A health food market near where I live sells a large variety of dried fruits and nuts that come in clear, cylindrical plastic containers. These make easy, packable snacks for the work day.

Sometimes I get a little creative and crazy and I invent fruit and nut mixes that tantalize the senses!

Last time I was at the market I grabbed some walnuts for some nice omega-3’s, some pepitas for that smooth texture that I like and a bunch of mixed berries to add some intense sweet and tart flavor. The berries in the mix pictured above are golden raisins, dried cranberries and dried cherries.

What’s Good About This Snack?

• It’s easy.
• Walnuts are a good source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
• It’s very colorful - check out the photo above.
• The World’s Healthiest Foods web site tells us, "Snack on a quarter-cup of pumpkin seeds [pepitas] and you will receive 46.1% of the daily value for magnesium, 28.7% of the DV for iron, 52.0% of the DV for manganese, 24.0% of the DV for copper, 16.9% of the DV for protein, and 17.1% of the DV for zinc." Pepitas may also promote prostate health, protect men’s bones, and lower cholesterol.
• It’s fun to make your own mixes.
• Dried cherries may cure jet lag and have antioxidants that can help reduce the risk of a heart attack.
• Cranberries have too many health benefits to list here. Check out this page on the health benefits of cranberries on The World’s Healthiest Foods site.

One note of caution: you may want to avoid golden raisins as they are a dried fruit that is often treated with the preservative sulfur dioxide to maintain their light color and inhibit bacterial growth.

6 Steps To Health And Happiness:

1. Go to the store
2. Buy a container each of walnuts, pepitas and a berry mix, or three other ingredients that look good to you
3. When you get home, put ‘em on the counter in your kitchen, next to the ziplock bags
4. In the morning, throw a double portion mix into a ziplock bag, like in the photo below
5. Zip it up and toss it into your bag, briefcase or satchel
6. Enjoy at work - eat half the bag at 11:00am and the other half at 3:30pm. You’re healthy and happy!

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