Cashews: $0.43/oz (This explains why there are so few cashews in the mix!)
Pre-made Trail Mix Prices per ounce
The price of the pre-packaged trail mix goes like this:
10 ounces raisins: $1.40
7 ounces peanuts: $0.84
6 ounces M&Ms: $1.62 (the priciest ingredient)
3.5 ounces almonds: $1.22
1 ounce cashews: $0.43
Cost Results
The DIY version adds up to $5.51.
And a bag of the pre-mixed trail mix costs $4.89!
So, the pre-made trail mix is actually cheaper than making your own.
Who knew??
Of course, there are ways that you could make this mix more cheaply.
M&Ms are not a great price at Aldi (this is true of most brand name products at Aldi); by buying seasonal ones after a holiday, you could easily cut the price of the M&Ms by more than half.
You could use chocolate chips instead of M&Ms, since they’re far cheaper per ounce.
You could opt to make your mix without cashews, since they’re the most expensive per ounce.
You could buy nuts from Costco and probably get a lower price on something like bulk almonds.
But the point of this post is: if you are buying all the ingredients at Aldi, it’s actually cheaper to buy this particular mix ready-made.
If you’d like to try making your own, though, here are the cup measurements of what was in the Aldi bag.
Yield: 5 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cups peanuts
1/2 cup M&Ms
1/2 cup almonds
1/3 cup cashews
Instructions
Mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
This makes an exact replica of Aldi's Mountain trail mix. If you can get M&Ms cheaply, or if you use chocolate chips, this is cheaper to DIY. But if you buy all the ingredients at Aldi, it's cheaper to buy the premade mix!
Homemade Chex Mix is cheaper AND better tasting than anything you can buy at the store. Does homemade Chex Mix need to be refrigerated? You can store homemade Chex Mix at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
The least expensive 50% of trail mix costs between $1.25 and $2.75 per pound, as these, depict the minimum point and the median (50% of data), of the given box-whisker plot. The least 4 pounds of trail mix can cost $6.00, at the minimum rate shown in the box-whisker plot by its starting point of $1.25 per pound.
Making your own trail mix at home can also allow you to control its contents and maximize its potential health benefits. Healthy ingredients include almonds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, popcorn, and dark chocolate.
Store trail mix in an airtight container or reusable zip top bag in the pantry. How long does homemade trail mix last? We recommend storing trail mix for about one month. Nuts might start to go rancid after that point.
Cost. Store bought food is usually cheaper than homemade food. For those on a tight budget, this can be an important factor when deciding between the two options. However, it's important to note that the cost of store bought food can add up quickly, so it's still wise to shop around for the best deal.
Make Ahead Instructions: Chex mix tastes freshest when served within 2-3 days of making it, but it will last stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Freezing Instructions: Chex mix freezes great! Store in freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months.
Added sugars: Look out for ingredients such as added sugar (not natural sugar), high-fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners. Unhealthy fats: Some store-bought trail mixes may contain hydrogenated oils, trans fats or high amounts of saturated fats, which can increase the risk of heart disease.
The typical serving size for trail mix is around one-fourth of a cup. To ensure you're not overeating, Krautkramer recommends using a measuring cup or food scale. If you want a more substantial snack, you could add a low-sugar cereal such as Cheerios or some air-popped popcorn, she says.
Among dried fruits, apricots lead the way in beta-carotene, an antioxidant linked to improved brain functioning and a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Also, our bodies can convert beta-carotene into vitamin A which is used to bolster bone and immune health.
Trail mix is a useful survival food because it combines many nutritious ingredients. Dried fruits are terrific sources of calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, and potassium. Nuts are rich in fiber, low in saturated fats, and high in protein.
It's salty, crunchy, and everyone has a favorite item– the perfect party snack! But sadly, what makes it taste so good also makes Chex Mix not the healthiest option. It's full of refined grains, sugar, and tons of sodium.
While raisins are the most popular trail mix fruit, you can try banana chips, apple chips, dried apricots, dried nectarines, dried cranberries, dried strawberries, dried raspberries and more. Chocolate – Don't forget a few bits of chocolate for a quick boost of energy.
Some varieties contain unhealthy ingredients like chocolate, sugar-coated candy or cereal, and salted, oil-roasted nuts that increase the calorie, sugar, and sodium content of each serving. An excess in these can cause weight gain and contribute to heart diseases, cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
The second tip is to slow spoilage by storing pouches in the fridge or freezer to retain their freshness. Great trail mix has a satisfying balance of ingredients, and every element is utterly fresh. Bad trail mix has stale nuts and over-dried fruit, and the worst of them taste rancid or moldy.
How Do You Keep Chex Mix From Getting Soggy? To avoid soggy Chex mix, make sure to toss the ingredients well with the butter mixture and spread out on a large pan. Keeping toasting in the oven and tossing until the Chex mix is well-coated and dry. It will further dry out as it cools.
One standard-size (12-ounce) box of Rice Chex cereal contains about 11 cups of cereal. Save yourself the hassle of measuring out 9 cups and dump the entire box into your largest bowl.
13) Chex Mix: Fewer calories and the same amount of sodium as Doritos and Fritos, but more carbohydrates. Plus, nobody likes every single item in the mix (the rye chips, in particular, can be as divisive as broccoli).
The traditional Chex Mix is healthy in moderate amounts. The cheese in the Cheddar Chex Mix adds to the proteins in this mix, so it's healthy to eat. But due to the high sodium levels, it's recommended to eat up to a healthy amount only.
Introduction: My name is Merrill Bechtelar CPA, I am a clean, agreeable, glorious, magnificent, witty, enchanting, comfortable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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