February is a pretty special month – everything about it rings of hearts and health – February is American Heart Month, and we’re celebrating Valentines Day on February 14th, and National Almond Day on February 16th. Starting tomorrow through next Saturday, a group of healthy food bloggers and I will be kicking off a week long event packed with Gluten Free Heart Healthy Recipes. In the meanwhile, I want to share another recipe using heart-healthy almonds. A few weeks ago, I posted a recipe for Cocoa Dusted Dark Chocolate Coated Almonds that has become hugely popular. Today, I present another treat made with a combination of almonds and dark chocolate.
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Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and hearts are all around, so why not treat your sweetheart to a heart healthy snack. This Dark Chocolate Almond Cranberry Trail Mix is deceptively decadent with melted dark chocolate drizzled all over. Keep a stash of this trail mix in the car or in your office drawer to stave off afternoon hunger pangs, and be sure to pack a few extra in your sweetheart’s bag too.
Not only is this healthy snack packed with protein and fiber, but it’s also cholesterol free. Protein and fiber packed almonds, fiber rich dried cranberries, popcorn, and whole grain cereal, as well as antioxidant rich dark chocolate make this snack mix the ultimate trail mix. Since nuts and chocolate are relatively high in fat, I added popcorn and cereal to bulk up this trail mix to satisfy your craving for something to munch on mid-afternoon, while keeping calories and fat in check.
Now for some fun facts about almonds:
- When compared ounce for ounce, almonds are the tree nut highest in protein, fiber, calcium (75mg in one serving), vitamin E (35% DV), riboflavin and niacin.
- Almonds are naturally gluten-free, cholesterol-free and low in saturated fat.
- The ideal daily portion of almonds recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans ~ 23 almonds, the size of a 3″x3″ sticky note.
- The United States is the leading producer of almonds, with California producing 80% of the world’s almonds.
- In India, almonds are considered a prized “brain food” for children.
The American Heart Association (AHA) has certified almonds to display the Heart-Check mark for heart-healthy foods to help consumers easily identify heart-healthy foods like almonds and help take the guess work out of shopping.
And now for the fun – the GIVEAWAY! The Almond Board of California is providing a fantastic selection of almonds and this cute tote bag for me to giveaway to one of my readers. There are multiple ways to enter.
See what the Almond Board of California is up to on Facebook and twitter.
Heart Healthy Dark Chocolate Almond Cranberry Trail Mix
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 2 cups air popped corn
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup whole grain cereal I used Puffin Cinnamon Cereal
- 50 grams dark chocolate I used 1/2 of a 3.5 ounce bar of 85% cocoa extra dark chocolate
Instructions
Roast Almonds
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Spread almonds on an ungreased baking pan. Place in 350ºF oven and bake 7-9 or until golden brown and fragrant, stirring once or twice during baking time to ensure even browning. Almonds will continue to roast slightly after removing from oven.
Trail Mix
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Break chocolate into pieces and place in a small microwavable bowl. Heat for one minute. Stir and heat another minute. If chocolate is still not melted, heat another minute.
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In a large bowl, toss together roasted almonds, popped corn, cranberries and cereal. Drizzle melted chocolate on top. Let cool until chocolate hardens.
Recipe Notes
One serving has 232 calories, 10 grams fat, 1.9 grams saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 25.7 mg sodium, 5.9 grams fiber, 2.1 grams sugar, 4.2 grams protein.
Disclosure: The Almond Board of California sent me a nice assortment of almond products to play around with and one winner will receive the same.
Whole Wheat Buttermilk Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Fresh Strawberry Sauce Recipe
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I make almond bars.. almonds, coconut, dried blueberries, mini chocolate chips, salt and maple syrup.
I love almonds any way! Roasted plain, in baked goods, on fish… so yummy! 🙂
I love to eat almonds plain, in granola, and in baked goods
Roasted and lightly salted!
I love almonds and Chocolate!
Yum! I prefer to eat almonds with chocolate; actually, I prefer to eat anything with chocolate. 😉 Naturally, I love this recipe!
I love to make fresh almond milk.
