Freeze-Dried Berry and Seed Snack Mix
Freeze-dried strawberries and blueberries cut with pumpkin and sunflower seeds. No nuts, no melt.
- calories
- 380
- weight
- 2.6 oz
- cal / oz
- 146
- protein
- 13 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 0 min
- total time
- 5 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Snack
- No cook
- Backpacking
- Thru-hike
- Day hike
- Bikepacking
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Eat in the bag
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Freeze-dried strawberry slices | 1/2 cup | |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze-dried blueberries | 1/4 cup | |
| Pumpkin seeds | 1/4 cup | raw or roasted, unsalted |
| Sunflower seeds | 2 tbsp | |
| Salt | 1/4 tsp | |
| Cinnamon | 1/4 tsp | optional |
Method
- At home, tip the seeds, salt, and cinnamon into a quart freezer bag and shake so the salt coats the seeds.
- Add the freeze-dried fruit last and roll the bag closed with as little air inside as you can manage.
- On trail, eat straight from the bag. Do not shake it around first or the strawberries turn to dust at the bottom.
Freeze-dried fruit is the lightest sweet thing you can carry, but it is almost pure sugar and it disappears fast. The seeds are what make this a snack instead of candy: fat and protein that slow the whole thing down, plus something to actually chew. The salt matters more than it looks like it should, because six hours of walking leaves you wanting salt more than sugar.
Seeds instead of nuts is a deliberate choice. Pumpkin and sunflower seeds hold up in a hot pack better than most nuts, cost less per ounce, and keep the bag safe for anyone with a nut allergy sharing snacks at a break. Nothing here needs water, a stove, or a bowl.
Packing
One bag per day, sealed hard. Freeze-dried fruit pulls moisture out of the air faster than anything else in your food bag, so a bag that has been opened and left open all afternoon will be limp by evening. Squeeze the air out each time.
Variations
- Swap the blueberries for freeze-dried mango or apple if you want more sugar per ounce.
- Add a tablespoon of chocolate chips in cold weather. In heat they coat everything.
- Crush the whole bag on purpose and stir it into morning oats.
https://motherearthproducts.com/collections/snacking