salted peanuts, almonds, cashews and raisins. It also has some M&Ms which are of course bad. I know nuts can have a high fat content.

Is this ok for after or before a workout?

Im sure there are probably better things i could eat, but then again this isnt the worst now is it?

[AnnaD - TX]

Too much salt for my taste. I have learned to pass on trail mix too many added stuff to it, salt and sugar cant be good for the diet! But dont deprive yourself either.

[CliffStamp]

The biggest problems with nuts isn't the fat but the high anti-nutrient content. Peanuts for example are high in lectins which induce arteriosclerosis (buildup of plaque on the artery walls), many are also high in enzyme inhibitors, and strong mineral chelators.

The best way is to make your own trail miz by soaking the nuts, then dry roasting them at low temps. Traditionally this was done in the hot sun (so 100-125 F). You have to be careful with some nuts like walnuts because they are so high in PUFA they go rancid quite quickly if roasted at high temps and they will burn, at this point the oil has been significant degraded.

The excess refined salt you probably want to avoid, and things like M&M usually are high in trans fats to stabilize the candy at high temps.

Nuts when roasted last a long time, even if not refrigerated and most don't need to be refrigerated, so just make a large batch periodically.

-Cliff

[pbody]

Cliff- where can one find more information about roasting various types of nuts like you've described? Like how long to soak? What to soak in, plain water? Do you let them dry before roasting? What kind of temperatures and times for different kinds of nuts? etc.

I ask for more specifics because I've tried to roast peanuts a few times going by what you've posted before and they always end up with a strange fibrous texture. I might just be useless at roasting my nuts though

[AvgGuy]

Wow thanks for the feed back. I might try roasting some nuts at home.
Pretty soon I will be posting about www.AvgGuysRoastedNuts.com lol. No seriously I would like more info on roasting peanuts, and almonds.

[CliffStamp]

Nuts should be soaked in a mild salty solution (1 tsp sea salt / 2 cups of water), with enough liquid to cover the nuts. Let soak for 1-2 days, rinsing and changing the water every so often. Then put in the oven and dry out, at less than 150 F, until crisp.

-Cliff

[headhawg7]

Originally Posted by CliffStamp

Nuts should be soaked in a mild salty solution (1 tsp sea salt / 2 cups of water), with enough liquid to cover the nuts. Let soak for 1-2 days, rinsing and changing the water every so often. Then put in the oven and dry out, at less than 150 F, until crisp.

-Cliff

So this is ok with all nuts? I usually get the cans of mixed nuts. What about adding salt to the already salted nuts?

[CliffStamp]

To clearify you want to buy nuts in their close to raw state, processed and salted nuts have often been subjected to high roasting temperatures which while neutralizing the anti-nutrients also oxidizes the fats.

-Cliff