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If it’s happened to me once, it’s happened to me a hundred times ….
I try this snack or dish that I absolutely LOVE, only to investigate the ingredients and discover that this is something I would never, ever make for my family at home.
This happened to me last year when I tried a popular party mix for the very first time at one of my kid’s school events. It was to die for. This particular party mix recipe is made in vast quantities by over a dozen Moms and served every year at a large and well attended function.
This party mix was so good that I ate it (more than I should have!). This even though the ingredients were such that I knew I was going to seriously pay the piper the next day (or two, or three).
The next year, I did the unthinkable.
I volunteered to be one of the Moms who made this party mix for the masses. I dutifully read the recipe, hurried through Super Target buying the ingredients (and hoping no one would see what was in my cart), went home and mixed it up to deliver to the school the next day.
About halfway through the process of mixing up the party mix, the lightbulb went off.
This party mix could actually be healthy if every single ingredient was replaced with healthier versions. Why didn’t I think of this before?
What I came up with is incredibly easy and simple … and delicious! I’m happy to say that this healthy version tastes just as good as the original junk food version.
The best part is that you don’t go into “overeating zone” with this healthy version like you do with the one made with mostly junk food. You eat a few handfuls and are full and satisfied instead of eating and eating compulsively likely due to all the unlabeled, purposely addictive chemicals that are added to conventional cereals and snack foods to encourage consumers to overeat.
Yes, food manufacturers really do this! They want you to be addicted to their products! In this study, oreos were found to be as addictive than cocaine. According to Dr. Mercola:
Indeed, scientific research into the addictive nature of certain foods, combined with shocking “insider” exposés, tells us that Americans are not necessarily lacking in self control when it comes to their food consumption. Rather, food companies have perfected food concoctions that are addictive. And they know it.
After making this healthy party mix version, I ended up kicking myself that I didn’t make it for the school function instead of the original recipe. I always feel best about what I prepare for large group functions if it is of the same quality that I prepare for my own family, even if those being served don’t know (or maybe even care).
Oh well, there’s always next year! I can make it then.
Below are the original ingredients plus the healthier versions I chose as substitutes.
I hope you find this party mix as delicious as my family does. It makes a great snack to take to any function where you need to please a very diverse group of palates.
What NOT to Use for a Snack Mix
Original Addictive Ingredients (DO NOT USE THESE!)
Golden Grahams 1 (12 oz) Box (Whole Grain Wheat, Sugar (GMO), Corn Meal (GMO), Brown Sugar Syrup, Modified Corn Starch (GMO), Canola Oil (GMO), Honey, Salt, Nonfat Milk, Calcium Carbonate, Baking Soda, Dextrose (GMO), Trisodium Phosphate, Zinc and Iron, Vitamin C (GMO), niacinamide (synthetic), Artificial Flavor
Mini Pretzel Twists (8 oz) (enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin (synthetic), reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate (synthetic), riboflavin (synthetic), folic acid (synthetic)), water, salt, malt, dextrose (GMO), canola oil (GMO), yeast, soda.
Craisins (10 oz) (cranberries, soluble corn fiber (GMO), sugar (GMO), glycerin (GMO), sucralose (artificial sweetener)
Pecans (6-8 oz) coarsely chopped
Wilton Candy Melts – White, 1 (12oz) bag (sugar (GMO), partially hydrogenated palm oil, reduced mineral whey powder, milk powder, milk solids, soy lecithin (GMO), salt)
White Chocolate Chips (11 oz) (Hershey’s: sugar (GMO), nonfat milk, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (transfat), palm kernel oil, contains 2% or less of: cornstarch (GMO), artificial flavor, salt, hydrogenated palm oil, soy lecithin (GMO).
Note: incredible that the white chocolate chips don’t even have any cocoa butter in them! Completely and utterly artificial. Shameful that Hershey’s is even allowed to label them white chocolate anything.
From Unhealthy to Healthy (tasting virtually the same!)
The picture below shows the healthy substitutions for the horrific ingredients above. The end result tastes virtually the same without all the additives, chemicals, and GMOs too.
Healthy Snack and Party Mix Recipe
This healthy recipe for party mix that is great for snacks at home too will delight both your junk food and healthfood eating friends and family. Fun to make too and perfect for lunchboxes!
Ingredients
- 1 7 ounce bag organic spelt pretzel twists (Organic spelt flour, organic sunflower oil, salt, yeast and soda)
- 1 10 ounce box Golden honey graham crackers (Graham flour, rolled oats, evaporated cane juice, safflower oil, honey, raisin paste, leavening, sea salt, cinnamon, vitamin E)
- 1 10 ounce bag dried cranberries (Certified Organic Cranberries, Certified Organic Cane Juice, Certified Organic Sunflower Oil)
- 1 6 ounce bag pecans preferably organic and sprouted
- 1 10 ounce bag white chocolate chips (Evaporated cane juice, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, nonfat milk powder, soy lecithin (non-GMO), and vanilla)
Instructions
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Break graham crackers into small pieces about 1/2 inch square.
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Mix graham crackers, pretzels, dried cranberries, and chopped pecans in a very large bowl.
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Melt white chocolate chips gently on low heat in a double boiler on the stovetop. Don't overheat or chocolate will seize.
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When the white chocolate is melted, pour over mix. Work quickly to incorporate on all the snack pieces. Pour onto lined baking sheet or countertop covered with unbleached parchment paper.
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Let cool. This step may take an hour.
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When cooled, break up gently with butter knife. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator or in a cool pantry.
Recipe Notes
A better choice than even the organic spelt pretzels are sprouted pretzel splits (source). Unfortunately, using sprouted pretzels changes the recipe taste a bit, so only use them if you are unable to tolerate small amounts of spelt that isn't traditionally prepared.
