NATIONAL TRAIL MIX DAY
Observed annually on August 31, National Trail Mix Day honors the mix that was developed as a healthy snack to be taken along on hikes.
Trail mix is an ideal hike snack food because it is very lightweight, easy to store, nutritious and provides a quick energy boost from the carbohydrates in the dried fruits or granola as well as sustained energy from the fats in the nuts.
One claim to the invention is held by two California surfers, who in 1968 blended peanuts and raisins together for an energy snack. However, in the 1958 novel The Dharma Bums written by Jack Kerouac, trail mix is mentioned when the two main characters describe the planned meals in preparation for their hiking trip.