I love to make almond butter, homemade bars, and trail mix, oh and of course by the handful
I love raw almonds. My favorite snack.
Roasted & salted or chocolate-covered! 🙂
As a snack…#2 as a topping for Blitz Torte layers
I love using almond flour for baked goods.
I love almonds raw and dark chocolate covered. I get too carried away with dark chocolate ones and can only have them in the house once in a while.
Straight into my mouth. Love almonds as a snack.
I love almonds! I especially like to make my own almond butter.
Almonds are one of mine and my kids favorite snacks, if I had to pick just one it would be plain ol’ roasted & salted almonds. I keep some in my car at all times for almond emergencies! 😉
I love almonds with green beans…so tasty! 🙂
I enjoy making homemade almond butter for friends and family! So almonds in nut butter form is definitely my favorite way to eat them 😀
I like almonds along with some dried cherries
I love eating almonds soaked in overnight oatmeal!
I love soaking almonds in overnight oatmeal!
My favorite way to eat almonds is stuffed inside a date !
Plain roasted as a snack in the afternoon with fresh or dried fruit.
I like plain old raw or roasted almonds. Although, I found some salt and vinegar almonds at Sprouts this weekend and purchased some for my husband as he loves salt and vinegar chips. He said they are delicious!
I love roasted almonds in all sort of flavors, and almond butter!
roasted with salt–for when I’m dehydrated!
I love adding chopped, toasted almonds to seasoned basmati rice.
Raw or covered in chocolate!!
I like eating almond butter on an apple as a yummy snack
I love slivered almonds on my oatmeal every morning.
Homemade almond butter!!
I love almonds any way! Such a great healthy snack.
I like to eat those cocoa almonds as a snack at work.
Great recipe. This one would go over well with my kids! I eat almonds in every way, every day…ground, whole, toasted, raw. They are a staple.
Dark chocolate covered almonds are my favorite food on the planet. This trail mix looks fantastic, and I can’t wait to try it!
So Decadent–love it!
On top of ice cream!
Love to have a handful of almonds as a snack, also I put them in my trail mix snack I make for hiking. Thanks for the giveaway.
What’s your favorite way to eat almonds? Any way possible………..love them!
Yum-O!!! Love these recipes!!! I love almonds as a nice evening snack with the kids
I eat them raw, out of the bag.
I like roasted unsalted almonds.
Chocolate covered almonds.
I like to eat chocolate covered almonds most…but I normally just eat them raw!
I like them in salads
i can’t get enough almond butter!!
Does almond milk count? We enjoy it in our smoothies every day! Such a great sweet flavor, even when unsweetened! 🙂
My favorite way to eat almonds? In my mouth! 😉 That’s because I love all almonds. They are fun to mix with different spices. I love taking raw almonds and playing. One of my favorites though would be to dribble SF Brown Sugar Torani and SF Cinnamon Torani over raw sliced almonds and roasting. Yumm.
Roasted almonds! I try to make them as light as possible, and a little sprinkling of yumminess goes a long way!
I love almonds so much that I will eat them any way, by themselves or as a baked good. I have even had them fried, in Spain. Yum!
Right out of the bag
I love putting sliced almonds in my oatmeal!
i love xmas, so i can get them still in the shell & crack them open myself.
With chocolate! Which frankly is the way I like to eat most things. 😉
I like them with different spices on them like you can buy in the store in bags
I sliver them up and have them on vegetables, like green beans.
I love to just munch on them, though I did just see a recipe for cinnamon almonds I would love to try yum
I love to it almonds as a snack.
I love almond in granola!
I like eating them plain. Just whole almonds, unsalted.
I love almonds in salad or ground up in date/nut bars.
#1 – Almond butter
#2 – Almond joy chocolate bars
#3 – Almond joy chocolate bar smothered with almond butter. YUM!
I love almonds – I roast them with olive oil and rosemary and a little sea salt.
I will definitely make this snack but will use Rice Chex or something similar to avoid wheat.
Almonds just by themselves are already really yum. A few macarons or Chinese almond cookies made with the almond flour as well.