Taste-Off: The best (and worst) trail mix pouches — ranked

Filling the lunchbox with foods that will both please and nourish is a lofty and difficult goal. However, trail mix is an excellent snack solution. A tasty handful of real, unprocessed nuts, seeds, and fruit contains a variety of nutrients, including protein, fiber, and antioxidants.

Trail mix packets come in a variety of flavors, including chocolate, but for this taste test, we stuck with the non-meltable, completely nutritious nut and cranberry mixes. The majority of the versions we tried contained cashews or almonds, as well as a variety of other nuts and seeds.

While the specific fruits and nuts in these mixes are important, freshness is the most important factor. Despite the fact that every packet we tried was well within its use-by dates, nearly half of them were out of date.

The issue is that nuts contain a lot of fat that goes rancid quickly. If stored in a cool, dark place, they have a shelf life of 6 to 12 months. Rancid nuts not only taste bad, but they may also be harmful to your health. Because many manufacturers base “use-by” dates on a 2-year shelf life, the first trick to finding good trail mix is to look for packages with the most recent dates, ideally 12 to 18 months in the future. The second tip is to keep pouches fresh by storing them in the refrigerator or freezer.

A great trail mix has a satisfying balance of ingredients and each component is completely fresh. Stale nuts and over-dried fruit characterize bad trail mix, and the worst of it tastes rancid or moldy.

Here’s the skinny on the best-tasting trail mix pouches to buy at your local market, as well as the packs that will make your kids think they hate nuts. The nutrition information is for a single pouch weighing between 0.7 and 1.5 ounces.

Trader Joe’s Just a Handful of Almonds, Cranberries & Cashews

Every ingredient in these packets is fresh, and there are plenty of toasty nuts. This is how trail mix should be. 210 calories, 14 grams of fat, 65 milligrams of sodium, 3 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein. Ten 1.5-ounce packs cost $6.49. (4 stars)

Planters NUT-rition Heart Healthy Mix

This salty mixture of peanuts, almonds, pistachios, pecans, and walnuts is simply delicious. Each nut is crunchy, fresh, lightly salted, and toasty. 190 calories, 17 grams of fat, 40 milligrams of sodium, 3 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 6 grams of protein. Walmart charges $6.28 for seven 1-ounce packs. (4 stars)

Good & Gather Cashew Almond Cranberry Trail Mix

While the cranberries dominate this mix, the nuts are so fresh that they retain their natural sweetness. 140 calories, 9 grams of fat, no sodium, 2 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein. Target charges $8.29 for ten 1-ounce packs. (3 stars)

Emerald 100 Calorie Packs

Although the nuts in these little packs are fresh, some people may be put off by the mysterious white powder that coats the cranberries. It appears to be mold, but it is actually potato starch. 100 calories, 6 grams of fat, 25 milligrams of sodium, 1 gram of fiber, 6 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein. Walmart charges $5.88 for ten 0.7-ounce packs. (2½ stars)

Raley’s Cold Waterfalls Trail Mix

Inside these see-through pouches is a fair distribution of relatively fresh fruit, seeds, and nuts, but the mix is heavily salted. 230 calories, 14 grams of fat, 135 milligrams of sodium, 3 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 7 grams of protein. Seven 1.5-ounce packs cost $7.99. (2 stars)

365 Cape Cod Trail Mix

This is a poor choice because it contains old almonds and even older cashews that have lost most of their flavor, especially since the “best before” date is still six months away. 230 calories, 17 grams of fat, 45 milligrams of sodium, 3 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 6 grams of protein. Whole Foods charges $8.39 for ten 1.5-ounce packs. (1½ stars)

Nature’s Garden Organic Cranberry Health Mix

This mixture’s plump raisins and fresh seeds cannot compensate for the spoiled walnuts and almonds. The label is also deceptive, as the primary fruit is raisins rather than cranberries. 170 calories, 12 grams of fat, no sodium, 2 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein. Costco charges $32.99 for a 2-pack of 24 1.2 ounces (note that the package includes three varieties, each with a different set of ingredients). (1 star)

Great Value Omega-3 Trail Mix

Don’t even think about it! The decades-old nuts in this mix taste like a failed food science experiment. 240 calories, 19 grams of fat, no sodium, 3 grams of fiber, and 8 grams of protein. Eight 1.5-ounce packs cost $8.38. Walmart. (There are no stars.)