References and More Information
We are Eating What?
Oreos as Addictive as Cocaine
Is Soy Lecithin Really So Unhealthy?
The whole milk powder and nonfat milk powder in the white chocolate chips contains MSG or excitotoxins. Nonfat milk powder is typically a heavily processed milk protein that damages the brain a nervous system and contains toxic fats due to high heat and pressure. Best to stick with unprocessed foods from local farmers.
See for more …
hidden sources of MSG here http://www.truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html
Read http://www.realfoodwholehealth.com/2011/05/excitotoxins-msg-and-hidden-names/
Read the Skinny on Nonfat Milk here http://www.details.com/fashion-style/the-body/201105/skim-milk-non-fat-milk-diet-foods/
Milk powder is the MSG for bakers http://milkbarstore.com/main/press/cookbook-faq/
More links http://www.westonaprice.org/msg-updates/
Obviously, that is the ideal, but I seriously doubt anyone reading this does this 100% of the time. I know I don’t. It’s virtually impossible in many places.
I am HIGHLY sensitive to MSG and the small amounts in the white chocolate chips give me no problem at all. By the way, there’s MSG in properly made bone broth too. But again, very small amounts. I don’t think splitting hairs helps anyone in the real world and only serves to discourage people from making any improvements at all.
What these links you are posting are warning about is not a handful of white chocolate chips with a small amount of milk powder in them occasionally consumed but the large amounts people are consuming daily in the form of commercial skim milk (with it’s added milk powder), commercial baby formula and the like.
What brand of white chocolate chips did you use? I’ve never found anything other than hershey’s.
Here’s the link also included in the post above. These are awesome and contain nonGMO soy lecithin. Unfortunately, they are a bit hard to find. Even my healthfood stores around town .. only one used to carry them and now they don’t anymore so I have to buy online 🙁
http://amzn.to/1FOCGJM
With shipping that’s $10.08 for a bag of white chocolate chips!!
thank goodness for Amazon Prime – free shipping.
M & Ms, Hershey Kisses, and Mallomar cookies were three “favorite” things I stopped buying years ago, long before removing processed foods from my diet. When I had a bag or a box of them (always the largest size) I would eat it until it was finished. I tried to make finishing it very inconvenient, hiding some in the car during the winter, or placing it underneath lots of heavy items in the freezer. But over and over I would hunt it down and finish it. I woke up thinking about it. I thought about it all day. Just “like” an addict. It was ugly, Worst thing was I never even felt satisfied.
Now some organic cocoa with coconut oil and a little honey is satisfying to my appetite, and at the same time I feel good about how I am treating myself. Quite different than the feeling of failure that used to follow the addictive behavior brought on by processed foods!
The worst thing about it is that folks think it is some sort of character weakness on their part that they can’t stop themselves .. they don’t realize the food manufacturers are making these foods addictive on purpose with unlabeled baddies that shockingly have GRAS status through an “honor system” that the FDA allows and looks the other away about.
Yes, this is why you must go COLD TURKEY when you get off fast food and processed foods. You can’t eat them in moderation. They are too addicting just like cocaine or other drugs. You must avoid them completely. I have never taken my kids to eat fast food ever in over 16 years. It can be done.
if your chocolate does seize just add one Table spoon of raw butter or coconut oil. this will fix it. done it many times when I over heated. oops no one is prefect but it can be fix so all is not lost.
Thank you for this great tip!
Super helpful Sarah. My husband is a big time snacker especially around football season. I won’t wait til then to try it out though. Thanks so much!
The Graham Crackers are not organic or non-gmo.
What’s up with that? Why are you suggesting them?
I love your website and respect your blog, research, knowledge, etc. I was surprised by this suggested product.
The graham crackers are completely nonGMO. I am not overly concerned that they are not organic as even USDA organic can have up to 5% GMO (yes GMO) and/or nonorganic ingredients in them. Organic doesn’t necessarily make it good. Please post if you have a better choice. I would love to know!
gmo-awareness.com/2011/05/05/is-organic-always-gmo-free/
Thank you. That is great news!
I use Annie’s Homegrown Organic Honey Grahams on occasion. I buy them at Earth Fare, but they may be available online (haven’t checked that out). The box says that the ingredients are Non GMO verified. Here are the ingredients: organic whole grain wheat flour, organic wheat flour, organic cane sugar, organic expeller-pressed sunflower oil, organic honey, organic molasses, leavening (baking soda, ammonium bicarbonate and cream of tartar), organic vanilla flavor, organic brown sugar flavor, sea salt, organic rosemary extract.
I love that you posted this. Makes me feel normal that I succumb to temptation at social events every once in awhile! I try to always bring desserts to social functions too so there is a treat I feel good about giving my kids! I will add this to my recipe collection. Thanks for the recipe makeover!
I’m not sure what is happening with your webpages…I’ve been to several of them on your site today and get blaringly loud ads playing over the top of your videos (?) (In case you didn’t know…)
Thanks – LOVE your site.
For some reason I can’t picture you eating
ANY of the food served at a school event…I imagine you with a purse full of emergency home-made food for just this type of situation haha!
This looks awesome and I guarantee any kid would gobble it up!
Ha! Actually, my approach is to make every effort to fit in as much as possible. I don’t want my kids growing up OCD about food and thinking that they can’t ever attend events without bringing their own sustenance.
One trick I DO use all the time is to eat before I go to a party or event. Then, I’m not ravenous and just pick at a few things here and there and don’t typically get enough conventional food to make me feel lousy. This is surely the only downside of eating traditionally, your body gets used to the good stuff and if you eat conventional processed food with all those GMOs and additives, your body rejects it big time with quick symptoms of headache, bloating, tummy ache or whatnot.