Cheap DIY Trail Mix: Low Waste, Lunchbox-Friendly, 100% Customisable

Make a cheap DIY trail mix that is 100% customisable to your pantry or what’s on sale. Quick & easy. Make it healthy. Make it for kids or adults.

Looking for an easy way to satisfy hungry kids (or adults)?

Trail mix is an easy, infinitely variable and very portable snack that you can slip into a purse or school bag (see nut-free ideas) for a high-energy snack.

When the kids were younger, trail mix was great to have on hand when we were out and the munchies hit.

Now that they are teenagers, it’s even more useful to have snacks ready for them. And thanks to their Scouting adventures and many hikes, they’ve become quite the connoisseur of trail mix, so some of these variations are thanks to my kids’ input.

Why Make Your Own Trail Mix

You can buy cute little packets of trail mix from the supermarket, but I find they are full of apricots and peel, which I find… unappealing.

When you whip up a batch of homemade trail mix, you can put whatever you like in the mix, whether that’s fruit-free, nut-free, or grain-free.

Trail mix is also good for using up what you have on hand before it goes stale, especially half-used packets of fruit, nuts, and seeds. So it’s great for reducing waste.

And when you use what you have on hand, you’re also saving money – snacks for ‘free’ from the pantry instead of buying more.

The picture above is a great example: a friend gave me some dried mulberries that I wasn’t really sure what to do with, so I put them in a trail mix. Super cute, right?

The Basic Trail Mix Ratio

Not going to lie, I just eyeball my trail mix. Generally, more nuts and crackers than fruit and chocolate (if I’m adding). You know, to seem kind of healthy.

That’s the great thing about customisable recipes. You can just make it how you like.

However, if you’re looking for a vague ratio to get started, here’s a rough guide:

3 parts nuts, seeds, and grains + 1 part fruit + extras

So, if you have 3 cups of nuts, use 1 cup of dried fruit.

Or 3 cups of nuts and pretzels combined, then 1 cup of fruit.

You don’t have to stick to that ratio. Maybe you prefer to keep dried fruit to a minimum. Just reduce the amount. Or leave it out altogether!

It’s a totally flexible recipe.

Trail Mix Ingredients

There are sooo many different things you can add to trail mix. Basically, anything that is shelf-stable. After all, it’s meant to be a snack for when you’re out hiking.

Pick and choose the ingredients that best suit your tastes, budget, what’s on sale, and what you have on hand.

Nuts

Leave these out if your school has a nut-free policy. The healthiest nuts are raw, unsalted, and free of additives like oil or sugar. If you prefer salted, go for it. Salted nuts will, however, make you feel thirstier.

• Cashews
• Almonds
• Peanuts
• Walnuts
• Pistachios
• Macadamias
• Pecans

Seeds

Seeds can be a great alternative to nuts if you have a nut allergy.

• Pumpkin seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Shredded Coconut (great for a tropical flavour)

Dried Fruit

Sugar is concentrated in dried fruit, so a little goes a long way. Look for dried fruit with no added sugar. There is a wide variety of dried fruits available. Here are just a few ideas:

• Banana chips
• Freeze-dried berries
• Sultanas/Raisins
• Cranberries
• Diced dried apricots
• Dried apple
• Diced dried mango
• Dried pineapple chunks
• And, of course, peel if you like it

Grains

• Whole grain Cereal/muesli/granola
• Flaked grains like corn flakes or quinoa flakes
• Pretzels
• Small wholemeal crackers
• Popcorn
• Puffed rice
• Nutrigrain

Optional Healthy Extras

Some fun optional additions. Just add a little:

• Soy straws
• Vege Chips
• Edamame
• Dried peas
• Cinnamon
• Curry powder
• Dehydrated vegetables

Optional Sweet-Treat Extras

Because salty-sweet combo tastes amazing. Add to popcorn, pretzels, nuts, and cereals, not so much curried edamame.

• Dark Choc chips/carob buds/cocoa nibs
• Mini marshmallows
• Yoghurt-covered raisins
• M&Ms or Smarties

Depending on what you put in your trail mix, it also makes a nice yoghurt topper. In the picture below, I used up the leftover bits on plain yoghurt with some berries for extra deliciousness.

Tips for Saving Money on Trail Mix Ingredients

Store-bought trail mix starts at around $AU20 per kilo (2025). Depending on what ingredients you use, DIY trail mix isn’t a heap cheaper, but there are ways to bring the cost down.

To save money on ingredients, you can buy them cheaply in bulk from Aldi.

Alternatively, keep an eye on supermarket catalogue specials and stock up when ingredients go half price. But check the homebrand ingredients first, because they might be even cheaper.

Bulking the nuts up with pretzels or other grains will bring the cost down.

And, if you prefer to go no-plastic, you can get all the ingredients you need from the bulk bins at Coles or a bulk-food store.

By using what you already have and supplementing it with sales items, you can create a trail mix customised to how you like it and cheaper than the supermarket variety.

Further Reading: 6 Things to Do on Sunday to Start the Week off Right

Serving Sizes

Nuts and dried fruit are high-energy foods, so unless you’re actually out hiking, a little goes a long way.

About a quarter cup – roughly a small handful – is plenty for one snack.

Pre-measuring a few portions ahead of time makes it easier to stick to that amount and gives you grab-and-go snacks for busy days.

Storing and Packing Ideas

Trail mix is best stored in an airtight container, such as a jar, lunch container, or zip-lock bag.

For packing, we have small containers that fit in the kids’ lunch boxes, making a perfect snack size.

A convenient waste-free alternative is reusable silicone or fabric snack bags.

Further Reading: Make Packing a Healthy Lunch Easy.

Putting together your own trail mix is cheaper, cuts down on waste, and lets you tailor it to whatever you’ve got in the pantry.

Mix a batch, portion it out, and you’re sorted for school snacks, work snacks, those 3 pm “need something now” moments, and even weekend hikes through the bush.

Looking for more snack ideas?