A good healthy snack box is about 60% nuts, 25% seeds and 15% dried fruit. Nuts give it substance, seeds add crunch and fibre, and a little dried fruit keeps you coming back to it. Get the ratio wrong and you end up with a tub that is too heavy, too dusty or too sweet, and it sits in the cupboard.
This guide covers which mixed nuts and seeds to choose, exact weights for a 500g box, how much to eat, and how to keep it fresh.
Nuts and seeds do different jobs. Nuts carry most of the fat and protein, which is why a small handful of almonds keeps you going longer than a bag of crisps. Seeds are smaller and lighter, and bring fibre, minerals and a different texture.
Flax seeds, chia seeds and walnuts also contain plant-based omega-3. Mixing all of these gives you a wider spread of nutrients than any single nut on its own.
Choose natural, unsalted nuts for an everyday box. Salted and flavoured nuts are easy to overeat and add salt you do not need.
If you would rather not buy six bags separately, the Premium Everyday Nuts Combo covers almonds, cashew nuts, walnut halves, hazelnuts, brazil nuts and pecan nuts in one order.
Seeds are where most homemade mixes go wrong. People either leave them out or add so many that the bottom of the tub turns to dust.