Dietitian’s Favorite High-Fiber Trader Joe’s Snack Combo

Trader Joe’s is the holy grail of fun, tasty snacks, but they’re not all one and the same when it comes to nutrition. Certain snacks can help you make a meaningful dent in your daily fiber needs and keep you energized between meals. Particularly if your meals are more than five hours apart, snacks can also keep you satisfied so you’re not ravenously hungry for dinner.

Some snacks are better than others when it comes to overall health and satiety. And with an overwhelming amount of options to choose from at TJ’s, it can be hard to decide what’ll satisfy both your taste buds and your tummy. Enter: Simply Almonds, Cashews & Chocolate Trek Mix and Freeze Dried Raspberries. You can stash this nut, fruit and chocolate combo in a desk drawer or in your daily carry bag for a satisfying, fiber-rich snack whenever you need it. Plus, it’s perfect when you want something sweet without a ton of added sugars!

Why Simply Almonds, Cashews & Chocolate Trek Mix with Freeze-Dried Raspberries Is Such a Great Snack Combo

It’s Loaded with Fiber

One serving of Trader Joe’s Simply Almonds, Cashews & Chocolate Trek Mix has 3 grams of fiber, or 11% of the Daily Value. By pairing it with a serving of Freeze Dried Raspberries, you’ll get 15 extra grams. That’s right—this 280-calorie snack combo provides 18 grams, or 64% of the DV, of fiber.

Fiber helps with everything from constipation to high cholesterol to diabetes. It also helps you feel full. Alarmingly, only 7% of Americans eat the recommended 25 to 34 grams of fiber per day. Snacks like this one can go a long way in helping you achieve your daily fiber goal.

That said, if you have a digestive condition that makes your body sensitive to fiber, consider eating a half-serving of the raspberries to prevent unpleasant bloating, gas or diarrhea.

It Has Balanced Macronutrients

A balanced blend of carbs, protein and fat is key to a satisfying snack that’ll keep you energized until your next meal, and this snack combo fits the bill. Between the trek mix and raspberries, you’ll get 13.5 grams of fat, 7 grams of protein and 39 grams of carbs. The carbs give your brain and body energy, while the protein and fat help you stay fuller longer. Together, they make for a nourishing and energizing snack.

If you’re trying to manage blood sugars, you may want to have just a half-serving of the raspberries to reduce the carb content. You’ll still have a balanced, high-fiber snack, but it’ll have about 25 grams of carbs instead of 39 grams.

It Provides Heart-Healthy Fats

This snack has 13.5 grams of fat, and only 2.5 of those grams are saturated fats (aka “unhealthy” fats). The remaining 11 grams of fat are unsaturated, or “heart-healthy,” fats. Most of these healthy fats come from the cashews and almonds in the trek mix, which are rich in monounsaturated fats. This type of fat helps lower LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol levels to prevent heart disease and stroke. In fact, eating almonds may help reduce chronic inflammation, lower blood pressure and improve blood sugar control for better overall cardiovascular health.

It’s Great When You Want Something Sweet

If you find yourself reaching for a candy bar to beat the afternoon slump, this snack is for you. You’ll find tasty chunks of chocolate among the cashews and almonds to satisfy your sweet tooth—yum! However, you’ll only get 6 grams of added sugar per serving. The raspberries also add a sweet-and-tart flavor sure to satisfy. Plus, the protein and fiber from the nuts and raspberries will keep you fuller longer than candy alone.

It’s Easy to Take on the Go

Wherever your day may take you, this snack combo is easy to bring along for the ride. The trek mix and raspberries both come in resealable bags and they don’t have to be refrigerated. So throw them in your gym bag, purse, backpack or tote for convenient snacking wherever you go.

Other Tips for Healthy Snacking

Let’s be real—eating the same snack combo will get old pretty quickly. Variety is the spice of life, after all. These tips can help you put together more snacks that are satisfying and health-promoting.

• Aim for at least 3 grams of fiber. Three grams of fiber is about 10% of the DV, so it’s a good goal for snacks. If you can add more, even better!
• Focus on whole plant foods. Whole plant foods like beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits and veggies work well as snacks and are linked with a plethora of health benefits. Plus, making these go-to snacks can help you reach your fiber goals more consistently.
• Make sure to include protein. Protein helps you stay fuller longer. So if you notice that your snacks aren’t keeping you full for very long, try adding protein. Some snackable proteins include roasted chickpeas, Greek yogurt, nuts and hard-boiled eggs.
• Don’t wait until you’re “hangry” to eat. If you wait to eat until you’re hungry and irritable, it’s much harder to prepare something nutritious, and it’s more likely you’ll end up overeating. Weaving snacks into your day can help prevent ravenous hunger.

Our Expert Take

Well-rounded snacks can help you reach your nutrition goals, maintain your energy throughout the day, and prevent ravenous hunger. So next time you’re at Trader Joe’s, pick up a bag of their Simply Almonds, Cashews & Chocolate Trek Mix and a bag of Freeze Dried Raspberries. When paired together, they have a balanced blend of carbs, protein and fats, plus 64% of the DV for fiber! This snack combo is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you satisfied until it’s time for your next meal.