A sweet and savory trail mix that is kidney friendly
Nuts and granola out? Try this renal-friendly snack mix for game days or a hike on the trail.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Graham Cereal Cascadian Farms has 105 mg of sodium/serv versus 220 mg in Golden Grahams. It would be worth an extra $0.50-1.00 to go with the Cascadian Farms brand.
- 5 cups Rice Chex
- 10 oz 1 box Teddy Grahams snack cookies (Cinnamon Teddy Grahams can also be used.)
- 6 oz Pretzels Check your labels. The salt content of pretzels can vary widely from 60 mg in unsalted pretzels to 400+ mg in some varieties.
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter Can do less (1/3 cup if you like. Healthier fats like olive oil or canola oil could be used, but flavor will be different.)
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
- 5 oz Dried Cranberries
- 3 oz Dried Apples The Granny Smith Crispy Apple Chips are best for this because of their tartness, but we couldn't find them so we just go an unsalted variety of apple crisps. The freeze-dried ones work well because they are crispy as compared to regular dried apples.
- 2 cups opt Apple Straws (There is not potassium or phosphorus analysis on this product, but sodium wise they roll in at about 75mg per oz (very reasonable). I thought they added a fun flavor to the mix.)
Instructions
- Combine graham cereal, Rice Chex®, Teddy Grahams®, Apple Straws® (opt) and pretzels in a large bowl.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan; add brown sugar, honey and maple syrup. Cook over low heat until sugar is melted.
- Pour over cereal mixture and mix well until all pieces are coated.
- Preheat oven to 325° F.
- Prepare 3 jelly roll pans by lining with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with cooking spray. (Can be done in 3 batches). Spread cereal mixture evenly over pans. Bake at 325° F for 20 minutes; stirring once halfway though.
- Mix cranberries and Apple Chips; divide evenly among pans and stir.
- Bake 5 more minutes; cool completely and store in an airtight container.
Notes
Potassium: 60 mgs * This is a sweet dish and should be used in moderation if you are diabetic.
** Cut back on sodium further by using unsalted pretzels.
Nutrition
KidneyGrub Verdict:
More than once, patients have asked me for a trail mix recipe, or something to munch on. This is a nice “trail mix.” The flavors are fun and it is nice and crispy. When the mix bakes in the oven it gets a fantastic “caramelized” flavor which I loved. Going to a party and tired of always being the one bringing Skinny Pop®? This is a fun snack mix that almost everyone can enjoy. For me it was a little sweeter than I would have liked. Next time I make it I will probably try cutting the honey, sugar, and maple syrup back a little bit OR just add about half the glaze to the mix. I also, think a dash of spice like cinnamon, ginger, or cloves would have been a nice touch. Overall, it gets my stamp of approval, especially considering the potassium, phos, and sodium content are renal friendly. Note: this can be even less sodium if you use low sodium pretzels.
Photo Credits: Rebecca Barksdale (She does incredible work, don’t you think? First time for us doing a “drizzle picture” and I was impressed!)
Recipe Analysis Credit: Jessianna Saville, MS, RDN, CSR, LD
Recipe modified from Davita Honey-Maple Trail Mix